After ARV, my doctors now prescribe an immunization for me. A different kind of vaccines. Hepa B vaccine which will be having a 3 shots the 0-1-6 the Pneumococal for anti Pneumonia for one shot that lasts for five years, and a flu vaccine shots every year.
Scheduled of my 2nd month CBC and SGPT test, i go to RITM and got my blood extracted to find out if my hemoglobin is lowering due to ARV, if my SGPT or liver enzymes is rising because of ARV and Izoniasid.
I got also a one shot of vaccine for my 0 schedule. Then 2 shots after a month and last shot after 6 months. Then Booster nalang.
The Hepa B vaccine is for free at RITm but the Pneumo costs me 1500 and the flue costs 600. And theres another vaccine that i might to have, the meninggo and anti cancer vaccine.
"Loving God means keeping His commandments, and really, that isn't difficult."
-- 1 John 5:3
As days, weeks and months passed by. Im getting ok. Everything is under control. Im ready to face the life of full of trials. I pursue my business, but still i want to work as an employee to practice what i've learned in school. I applied severals companies in our provinces. I dont want to get away from home again. I want to be always with my parents. But after several interview still i cant landed a good job. Im still afraid if theres a company which conducting an HIV screening. But i found out that according to the law of the Philippines nobody can initiate and of an HIV screening without a consent of the patients. So i tried again.
While waiting for the surprise in my life on my career breakthrough. I run my business as a sort of income.
And still waiting for the company to hired me.
I dont want to give all the burden to my sister who finances my medical needs. I want to get employed for a self support.
Go on in Life. I met some of the friends all the and keep me happy and strong. I attended some reunions and party to forget what i am going through. I attended Christian prayer meeting to ask for a divine help. I enjoy attending to that service, especially you meet different kind of people who believes in Jesus. After that service i feel relief,
I feel strong. And i feel blessed.
Thats how i run my life with a battle.
"Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you."
--Proverbs 4:25
After a months of grieving, self-pity, anxious, and asking God why i messed up? I totally moved on. Instead of understanding things with my own thoughts why i would not let God to do his will upon me?
I commit myself to the Lord, i attended Christian services even though im a Catholic, and read some Christian's book and of course the Holy Bible and that Help me a lot in moving on. Thought me of everything that i should learn and the things i wanna know. In that situation i learned that everything's happen for a reason, and the reason why this happen to me is the challenge for me to found out. I know theres a big plan that God created for me, and working in Other country is not part of His will. I accepted that peacefully, even though all through this years, i made myself a worthy of success, and my thinking of working overseas will be my success im wrong! God uses situation that i might hurt but in the end of the day theres a reason why!
Now, i begin to start all over! My thinking of working overseas was reformatted in my thoughts and heart. And the contentment of being loved by my family is there! I am contented to work here with my parents and siblings. Half of my siblings are on abroad, i should be here to take care of my parents. I know i cannot gain the salary that i should get when i work abroad, but what is important is that iam contented and at peace! And i am willing and able to follow God's will for me. My success is to accept Christ as my savior, not to be fame or to be rich. But to have a happy, loving and peaceful family in spite of what our we going through. Having true people and true friends surrounds me, thats my new appreciation of success.
And i started to accept the fact that it is hard for me to creat my own family because of my Bday Gift, but in fullness of hope im still praying, to have a wife and a children. But if thats never be happen, i accepted it full heatedly.
Anyway im living my life for Christ not for my self. But the main point of it all is that im at peace and contented. Sound cliche but thats the truth.
Now iam starting to find a new job that can practice my profession but will not compromised my health. And ill have to have the quality of life that i should have. With the support of everybody, I CAN. For with God all things is possible!
"All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them."
---John 12:26
After a week of waiting. Ayun nakuha kona ang viral load ko. And its quite worrying kasi nasa 600,000 ang viral load ko which is very bad. The next step is to know about my cd4 count, anyway, lets define viral load first.
What is viral load?
VIRAL LOAD is a blood test that measures the amount of active HIV in your blood. The higher the value of viral load test, the more active HIV is present. The quantitative HIV viral load ranges from 400 - 750,000 copies.
Scary no? Eh ung sakin 600,000 na, 150k nalang pwede nako mag bingo.
Then i got my cd4 panel result sa SACCL. The result is 69 :(
Anyway what is CD4 muna? And bakit eto important?
Cd4 cells - these cells have molecules called cd4 on its surface. These "helper" cells initiate the body's response to infections.
Normal values of cd4 cells ranges from 600- 1200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. Less than 200 the immune system is severely weakened and the Hiv+ person is at much greater risk of opportunistic infection.
200-500 treatment is recommended.
So imagine? Cd4 cells ko 69 lang? So i got worried when i saw the result at dali dali ko pinuntahan doctor ko sa makatimed. And shocked din sya ng makita nya. And she said "this is impossible, your too young, and wala ka namang signs of opportunistic infection."
If doctor was shocked, what more about me? Haha ni hindi ako nagkasakit o simpleng sipon. So nakita din ni doc ung cbc ko. And they are all abnormal. Sabi nya pang chronic disease na tong result na to. At di daw sya naniniwala para makasiguro nag CBC ako sa makatimed at mismong araw na un nakuha ko result. And they are all normal, so baka ang cd4 ko mali din.
So she recommend na magpa cd4 panel ulit ako kasi sa iba na, so she recommend NKTI sa may kamuning they offer it much cheaper than MMC and st. Lukes. So aun nagpacd4 ako. After 2 days they emailed us the resukt, and it was 184.
But atleast nasa 3digits pa sya hehe. Then start nako rinesetahan ng ARV ni doc.
"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble."
--Psalm 46:1
While waiting for the cd4 result, i search about home medication or herbal medicine na pwedeng makatulong sa paglakas ng immune system ko. Kahit na hindi naman talga humina at never akong nagkasakit. And i accept the fact na wala pa namang cure sa mismong HIV, kaya pagtutuunan ko ng pansin ay ang pagpapalakas ng aking immune system. So one of the herbal that made on the number one spot is the Virgin Coconut Oil, of all the herbal, VCO lang ang ginawan ng research study ng DOH. And they proven that it can help to raised CD4 level. But as the doctor says na di naniniwala sa mga herbal, ang VCO ay isang food supplement lamang at hindi ito nakakagamot. I asked Dra. Gler too about this, at wala daw siyang idea about this, kahit na doctor din ang nagsagawa ng research studied on VCO as anti-HIV.
Sa kakaresearch ko, madami akong mabasang mga testimonies na nagpapatunay na maganda ang epekto ng VCO sa katawan ng tao. Di man neti kayang tanggalin ang Virus sa katawan but atlis it can help to strengthen our immune system.
So I bought one bottle of VCO on the market, i bought the exported one, and on the label nakalagay na Anti-HIV, dahil daw ang VCO ay nagtataglay ng Lauric Acid. Ang L.Acid ay nakakatulong upang ang HIV strain ay mabreak sa 2 upang hindi na ito makapagmutate at tuluyang mamatay. Ganun daw ang process ng lauroc acid sa katawan.
So i tried, i drink one tablespoon every night. Plus a malunggay juice on the morning. Right then on, i gained weight and i feel so strong :)
"But now is the time to get.... clothed... with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you."
--Colossians 3:8-10
One way thing that i can get info about hiv is through my phone. Its easy and convenient and i dont have to spent so much reading on the net because they are already customized and summarized. I downloaded all the apps that is related to aids and HIV and other apps that is healthfully advisers.
At this time of my battle, ill have to take care of myself and everything. I should be very healthy and avoid those things that compromised my health and caused of lowering cd4 count.
One of the first apps that i downloaded is the 1. Aids Glossary, its very helpful, it will give you all the medical terms and their meaning. Because it is important that you know all the term that doctor has said to you. All terms about aids were could found in that Apps.
2. Everyday Health, this is also very helpful, it defines all the classes of infectious diseases plus the treatment. It has also everyday advices about everyday health, and medications in particular ill.
3. Food and Nutrition, in this apps, i can be able to know if what food and what vitamins is suited for my health condition. It also indicates what food is the best source of different kinds of vitamins.
4. Health Tips, from the title it self it gives health tips on how to live a healthy life. On what to avoid and what to practice. The Do's and Dont's in terms of taking care of your self.
5. Living Healthy, in this apps it teaches you the right and proper exercise on a certain condition. Plus ut gives you Fact, and based on research details on particular exercise routine. And it gives you advice on what to eat that compliments to the exercise routine that you choose of.
6. VitmaninPlus, this apps is all about vitamins and minerals. It gives you an idea of what vitamins are you needing of in a certain health condition and where can be found that vitamins or minerals. It also gives you knowledge if what illness that you can get in lack of a certain vitamins. And what nutrients or how a certain vitamins could help you.
7. Health Info, its all about health information. All kinds of health condition from head to toe. And all kinds of illnesses. It gives you the definition, idea on how did you get plus the treatment. Its a very helpful apps. Its just like a doctor that everything you ask for, it can provide.
8. Cures A-Z, form its title, it gives you knowledge on how to treat several kinds of illness from A-Z, this not only refers to the over-the-counter medicine but also Therapies and remedies at home. It also gives you an idea of the cause and root of a certain illness.
Actually theres a lot more apps available in the apps store that can help you. I deleted some apps that i already installed because my phone is getting full. But all apps can help you in knowing all thing about your health condition and on how to fight for it.
"Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing."
--Proverbs 12:18
After i talked to my sister, who will take care all of my hospital finances she asked me to go to St. Lukes Medical Center. Together with my mama and with my kuya. To ask for a second opinion if its true. But unfortunately no doctor specializing in infectious disease were on duty that time. On the same date we go to Makati Medical Center, and then i met Dra. T. Gler, specializing in infectious diseases. After i talked to her, i feel relieved. I got all the things that i need to know, shes so kind, and i feel very private when im at her clinic. So she explained to me everything, yes, everything. Then every other day i got to visit her clinic for a blood test. Another hIV screening. And a viral load panel. Then i have to wait for another two weeks for confirmatory result of my screening.
After two weeks i got my confirmatory. And boom! Positive. Got same result im not surprised anymore. Then she started my baseline tests. Such as viral load, cd4 panel and others.
Since MMC's cd4 panel is expensive she asked me to do it at NKTI in Quezon City. I contacted NKTI and they are expensive too. Someone suggested that San Lazaro Hospital offers it low because they are under DOH. At all risk. I went to SLH alone. And yes they are chip compare to the 2 hospitals. Ive seen other carrier at that time. I got scared because some if them were so sick. Since sabi ni Dra. Gler im probe to viruses and other complication natakot ako, baka mahawa ako sa mga malala nang may sakit. Ang tagal kong hinantay ang turn ko to extract my blood. There are so many patients kasi.
Then after 2 days i got all the baseline and cd4.
"O my people, trust in HIM at all times. Pour your heart to HIM for God is our refuge."
--Psalm 62:8
