Thursday, August 16, 2012

Of deaths and dying in the Philippine PLHIV community

Yesterday, I was browsing some HIV/AIDS clips in Youtube when I checked my Twitter timeline to see the news that a fellow PLHIV passed away earlier that day; the coincidence is just of good timing. I was terribly saddened by the news and it is always heart breaking to know someone passed away because of HIV/AIDS; the virus, the condition, the syndrome, the disease, that many others and me have been fighting. It's even sadder news when they die so young, like the young fellow patients I once knew who died a few weeks after I have known them.

A fellow PLHIV from whom the tweet originally came from told me that some PLHIVs sent him a message that they were scared of the news. I told him "tell them to face the facts, I know it's scary that we will end up the way almost every PLHIV do, but it's how we live that matters". It is always a serious and devastating issue whenever someone dies, whether we personally know them or otherwise, or if we are close to them or not. Dead is how all of us will end up, but when it comes to the PLHIV community, it is always an extra sensitive issue, and I believe it is one fact that many thinks of but are yet to face.

For someone like me who is fighting a battle with HIV/AIDS, it is a sad fact that we will go one by one. It's devastating enough to have this virus and even more with that morbid thought of us dying. My point is, let us not fear death, and let us not ignore it. At our situation, we are somehow lucky that we know what will most likely kill us; therefore, we have more reasons to value our lives and the people we love. Perhaps this awareness will give us greater will and more reasons to live life, and be alive.




3 comments:

  1. HIV is like.. has always been a mystery to me. yung feeling na parang fascinated or overwhelmed in a negative way ang feeling ko whenever I hear stories about HIV. basta hirap explain...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a hardly understood disease, and even a mystery to science. What's more difficult with it, is the emotional and psychological impact it gives to anyone who acquires it. In my opinion, having HIV is not only fighting for one's health and life, but also for one's sanity and emotional stability.

      Delete
    2. couldn't agree more pero alam mo minsan napaguusapan namin ng mga friends ko na blessing in disguise ang pagkakaroon nito in some ways.. kasi dun magsisimula ang buhay mo talaga eh dun mo lang talaga makikita, ma appreciate ang isang bagay na madalas nating tine-take advantage lang........ LIFE.

      Delete