- The Chemistry Guy
- The Chemistry of everyday life, an HIV blogger. Twitter: @tcghiv | Email: tetrahydroziline@gmail.com
HIV and Malate
It was ages since I last visited Malate. My first encounter of the place was way back during college - around 2003 or so. The crowd is very young, sights and sounds were booming. It was a perfect place to chill and party.
I'm not really a socially inclined guy so it was a tough challenge for me to stay within the premises of this fun and noisy place. It was a feeling of awkwardness. I never went back and it was not my hang out place like others do.
This place has left a not-so-good impression towards socializing. Just late last year, a friend and I was victimized by this hooker. Well, it started out just to stroll and booze around up until this guy (a hooker in disguise) approached us and ask for some time to make a little chit chat. We took the liberty of doing so since it was ages since we were here. Then, there he goes... asking my friend to check-in at a nearby hostel for quick rundown. He was a little insistent to a point that agreed for this shit to pass through.
This hooker even asked another friend to join us. We were really not interested in doing such hanky panky but due to his persistence, we gave up. Scouted the streets of Malate for a cheap hostel and after hours of walking, we ended up at this hotel. My friend and I told this hooker shit to make the transaction at the hotel desk as we have a stint of embarrassment when inside such "sex den" hotel. Hooker shit went to the reception and got back to us asking for 500 bucks -- I know in my mind there's a kickback from him, no such room for 500 bucks. My friend handed over the money to hooker shit and waited. Twenty minutes has passed, there's no sigh of him.. uh oh. I knew it, I ran over and tried chasing that bullshit but no traces of him.
Ok, this is not a good experience for a fairly new visitor. We don't the tricks of trade of this place and we ended up like crap.
Aside from some mishaps, there are also good times to cherish. Well, it really depends on your purpose if you are to stay here. Whether to have a clean and plain fun OR some naughty escapade.
The Red Light district of Manila, I think no wonder HIV is still at large at these places.
HIV and Amoebiasis
Over the long Holy Week (end), I had Intestinal Amoebiasis.
Not really surprising as I live in a tropic and developing country. The question I am perplexed with is where the hell did I get this shit?
It started Tuesday night when I was at the office. After having my one-hour break, my tummy started to ache and I felt some fever and chills. Knowing the office has a centralized air conditioning system, I ignored the fever and chills and focused more on my tummy. I thought it was the Spanish Tuna I ate. Come Wednesday, my fever started to get worse and chills were pounding my body, I thought this was the effect of having a direct contact with the AC unit - my work station is where the ventilation of AC.
Went home and started the long vacation coz the Lenten week. Before heading home, I went to the groceries to pick up some food for this vacation.. my fever and chills were rising at its peak this time. Then my tummy started to rumble and rushed my food shopping and hurriedly went home having this explosive diarrhea.
Feeling weak and exhausted, I slept early hoping when I wake up this will get better. But no.
Fever, chills, body ache and diarrhea went ballistic up until Friday noon. Things went different late afternoon where this diarrhea became "bloody". It was like Strawberry Kool Aid. I went paranoid and researched online - from food poisoning to Colitis to Colon Cancer.
I called my cousin doctor to ask what to do and she requested a stool analysis at a local hospital. Went for the fecalysis and urinalysis and waited a couple of minutes for the results - I was lucky that time as I was the only patient in the emergency room so I have the luxury of being entertained very well.
The results were out and there's the bold typeface - ENTAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA CYSTS: 8-12 units.
"Like how in the hell I got this parasite?" I have a gut feeling I had this through a food stall.
Doctor prescribed Metronidazole for one week, it's now my 4th day as of this writing, and I'm now feeling better. This have left a paranoia on my end not to eat and trust all kinds of food, be it on a restaurant or street food. From now on, will bring my own bottled water wherever I dine or go and completely wash my hands from time to time.
After being diagnosed with HIV, I started to be a Hypochondriac - an excessive preoccupancy or worrying too much of being sick. There was a slip and had Amoebiasis.
Overall, the long weekend wasn't spent well. It was a time learned that I needed to be more careful of my body.
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