the sign of the count

Today, is the day. where I had my baseline checked, finally. like, uber finally.

points to check for readers to know how important this baseline medical checkup is:

1: It checks a pozzie's total health, like, does a pozzie have a certain STD, Hepatitis blah blah, tuberculosis, and other things.

2: To know how healthy the blood is.

3: To know how healthy the Immune system is.

Now this leads to what we call CD-4, in some countries they call it T-Cells, now this is important as this is the basis of how healthy a positive person's immune system is, the higher the number, the better.

now, HIV negative individuals have 1500 CD4 count, that is the normal count, for us positive individuals, all count is good as long as it's not 300 and below.

you are HIV positive if your CD4 count is 200 and up, and you have AIDS if you have a CD4 count of 200 and below. there's hardly any difference, really, only that if you have a lower CD4 count, you are more susceptible to opportunistic diseases and may not be able to be healed from it.

nothing to be worried about - they have medications now that can make your CD4 count healthy and up, supported by a VERY HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. only drawback is, it's a lifetime commitment. but hey, at least it's a lifetime, lifetime. and not like cancer treatments that will later on kill you anyway.

yes people, HIV people, even those with AIDS, as long as they can keep their Immune System up, can live a very, very, long, long, looong, wonderful, full of positivism life.

now, for those who had a naturally high, good and healthy CD4 count, can maintain the healthiness of their immune system even without medications through:

1: at least 8 hours of sleep (depends on the person, if a person is fully energized in just 6 hours of sleep then that will do). keep in mind that TOO MUCH SLEEP IS NOT a healthy option as it causes your body stress already.

2: regular exercise. you know the drill, cardio, jogging.

3: no alcohol and smoke. now, some people even with AIDS still do this stuff In moderation and still their Immune system is improving.

4: healthy food intake.


now, see, surviving HIV isnt so new, it's like, so common already, you read that monthly healthy tips at Men's Health? yeah, that's the key in living a long life with HIV in your system.

so enough with the boring stuff and back to, ME.

to have a proper, Accurate baseline results, one who's about to take the test, which is me, should do a little bit of fasting. 12 midnight of the day of your test, there should be no intake, not even water.

plus, you have a time limit of until 9am.

knowing that part of the test is the icky, incredibly yucky, so full of ewwy stool exam, I pigged out the day before, and guess what? soon as I woke up. I cant Drop at all.

with the call time (7am) fast approaching, I gave up (literally praying for just at least one tiny dropping). showered and went to the meeting place.

I was 30 mins late. mama B.I.T.C.H. doesnt seem to mind.

so at R.I.T.M. we met W, and his new son, the current youngest, elmo. on we went with the baseline, was excited for the blood sample thing because I heard they'll use a big needle and they need to fill 4 vials with my blood, I was expecting it to be somewhat painful, much to my disappointment, I didnt even feel a tiny bit of pain.

Later on we met Rabis, he's there for his CD4 count, he's expecting it to go down as, ho hum, he stopped exercising in the gym... but he still does "Charity work" hehehehe.

the supposed 30 minute baseline test became 2 hours or so as we go from one laboratory to another and all, I thought I can drop already, but as it turns out, it's false alarm.

later on Elmo loosen up and started joking around with us, which is cool and nice.

we separated ways by lunchtime. I went to my college for my toga, my initial plan is to just get it and then just leave...

then I was told that I cant have it unless I'll have my clearance now, pronto.

like, what? whata whatta?

school! they always makes a student life miserable! do they hire private detectives and once they know you have a busy, tiring day they'll make up some excuse to make you more tired?!?!?

So off I went to the registrar, got the clearance form and have it signed to the different departments. it's so nice that every one knew me still. here's how it went.

oh, gagraduate ka na? sayang naman wala nang kakanta sa (program)
uy! graduate na siya, isang kanta naman jan....
ay sayang! wala nang diva sa (name of organization)


yeah I know,Im such a celebrity! really, the urge of telling them my HIV status just for them to sign all the unnecessary signatures by themselves while I just sit around and wait for them to be finished is so tempting. of course I didnt do that, not ever. Im in a catholic school. I believe that upon them knowing Ive bee practicing pre-marital sex, with the same sex at that, and got HIV in the process is enough qualifications for me the become the gay version of joan of arc.

can you just imagine?

me in a pillow sack, all tied up in a post, and they are about to set a fire... and my heart, which will be left unburned like joan's, will remain untouch for fear it will infect them. thus later will become a holy grail of HIV... hmmm, not a bad option.

soon as I was done with the clearance and paid the grad fee, thus confirming my graduation status yet again to a high level, I hurriedly went home.

A while back I was doing guessing games and asked for a sign for what will be my cd4 count. so far, ive been getting lots of good signs.

sign no. 1: I watched queer as folk, where ben was about to disclose his cd4 count, it's 700.

sign no. 2: Rabis said his count is 600.

sign no. 3: the time now is 6:59. thus 659.

they're all in the same range so that is good, aight?


oh well, the guessing game will end soon. I'll find out soon enough.