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What happened was ARG ordered a sputum test last December... it was 3 sputum samples taken on three consecutive days, preferably early morning--pagkagising... eh I am from Pasig, it would be so inconvenient in my part na pumunta ng RITM everyday, di ba? So I asked kung pwede sa labas gawin, umokay naman yung doctor... so yun, pinagawa ko yung sputum test sa Polyclinic just outside our subdivision, pagkagising sa umaga, collect ng sputum and lalakad lang palabas ng sub... The test showed that I am still positive for TB... So, ARG referred me to DOTS...


DOTS was worried that it was already Multi Drug Resistant TB... They order a sputum test and culture... I did understand that it required two separate sputum specimen for me... that was the reason they had me buy two sample containers then... but when I went to the lab to submit my sputum specimen for the test... the lady said the specimen I submitted is enough for both the sputum test and culture... The Sputum test came back negative of TB... the culture was to take 3 weeks... 


And indeed, the test and cultured required separate specimen and therefore no culture result...


Okay, mistake done... and what we only have is the sputum test that came back negative... It was negative... and therefore, they concluded, I no longer have TB and so, no more TB meds...


Hmmmmmmm...?

Jeep to Rosario, then sa Rosario, jeep to Robinson Gallaria, akyat ng footbridge to go the otherside of EDSA, pasouth bound... and there at the footbridge you have the full view of the Shrine... 

I was wearing my new shirt from Bench... yung see thru yung likod... napa-wow kaya si nurse cute sa DOTS... di niya kasi napansin agad... sexy sabi niya... kilig naman ako... hahahahahahahaha... and then yung yellow thing on my shoulder dyan sa pic, that is my bag... sabi nung isa sa ARG... ang bonga ko daw... agaw pansin... and then when I showed him nga na see thru nga yung back ko, tumambling na siya... hahahahahahahahaha...

May newbie... actually, bagong nagpapaenroll... he is 21, and he really looks sick, with his blemished skin and bad case of cough... shoot me, but I actually wanted to distance myself from him... well, I am still very susceptible to infection...  he is with his mom... yung mom yung kausap ko...


I was actually talking to Let, I don't think I should address her ate as I think I am older than her o kung di man, magkalapit lang edad namin... kasi may concern ako dun sa PhilHealth ko, maactivate kasi ulit lang siya after March pa... eh mauubos ang ARV ko before matapos ang March... so paano yun... sabi naman niya walang problem dun... kung refill lang ng ARV, I would need to the Philhealth for my lab test katulad ng CD4... at least yun yung naintindihan ko... no problem with ARV... kahit walang kang PhilHealth, okay lang, you can get ARV... problema yung laboratory... CD4 cost 3000 plus sa RITM... and yes, yung baseline test mo, sagot mo yun...


And also Let confirmed na mas mahal nga sa RITM as compared sa PGH at SLH... and that libre pa ang CD4 sa SLH, yun nga lang pila siya... one added, depressing daw yung atmosphere sa SLH and even sa PGH... I don't know about that...

Matagal na niya yatang alam... and he kept it to himself... napansin na lang daw nila na palaging siya matamlay and yun na nga di na daw siya nagsasalita... he got really depressed... di daw talaga siya nagsasalita... tipong nagmamakaawa na daw sila sa kanya para magsalita... pero wala talaga... he was actually diagnosed clinically depress... 


Then nagkaTB siya... dun na siya naghinala... na something is really wrong with her son... so she was actually the one who ordered the HIV test... and yun, he tested positive nga... and that explained everything...


She tries to understand... but I guess she knows that all she needs to understand is that he is her son, regardless... and so there she was... you just have to give it to all mothers...


I told her na everything will be okay... looking around, with the other PLHIV looking normal, not all sickly, she was even having a hard time believing those other guys too are infected, she was hopeful... I did warn her that the first 3 months of ARV would be crucial... baka magkaside effects kasi... pero inassure ko siya, feeling for her, that after, everything would be okay after...

And then yun I realized, the good things that happened to me after I was diagnosed with HIV... kwento ko sa kanya, before ni Christmas o birthday di kami nagtatawagan ni mama... buwan lumilipas na di kami naguusap... now, we text each other almost every day... 


She smiled... agreeing, sabi niya she have become his mother again and him, his baby... 


Sabi ko pa, magiging health conscious na rin siya, wag kayo magulat kung sakaling magenrol siya sa gym...


and yun... pag nalampasan niya 'to, her son will have a new perspective in life, appreciate it more and the people around him...


She smiled... she was happy...