SURVIVED DAY 1!

OA naman, parang big big deal. parang nagkasakit... hindi naman. i just survived Day 1 of m ARV medications. am now on day 2. So far so good, its not as bad as i expected.

(SHIP - my new clinic in shaw blvd)

TRANSFERED HUBS

i am now with SAGIP Unit (STI/AIDS Guidance Intervention & Prevention Unit) under UP-PGH. lumipat ako from RITM-ARG at mabilis lang naman ang proseso, napaka accommodating pa rin ng mga taga RITM Alabang and i soooo love them still. pero there are some important considerations why i have to transfer. kaya ayun, wednesday morning i was at RITM Alabang then kinahapunan, dala ko na ang endorsement at medical abstract ko sa clinic sa shaw.

bakit kamo? kasi nga am about to start ARV na. eversince naman eh naisip ko na that when the time comes na kelangan ko ng mag gamot and my CD4 count gets to lower than 350, i would like to have a private doctor, someone who can give my case more attention. syempre lahat naman tayo gusto yung naaalagaan tayo. hassle din kasi minsan ung dami nakapila for consulatation then all you get is a few minutes with the attending doctor. minsan lang feeling ko baka may di mapansin sa case ko at baka may mamiss-out.

and so i found a great doctor, (si Dra. Kate) dahil super duper highly recommended sya ng ilang friends ko. at dahil under sya sa UP-PGH kaya i needed to transfer hubs. ang good news pa eh she holds clinic sa shaw blvd lang, lapit lang sa akin, all labs and dispensing of medications can be done there so super convenient para rin sa akin. syempre dahil sa philhealth libre pa rin lahat ng gamot and labs, mabuti na lang at continuous ang contributions ko. having a private doctor means me consultation fee (not free) and for me its totally fine, so long as ensured ako na naaalagaan ang case ko. Php 550 per consultation, i'd say not bad kasi halos ganun din naman nagagastos ko everytime bumibiyahe ako sa Alabang.

i am going to miss alabang.

DAY 1

after waiting for a few weeks para sa results ng sputum at xray ko, i was finally cleared and ready to start ARVs. all my labs wer great except that medyo mataas daw cholesterol ko - DIET DIET DIET sabi ni dra.!!! kaloka i soooo love her, sya yung duktor na super kwela at masaya kausap, walang ni isa mang hint ng judgement sa pagkatao mo kaya nga because of that i feel soooooo safe to tell her everything even my occassional recreational drug use. tapos super sipag pang sumagot sa mga emal at text, feel ko na she really wants to help out and take care of you.

so i brought my BF during my ARV counseling para maging treatment partner ko. naexplain naman ni doc ang mga gamot ko and possible side effects. sabi nya of all yung EFAV lang talaga ang medyo nakakagroggy kaya sa gabi sya tinatake before sleeping.

(efavirenz -adverse effects)

 

and so yesterday was day 1, TENOFOVIR - LAMIVUDINE - EFAVIRENZ, considered 2nd-line ARV na yata yun because dra thinks its best for my case. i stayed at home the whole day to see what happens.

morning medications did not have any noticeable effect whatsoever. yung efav sa gabi ang medyo nahilo at nagroggy nga ako. parang slight naka ecstasy ka lang pero since nakahiga na rin ako agad 30mins after taking it di ko na siguro naramdaman yung ibang effects. i just noticed mga 3x ako nagising middle of the night at parang medyo restless, pagkagising ko kaninang umaga hilo pa rin ako for about 1hr tapos unti unti rin nawala. itinodo ko na rin yung aircon kagabi kasi sabi nila it can feel hot sometimes. dahil dun di ko naman nafeel kung uminit nga ako.

so ayun success ang day 1 ko ko, i hope tuloy tuloy lang and that after 1 month my labs will show good numbers pa rin. wish me luck.

 

VACCINES

have to save money pala for more vaccines to protect myself from other possible diseases. magastos din but have to do it. IPON IPON IPON!

 

so ayan, alam nyo na na buhay pa rin ako, alive and kicking all over. happy lang. tamad lang talaga ako magblog lately. sensya naman.

o kamusta naman kayo?

 

ako si BONG

ito ang aking diary

 

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ITS TIME!

kasalukuyang nasa canteen ng RITM alabang, naghihintay ng 1 oras bago lamnan ang pangalawang sputum vial.

dahil sa resulta ng huling CD4 count ko kanina, nag request ang aking duktor ng karagdagang chest xray at sputum test.

mukhang kailangan na talagang magsimula at hindi na pwedeng ipagpaliban, dalawang taon din akong naghintay.

meron pa akong mga 2 linggo para gawin ang mga nararapat na lab tests at mga konsultasyon.

maliban duon eh wala naman ibang dapat ikabahala, wala naman akong nararammdaman.

pero bagong adustment na naman.

but i feel great.

i am ready.

329 = arv

;)

ito ang aking diary,

ako si BONG

 

(PS: sira ang aking mobile number, you can reach me sa email)

 

 

 

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CHECK UP @ RITM

RITM ARG CHECK UP. i saw this on their wall.

Am feeling some stuff that they say is totally unrelated to HIV. Pero mabuti na yung sigurado, so here i am waiting for my turn.

 

ako si BONG

ito ang aking diary

 

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NEW RITM ALABANG (ARG) CD-4 TESTs SCHEDULE!

PUBLIC SERVICE!!!

MONDAY - TUESDAY - THURSDAY - FRIDAYS ONLY

except WEDNESDAYS

RESULTS ARE RELEASED AT 11 - 12NN DAILY

facilitates earlier release of results

for those who are due for consultation (same day)

ibig sabihin mas maaga na sila nagbubukas (7am)

this is GREAT NEWS!!!

 

its best that you get your schedule

beforehand kasi minsan kasi puno

na ang slots daw.

 

ako si BONG

ito ang aking diary

 

 

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MR. UNSURE

Hi, Bong

I'm ben, hindi ko totoong pangalan, nais ko sanang maliwanagang tungkol sa HIV. actually hindi nman ako sexually active. peru pra ma sure ung status ko, nagpa test ako sa RITM leon ginto, ke kuya Lean. and Thank GOD. it was negative naman nagpatest ako 36 days na sya after ng exposure ko, peru my condom nman at hindi naman napunit. it was my first time. my assurance nba ako sa result ko?

maraming slamat, nawoworry pa ksi ako. peru gusto ko pa bumalik after 3 months pra super sure. peru my nagsabi na sken na sa loveyourself na pwede na, na hindi na ako bumalik after 3 months. peru worried prin po ako.

Sana po matulungan nio po ako. maraming salamat po! God is Good!
He'll always protect you and guide you!

BEN

hello BEN,

maraming salamat sa iyong sulat, medyo naging busy lang ako kaya ngayon ko lang masasagot ang tanung mo.

mabuti at nagpatest ka sa RITM Leon Guinto, isa ito sa pinaka maayos na testing sites na inirerekumenda namin.  masinsin ang kanilang proseso at sinisigurado nila na naiintindihan mo ang  pinagdadaanan mo.

"36 days after ng exposure"  --- anung ibig sabihin mo rito?

36 days mula nung nakipagsex ka ng safe???

exposure saan???  may HIV ba yung kasex mo???

unang una, kung nagcondom ka naman at hindi naman ito nasira/nabutas -- ito yung tinatawag natin na safe sex --- low risk ito sa HIV.

pangalawa, hindi mo naman sigurado kung may HIV ang kasex mo, low risk pa rin yun

pangatlo, nag "non-reactive" ang test mo sa RITM.

with all the three - you have all the reason to celebrate ben...

dapat nagtatatalon at super happy ka na...

bakit worried ka pa rin?

base sa kwento mo,

i think ang pagiging UNSURE mo ay dahil naguguilty ka sa sexual practices mo... particularly anal sex sa kapwa lalaki?  (tama ba?)

wrong attitude yun sa aking pananaw, sex is a natural thing, its a biological need, dapat di ka maguilty, dapat di ka matakot sa sex, or magworry sa consequenses nito --- mas lalo pa ngayon na educated ka na sa HIV, alam mo na kung paano ito maiiwasan at paano mo proprotektahan ang sarili mo.

with all the new knowledge that you gained that came with the pre test and post test counseling, you should be confident sa sarili mo ben.  alam mo na ang risky at hindi risky.  put it to good use.

nakalulungkot namang isipin na mukhang nagiging paranoid na masyado ang mga tao at mga kabataan tungkol sa sex (maybe because of all the bad news or misinformation that they've been hearing about HIV or how it is related to man to man sex)

ibig sabihin lang hindi pa rin nila naintindihan ang HIV, mali pa rin ang kanilang kaalaman, kaya mas kailangan paigtingin ang pagpapalaganap ng edukasyon tungkol sa HIV.

remember that IT IS NOT WHO YOU ARE THAT MAKES YOU SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIV --- IT IS WHAT YOU DO THAT PUTS YOU AT RISK!

OKAY LANG MAKIPAG SEX - BASTA PROTECTED - BASTA SAFE.  LAGI NATIN TATANDAAN YAN.

wag maguilty, wag mag alala, wag magworry.

you can have an HIV test every 3 months for the rest of your life, if you want to be sure. libre naman sya.  pero kung alam mo naman na safe ka, why bother?

salamat ulit

ito ang aking diary

BONG

HOW TO GET TO RITM (Research Institure for Tropical Medicine)

From Alabang interchange via FX taxis: Look for the FX taxi terminal at the Alabang  Rotonda. From South Luzon Expressway, coming from Manila via private vehicle: Exit at Filinvest toll gate  (after Alabang toll plaza) and turn left  at the next intersection. From Zapote: Enter Filinvest Corporate Avenue and go straight ahead. From South Luzon Expressway, coming from Laguna: Exit at Filinvest toll gate and turn left at the next intersection. From the Ninoy Aquino International Airport: Go to the taxi service counter just across the road immediately after the exit door of the arrival area and ask the taxi service person to take you to Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang in the area of the Festival Mall. (The taxi driver can choose any of the options above, except the last.) OR take the BUS to ALABANG via Skyway bumaba ka sa SOUTH STATION maglakad papunta sa CITY TERMINAL (near HENLIN) sa tapat lang ito ng Starmall Alabang (across the street) hanapin nyo lang ang mga Shuttle na papunta RITM