I Just Dodged A Bullet

Finally, I took an HIV test last Tuesday at our local health department. My mind seemed undistracted on my way to the testing center. All I thought was about how I should deal with the disease in case I'd be tested positive with the virus. I should have taken the test years ago but fear threatened my sanity. One important question had floated my mind that time: who should I tell in case I turned out to be HIV positive?

I talked to a counselor prior to my blood extraction. The counselor asked me questions and explained to me everything I needed to know about HIV and how the government fights against the spread of HIV. I learned that once a person is found to be REACTIVE or HIV positive after an HIV test, that person is endorsed to a nongoverment organization (NGO) so he/she could receive lifetime anti-retroviral medicines FOR FREE. That is something not availed of by HIV positive individuals ages ago. The counselor assigned me a code number but couldn't give me a paper copy of the result. I told him that it was fine and what should matter to me is the result.

The next day, I went back to the testing center to get my result. It took me some time before the person who released the result informed me that I'm HIV free. When I signed the log sheet, I quickly scanned the entire paper. I found out that there were more than five persons who were tested positive with the virus. Two codes below mine, a capital "R" was written in red ink at the end of the row which means that person is HIV positive. I was delighted about my result but at the same time my elation was pulled back down by sadness. I felt very sad to those individuals infected with HIV recorded on that log sheet. I just can't imagine how they would react once they learned about their status. I feel terribly sad for them.

After I learned about my HIV status, I realized that this is my second life. After this point, I should know more on how to deal with my sexual needs. It's either I continue to practice safe sex or abstain.

(Photo from www.naacp.org.)

Diagnosis: Glomerulonephritis

Photo from www.vetnext.com.

In 2008, I was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis, a disease described as the inflammation of the tiny filters in the kidneys called glomeruli. I feel nothing at all. I look healthy as a matter of fact; my urine tells me I'm not. Under the naked eye, my pee looks fine. Under a microscope, however, red blood cells are present, not to mention traces of albumin. I may be wrong, but to my understanding, albumin is a type of protein that shouldn't be excreted by the kidneys. When albumin is present in the urine, it is an indication of a kidney disease, which should be taken seriously. Let me tell you this: glomerulonephritis has no known cure as of the moment. Like cancer and diabetes, it is manageable, though. 

My initial reaction when I learned about this disease was paranoia. I likened myself to a person with terminal cancer who has weeks or months to live. I had many sleepless nights and I thought of my condition the whole time. Then I decided to approach a doctor, a specialist in kidney diseases—a nephrologist. I met two nephrologists. The first one who made the initial diagnosis did not make a good impression. She is the kind who makes anyone regret the day he was born. She wasn't rude or something but she made me feel desperate. She sermons a lot like my mother. She didn't give me prescription drugs or something, but she advised me to avoid meat and protein-rich foods. And that made me not like her even more. I didn't waste more time on her so I decided to look for another nephrologist. This time, I could tell that I was right with my decision to get another renal doctor. I can tell that this second doctor is smart—she knows what she's taking about. During my first visit in her huge office, she allowed me to eat meat and almost everything but in moderation. In moderation. She actually said low salt diet and matchbox sized meat plus plenty of fruits and veggies. No sodas and ramen. Ugh! Okay, so on my second visit, she prescribed me the following medicines I should take everyday: fish oil (Omacor), Micardis (anti-hypertensive drug), and Acalka (anti-stone formation drug).

Fish oil is said to have anti-inflammatory properties according to a few medical studies I found on the internet. It does not cure the disease. It only slows down the rate of progression. And fish oil is known to have many health benefits. Micardis is an anti-hypertensive drug. Hypertension is one of the symptoms of someone with an advance stage of renal disease. I don't have hypertension, but the doctor explained that this drug could make the inflamed glomeruli relaxed. Then the third drug, Acalka. In 2010, I had kidney stone in my right kidney. I'm a stone former. This very tiny stone eventually passed out of the body without drug or surgical intervention. The stone was extremely small but it was painful as hell. Acalka helps to make the urine less acidic. Kidney stones, however, are not just formed out of uric acid. FYI.

Last month, the doctor told me to continue taking the meds and have an ultrasound and urine albumin/creatinine ratio test prior to my next visit. I have no idea why she wanted me to have an ultrasound, but the albumin/creatinine ratio test is a must. It's an alternative to the 24-hour urine collection test. These tests measure the kidney's function rate.