Chronicle Of A Person Living With A Positive Status

Let me answer some questions raised by some BVs last week....

I can't really tell how I got the virus, the good thing is my husband isn't really concerned about how I got it, he knew I wasn't a virgin when we met , he has never asked me that question. His main concern has always been my wellbeing.

On what symptoms I was having, the funniest part is I was never sick, infact up till this moment to God be the glory, I've never fallen sick apart from maybe 3 days malaria and it'll go after treatment, so no symptoms...

Most people don't develop symptoms at all, the scary part is my CD 4 was just 200+ when I found out and anything less than 200 is already Aids. My saving grace was the fact that I started ante natal very early, and I was given ARV so my child wasn't infected.

 That's why they advise people to get tested cos mine didn't come with any symptoms and from my CD 4, it seems I've being carrying it for a while or the pregnancy made my immune system to go low. My husband is very lucky not to contact it. Now I have less than 20 copies of hiv in my body, which means I'm undetected and can't transmit the virus.

 There's something called U=U meaning Undetected=I transmittable, I practice 100 percent personal hygiene, especially when handling the family food,I make sure my hands are well cleaned before touching food,no cut or bleeding. I hide my personal stuffs from family and friends, I don't share any personal stuff with people

Let me correct something, being undetected does not mean you'll have negative hiv results if you go for testing, the normal hiv testing using slip may give negative but not on standard test

I was advised to breastfeed exclusively, because breast milk is very important in fighting the virus, no mixed feeding, just 6 months exclusive and you stop breastfeeding after 6 months,the baby was placed on n#virapine syrup for six weeks and s#ptrin till after breastfeeding. 

I've seen some hiv mothers breastfeeding till age 1 but I don't advise it cos once the child starts growing teeth, there's possibilities of biting the nipple which can result to blood coming out of the nipple and the baby will be at risk of infection. 

If you can afford it and it won't bring suspicions from family members, I'll advise formula feeding without breastfeeding at all but if you can't ,do as I did, all my children are negative , I get them tested at age 2 when they were about to start school and they did again when they want to get admitted into secondary schools cos it's mandatory.

My husband goes for testing once in a while and he always comes out clean. All the worker in my care centre always tells me how lucky I am and I thank God for the kind of man he gave me.

To the person that asked maybe my husband status was hidden,my dear the answer is No, the center did comprehensive test for him, we are using a very big hospital and I was the one that took him there,even their oga used our case for a project with my husband's approval, he took his blood for comprehensive tests to check if he has inactive hiv in his body but the rest came back negative.

 My husband is a very decent man and only had just one relationship before me and I've never suspected or seen him with anyone after me, I have had a couple of relationships before him and he knows
Someone said maybe he's hiding to take his drugs, well my husband is a very open person to the extent that everyone in our house knows his phone password, so hiding to take meds will be very impossible, in fact there is huge disadvantage of hiding from your partner to take meds cos you'll end up missing your doses and how can someone hide status from the partner you are living together with for 16 years.....

We don't know how much we human beings are able to love until we are faced with some situations.

Check your hiv status today, it saves life if you know early. I've seen people dying few months after diagnosis because they were tested late. 

If you see me 16 years after diagnosis, hiv go dey hungry you ( dodging stones from bvs) I pray those bold enough to get tested comes out negative and stay negative, cos most hiv positive person were once negative except those that got it from birth....

Get yourself tested today!!!