Sept 2012. I was assigned in Cebu City for work. I was excited since this is yet another adventure for me. Everything turned out right. I have asked God for a fresh new start after graduating college and He answered me with this. I remember meeting up random people and new friends willing to show me around the place. I got carried away and started going out with new faces. Some really worth keeping. (Some are still my close friends until now) long story short, I had unprotected sex with one of them. I got gonorrhea.
Gonorrhea is a common human sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The usual symptoms in men are burning with urination and penile discharge.
I was less than a month in Cebu when I had that. I had no one to really trust with. I scouted all possible Hospitals to get treatment and I found one in Perpetual Hospital. DRA Mujeres (rm 414b) gave me antibiotics for 14 days. I had to return there after 7 days since the first set of antibiotics never really worked for me.
I thought that was a wake up call to finally stop what I have been doing wrong. But I still kept on doing it. Meeting with other guys. This time however, i was a lot safer. No sexual intercourse involved. Had some intimate moments. But that was just it. Having STI never stopped me from doing IT still. All the while until Novemeber I thought everything was just okay. But I was wrong, there was countless times that i was sick. The so called Flu. I never really paid attention to it. There was no week that I haven't had anything to complain. Cough, colds, fever, soar throat. I have those almost every week. I even told myself "Cebu is making me sick". I was 64 kilos when I came to Cebu back in Sept 12. I started to loose weight after 2 months.
Back in late Nov 12. I joined the dance thing at work for our year end activity. We practiced regularly. And I enjoyed every moment of it. Until I realize that I was coughing really really bad. And Im starting to catch my breath more often. There was even a time that I went to the rest room and started to panic when I could no longer breath. So after 3 weeks or so of practice. I decided to quit. I had better rest after that since I have no practice to attend to after work. But my condition got worst. I had fever and a very dry cough. I was in hell. It was Dec 14, 2012 at around 2am when i decided I could no longer take it anymore. I was really feeling sick and drinking lots of water feels like drowning my lungs completely. I had to rush myself to the Hospital ALONE. And admitted myself alone as well. Upon arriving, I was given oxygen and a lot of lab test including xray, cbc and stuff. After waiting for more than 45mins in the emergency room, the results came in. I have pneumonia.
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—affecting primarily the microscopic air sacs known as alveoli. It is usually caused by infection with viruses or bacteriaand less commonly other microorganisms, certain drugs and other conditions such asautoimmune diseases.
I was so scared that time. I texted my folks back home that I am in the hospital. They rushed as quickly as they could. And arrived there around 8am. As i was in the emergency room. There were alot of questions from doctors like "have you had any guy relationships?" "What is your sexual orientation?" Stuff like that. I was so puzzeled as to why they were asking me those. I had a thought that it might be because of my STI a few months way back. But it slipped my mind.
I was admitted for 9 days. There were two attempts where doctors tried to convince me to take the Hiv test. But i refuse. My parents were there. I had to say no.
After almost a year, those memories still haunted me. I keep on researching about hiv and stuff until i came across
http://pozziepinoy.blogspot.com/. Which inspired me to take the test and to create this blog as well. I read alot of informative things about how to get tested. You can visit his blog for more information. Or you can contact me as well. Anyway, i went on with my life thinking that I was just paranoid with what the doctors thought I might have. Until recently a message from church (Victory cebu) struck me so bad that I had to text a friend crying and telling him about whats bothering me. He then encouraged me to have myself tested. Which I already did in Vincente Sotto Memorial Hospital last Oct 2013. The results had to be sent in Mnl for confirmatory since it came out as positive. After waiting for more than a month. It finally came. And I was indeed positive. Dr Agtuca in Vincente Sotto was the one who helped me with my testing.
Now Im just waiting to get tested for my CD4 this Dec 20, 2013. To start treatment if needed. For now I dont really feel anything serious except the fact that I always get tired, rashes showing in my hands, parts of my face. (Go visit a dermatologist in Dermclinic in sm city if you have one) i am also seeing Dra Mitzi Chua in Velez General Hospital, she's my ID doctor.
This blog serves as my own personal diary as I fight and journey with HIV. I hope I would inspire other people as well to be aware about the virus and to give courage to get tested. Its never too late. God is in control.
You can email me at : iamlivingbyfaith2013@yahoo.com if you have questions or if you wanna talk. I can call you as well. Godbless!
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