After a week or two of doing the baseline tests, and thank God they are all negative. The doctor was then ready to give me my very first ARV. Plus the cotrimoxazol that is an anti bacteria capsule that can fight bacteria that coming into my body since my cd4 is very low. The capsule is too big, every time i try to drink it, im about to blow.
The cocktail that doctor was gave me were lamivi/zidovi+nevirapine. All these type of ARV has a sudden side effect depends on the reaction of the body. They are strong kind of ARV that strictly take on time and on scheduled. She explained that Lamivi/zidovi may cause anemia, or lowering of the red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. And the nevirapine is very high allergen medicine. She strictly inform me that i need to monitor my conditions from time to time. Since i was then on a trial period they gave just a 2 bottle for the two types of capsule good for 2 weeks, and will take once a day, if after two weeks nothing harm was happened another two weeks and additional 2 capsule at night.
The first day that i took arv, i got nausea, and i vomit the night 30 minutes after i took the med, i got panic cause i don't know if ill have to take again or if its enough, because they say that capsule or tablet medicine dissolve in stomach and absorb by body for the minimum of 3 hours, meaning the tablet that i just took was now on my vomit product, so i have to take another one just to make sure.
I have my Thermometer wherever ill go and every after 30 minutes im checking up my body temperature as connotes that will ever i feel hot, ill have to run to the hospital, for first week my highest temperature that i got was then 36.9, and that was just one time. The rest were playing around 34-36.0 degree Celsius. I don't have any rushes and body aching. The only worst side effect that i felt that time was the nausea. I hate the feeling especially when im vomiting, all of the food that i ate that day will be thrown away.
The next 2 weeks nothing serious side effect was took place. And my nausea was gone. I feel good and great. My nausea last for a week. And they took another sgot and sgpt for my liver. Because it its needed to find out if theres no harm effect on my liver because they just found out that ARV can increase to the damage of the liver. As i got my sgpt and sgot, they advice that i need to take the two capsule twice a day.since my hemoglobin is still high.
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor sitteth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers."
--Psalms 1:1 (ASV)
After knowing that my cd4 cells are below normal i have to take ARV.
What is ARV? (Antiretrovirals) cant cure AIDS, ARV are jus anti retro, which means they stop or trying to stop the duplicating of Hiv within your blood, . HIV cannot make copy of itself because of ARV. So theres a possibility na bumagal ang progress ng HIV into Aids or not all. If such ARV was fit for you theres a chance na tumaas ang cd4 mo. If you loose weight then you will gain after ARV. In my case i didnt loose weigh. I gained instead since i found out that im a PLHIV. Rinessetahan ako ni doc ng ARV cocktail and they are Zidovidine + lamivudine. And efavirenz. But before i conduct in a treatment i met some counselor, sinabi nila na diko naman kelangan gumastos ng malaki para sa treatment ko. May free arv treatment daw ang DOH so i ask if where and there are three hub San Lazaro, PfH and RITM.
Aun dun ko napagdecide na since di naman ako ung gumagastos para sa helath ko i need to be practical. From then on nagpaalam ako sa doctor ko sa makati. Naiintindihan nya naman kung bakit ako lumipat ng hub. And sa RITM kelanan kong ulitin lahat ng baseline test ko before ARV. So panibagong gastos nanaman.
After a week at everyday ata nasa Alabang ako. My vital and baseline are all ok. Ang dami ko pa palang kulang na baseline before conducting ART. So negative naman lahat ng result. I dont have any Opportunistic Infection. Kaya aun nagstart nako mag ARV, pero ibang cocktail ang rineseta skin sa Ritm. They are Lamivi+Zivodi And Nevirapine. Sabi ng doctor this are the most effective an yet cheap ARV. Ang prob lang daw sa nevirapine ay maraming nagkaka allergy kya nagpapalit pa ng ibang cocktail. Then pinacounsel ako sa isang representative ng pafi, regarding sa pag undergo ng ART (antiretroviral therapy)
I was so afraid that time knowing na madaming side effect ang ARV. At mas nakaktakot saw ang side effect nito.
And kelangan daw ng matinding disiplina in taking of it. Kasi di pwedeng paiba iba ng oras. Strictly on time evryday.
So then, nag take nako binigyan nila ako ng tig isang bote ng 2 cocktail nasa trial period pa daw kasi ako and i have to monitor my body and the side effect. Baka daw di ako hiyang sa ARV na to.
Every then minomonitor ko ang side effect. And others effect.
"Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and i will be whiter than snow."
--Psalm 51:7
