CHEM SEX & HIV!

"When I did get a chance to connect with others in this madness we sometimes talked about being HIV positive. People would say that they felt the disease was treatable now and that they had a second chance. That seemed to be the general attitude to HIV – that it was no longer a problem for them personally." --- http://www.beigeuk.com/2014/02/chem-sex-revealed-part-one/

nakakalungkot! pero parang nagiging ganito na rin ang sitwasyon dito sa pilipinas... me mga naririnig na akong ganito ang pananaw sa chem sex at pagiging positive kaya wala na silang pakialam. :(

stay safe everyone!

 

ako si BONG

ito ang aking diary

 

 

 

 

 

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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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Use of Poppers

Jan 13, 2013

I have an undetectable viral load and high CD4 count. I now want to try to try to put myself back into the dating scene. I know that if it gets sexual I need to wear condoms. I just need to know is it safe to take poppers to loosen up before sex. I am currently on Isentress and Complera. Would it be a deadly cocktail and what can I do, because I can't normally maintain an erection being penetrated nor do I ejaculate. I heard men with HIV should not to use poppers. Please advise.

 

Response from Dr. David Fawcett

Thanks for writing. Poppers should be used with caution. They don't mix with protease inhibitors (although neither Isentress nor Complera contain PIs) because of interference with liver enzymes, creating the potential for increased blood levels of certain medications. You mention erectile dysfunction. Poppers are a dangerous mix with ED drugs such as Viagra. The combination can cause a drop in blood pressure, increased heart rate, and even more serious problems like heart attack or stroke.

In my practice I see a high number of men who rarely or never have sex without poppers and/or mood altering drugs. Sex without the benefit of something to "loosen up" can be intimidating and intense for some, but a drug-free experience will ultimately be more much more satisfying (and safer).

Enjoy!

David

www.thebody.com

 

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ANG AKING CD4 CHART!

Click Chart for LARGER VIEW

kakabalik ko lang from RITM ALABANG, while i was totally scared that my CD4 have dropped, i was totally amazed that in fact it has increased to  499.  no meds. no nothing,

after hearing about it, a PLHIV friend texted:

L: Wow congrats, ano secreto mo?
Bong:  Lot's of safe sex! hahaha!
L: hahaha. adik!
Bong: seriously, i live my life like i don't have it.
L: haha, nice.

___

let me explain that further... syempre hindi naman totally like normal life... of course as much as possible i eat healthy na rin and watch what i eat. kung di man makatulog on time, i make sure i sleep 8 hours a day.  minsan stressful pa rin ang trabaho ko, madalas pala... but what i can proudly say that i've been very 'positive' sa pananaw ko sa buhay that sometimes pati ako nagugulat (eversince naman ganun na ako, mas lalo pa ngayon), like nung HABAGAT, bumabaha na lahat, i still felt okay, habang nagkakagulo at nadedepress at nagpapanick na ang lahat. i was so calm and relaxed, naglulutangan na ang mga gamit ko sa tubig, i was sooo cool about it, nasa isip ko lang nun i have to stay "positive and cheerful" and so i did.  minsan nagugulat talaga ako sa sarili ko, immune na yata ako sa negative energy.

minsan lang talaga nagwoworry din ako (konti lang) lalo na kapag nagkakasakit ako --- like 1 month ago nagkatrangkaso ako, high fever at sakit ng katawan, 1 week ako house arrest, gumaling ako sa co-amoxiclab --- tapos this week konting ubo at sipon, under antibiotics ulit ako.... eh hindi naman ako sanay sa ganito na nagkakasakit kasi for 30 more years hindi naman ako nagkakalagnat nor sipon talaga, kaya syempre nagwoworry din ako ng konti - baka bumababa na cd4 count ko.  nung nagpatest nga ako nung isang araw eh ready na ako sa sarili ko na magsimula ng gamot (ARV) kung talagang bababa ang count ko -

pero ayun nga tumataas pa --- swerte lang siguro ako --- sabi ni doc baka member ako ng mga taong hindi talaga masyado naaapektuhan ng HIV (magdilang anghel ka sana doc) kasi considering na walang meds, eh tumataas pa rin ang CD4 ko at perfect pa rin lahat ng mga baseline laboratory results ko.  sabi rin ni doc, ang mga trangkaso at sipon ay normal lang na occurance kahit sa mga healthy na tao lalo na sa panahon ngayon na tag ulan -so i dont have to worry about it. ang importante daw at kumonsulta agad sa duktor everytime may karamdaman para magamot kaagad.

kaya ngayon happy ako, im on the right track, sana eh tuloy tuloy na.

btw. everytime i visit RITM Alabang, maraming revelations, syempre di maiiwasan makasalamuha ang mga pasyente dun, lagi ako may nakikitang malapit na kaibigan, so ayun nakakaron na ng disclosure na di inaasahan.  para sa akin okay lang masaya nga...

"ay ikaw din!!!"

tapos ayun chikahan na

ansaya


ito ang aking diary
ako si BONG


..... and yes, i do have lots of safe SEX (hahaha), i dont want to go into details pero masaya ako, super saya, medyo salat sa salapi pero dinadagsa ng pagmamahal!

SINO ANG NAKAHAWA SA IYO?

You know Bong, if you have noticed most of the HIV cases in PH, they hardly know where they got it. Very seldom that someone can recall or traced it back from its "ORIGIN".I know for a fact that it will not changed a thing if you have the virus already but then isnt it make you feel better if you know who passed it!

from HIVSLASHAIDS
http://hivslashaids.blogspot.com/

HELLO HIVSLASHAIDS,

totoo, kahit ako, i cannot exactly pinpoint who is the culprit in my case... alam mo kung bakit? kasi mahirap naman talagang malaman kung sino --- unless isa lang ang nakasex (unsafe) mo sa buong buhay mo, or kapag once every 6 months ka lang nakikipagsex at within that period eh magpapaHIV test ka, siguro kapag ganun ang case mo mapipinpoint mo...

it is a FACT na even if you have unsafe sex sa isang PLHIV, may chance pa rin na hindi ka mahahawahan --- hindi automatic na mahahawahan ka agad, may chances pa rin na hindi... maraming factors ang dapat iconsider.   ang sabi pa nga ng ibang studies eh mahirap naman daw talaga na maikalat ang HIV, marami lang talagang mga tao ang nagiging mapangahas pagdating sa sex.

so ano yun iisa isahin mo ang mga nakasex mo? pipilitin mo magpatest kung ayaw umamin or kung hindi nila alam? (thats against the law to make-pilit magpatest anybody) tapos kung nag positive nga sila, pano mo mapapatunayan na sya ang nakahawa sa iyo at hindi ikaw ang nakahawa sa kanya?  so you have to consider time differences, kelan ka nahawahan? kelan ka nagpatest? kelan sila nahawaan? kelan sila nagpatest?  ---  eh kung magnegative yung pinagdududahan mo, e di ikaw naman ang babalikan nya, bakit mo siya inilagay sa risk of infection, ikaw naman hahabulin.  walang katapusan na counterchecking baka makagawa ka na ng family tree ng HIV sa Pilipinas.  gugulo lang ang buhay mo.

sa aking palagay mas makabubuting wag na lang malaman (irrelevant na yung issue), kasi una mahirap maghinala at mahirap magprove ang ebidensya, unless 100 percent sure ka nga, solid facts ang kailangan.  at para anu pa? it wouldnt make any difference at all. isa pang pagsisimulan ito ng galit, kung malalaman ko kung sino, baka hindi natin maiwasan na magtanim ng galit sa taong me kasalanan, most of the cases naman eh hindi rin nila sinasadya ang pangyayari.

negative energies ang mga yun, wala na akong panahon sa ganun, i just wanna live a healthy and positive life, anything i do that does not make me productive and will not lengthen my life is a WASTE of TIME - so why bother? ;)

para sa akin, ang katotohanan, kasalanan ko rin ito, nagpabaya ako, tinatanggap ko ng 100% ang responsibilidad na ito, wala akong sinisisi at itinuturo...

sana lahat tayo ganun.

ito ang aking diary

ako si BONG

My EX is Parteeing N Playing!

Hi Bong,

I love your blog site as it delivers a clear message to Filipino people engaging into activities that put them at risk to acquire HIV. I decided to write an email because recently I learned that my ex boyfriend was engaging into risky sexual practices. We separated last July 2011 and still I know in my heart I still care. When I learned that he is engaging into partee and play without protection I was alarmed. A friend of mine whom I introduced him when we were still together exchanges messages to him in planetromeo. Sharing stories and sex trips. From ecstasy, he is now taking ice/slam. Engaging into pnp 1on1 but most of the times a group of 6 and more. Sadly, none of those events did he use condoms according to my friend.

I do not know PnP then until I researched every detail of partee and play. The rising incidence of HIV according to an article and even a feature news from an international tv was due to PnP. I was very curious that i researched colloquial terms they are using. To understand further pnp, i tried it once (of course observing safe sex from start to the end) to know how it feels. It was indeed ecstatic but a person in pnp was still in his sound mind and there was a period after the pnp that you would feel down even without reason (crashing is the term according to my research).

I wanted to help him, he was still young  (25 years old and I am 30). I took HIV test when I learned he was doing pnp, fortunately it was negative (feb 2012) because I know in myself i am not engaging into unprotected sex except to my bfs. I am convincing him to take the test and he refuse to talk about it. I care and i consulted hiv + in pr how to convince him to take the test...

I wanted to help him because i still care. Please help.

Thank you.

CARING EX


-----------------------------------------------


hello Caring Ex,

i will reply to your letter in my next blog (medyo busy lang) --- i also want to blog in details about the topic of PnP, there's a reason my blog is titled as such... i'v been wanting to talk about it, i always hesitate but because you opened the topic na, maybe this March is the right time to talk about it.

thanks for writing to me Caring Ex...

(anybody who wants to comment and help would be highly appreciated)

ito ang aking diary

BONG

SAFE PARTEEEING?

bilang isang aktibong advocate sa hiv/aids awareness, bahagi ng aking mga ginagawa ang bigyang suporta and mga taong nangangailangan ng tulong at impormasyon tungkol sa usapin ng hiv/aids sa pilipinas.  kasama na rito ang magbigay suporta sa mga taong bagong diagnose na hiv positive.

noong isang araw, dahil matagal ko na rin di nakakamusta ang isang kliyenteng newly diagnosed na pusit, naisipan ko syang i-text ---

____________
bong:  hello mike, kamusta ka na?

mike: i am good po! parteed yesterday, but made sure i wore a condom. kawawa naman madadali ko eh. LOL!

bong: thats cool. are you done with ur baseline  lab tests na? are you under arvs na?

(no response)

____________

i felt disappointed with mike, mukhang he's back in his old ways, even his condition does not stop him from changing his ways.

at the same time i felt so helpless, nalulungkot at sobrang naaapektuhan ako, kasi alam ko there's a 90% chance this mode of transmission is exactly how i got infected.

i hope soon i get the chance to talk to him sincerely, i dont know his real story pa mahirap mangaral, he doesnt trust me yet, he doesn't know me.  wish ko na lang pag nangailangan sya ng makakausap at tulong, sa akin sya lumapit.

ito ang aking diary

BONG