Actually I'm not too sure how good this is, but 6 months ago my CD4 count was at 32. So I guess going up is better than getting worse. For those who are not well informed, the CD4 (Cluster of Differentiation 4) count is is a glycoprotein found on the surface of immune cells such as T helper cells, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to a progressive reduction in the number of T cells expressing CD4. Medical professionals refer to the CD4 count to decide when to begin treatment during HIV infection. Normal blood values are usually expressed as the number of cells per microliter (or cubic millimeter, mm3) of blood, with normal values for CD4 cells being 500-1200 cells/mm3. A CD4 count measures the number of T cells expressing CD4. While CD4 counts are not a direct HIV test--e.g. they do not check the presence of viral DNA, or specific antibodies against HIV--they are used to assess the immune system of a patient. Patients often undergo treatments when the CD4 counts reach a level of 350 cells per microliter; less than 200 cells per microliter in an HIV-positive individual is diagnosed as AIDS. Medical professionals also refer to CD4 tests to determine efficacy of treatment. (Info grabbed from wikipedia.com).
So yes, I am considered to have AIDS, though I don't really see much of the difference. The important thing to remember though is, the higher the CD4 count, the healthier I am!
Pretty happy and stoked about this and so are my parents. They have been with me every step of the way.
It was a pretty daunting 2 days though. Last Monday (12/10/12), we went to RITM to have my bloodtests and to refill my ARV (Antiretroviral drug, used to treat infections by retroviruses, primarily HIV - or what I call my "magic pills). I had to prep by fasting for 8 hours. The only problem was we arrived at RITM in Alabang (we live in Quezon City by the way) at 10am when they only do the CD4 bloodtests from 7am to 8am, meaning we had to go back the next day.
So come Tuesday (12/11/12), I fasted for 8 hours again and we headed to RITM. When we got to RITM, there was already a few people waiting in line. Sadly, one of them was a familiar face. It's not that I am afraid that they would recognize me, it's more of me feeling sad that another person that I know (though not personally) has been affected by the same disease as I have. Now when the guy went in to get his blood extracted, I waited outside along with my parents. After a minute or two, there was a commotion. The nurse ran out of the room screaming emergency. it so happened that the guy was so nervous that he fainted, fell forward and hit his face on a table. Maybe he was scared of needles, of blood or was just feeling uneasy with the extraction. I'm not really sure how long he's been in my situation. Just to give you background on the guy, I've seen him in the gym that I go to like maybe a year back. He's actually very good looking with w body to die for, though you would note that he's a bit to feminine.
When it was my turn, the nurse told me that I needed to wait till 10am to get my Triglyceride test since that one needed 10 hours of fasting. So we had to wait 2 hours more, though she already took blood for my CBC and my CD4. Good thing we had a car so that I could still nap while waiting. After all the tests were done, we had to wait to 1pm to get the results. Again, napping in our car helped a lot since I lacked sleep and still had to go to work in the evening.
When we got the results (only the CD4 since there was a delay on my CBC and Triglycerides), the nurse, Ate Helen, was pleasantly surprised to how much my looks improved. When she last saw me, I had rashes and was thin due to weight loss. She looked like a really excited Aunt that I haven't seen for a long time. That is actually why I like going to RITM because they're very hospitable, not like my "nightmareous" experiences in the San Lazaro hub.
After I got to talk to the doctor, they refilled my ARVs and we headed home.. err.. well... I headed to the office. Heheh!
The funny thing about he ride "home" was how my parent was more relaxed about my situation. My mom and dad was even open to me getting a condo in the future, where they promise to visit often given that I would get to afford one). They were also very calm about my love life situation, saying that they are happy that I am happy, and that I need to make sure that my "P" is safe as well.
By the way, I just want to promote the blog of the person that really helped me in my journey in to this new life. Check out pozziepinoy.blogspot.com where you would find valuable information on how to go about the life of a "positive pinoy". Now even if you're not HIV positive, it's still a very good place to be informed.
Also RITM or The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine is located in Department of Health Compound, FILINVEST Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, 1781 Philippines. If you want to get tested, or have found yourself as a "positive pinoy", drop by this hub and they will make sure that this journey becomes as painless as possible.Living with this disease is not a death sentence... Only when you decide that it is.
Sorry if this post looked more like an infomercial or something.
Till my next post!
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