HIV
 

Symptoms of HIV

Persistent weight loss
Serious and/or persistent diarrhea (one of those with HIV I help, lost 5kg in a week)
Thrush (candida)
Skin disease – pimples, excessive dryness, eczema, itching, rashes, shingles, herpes zoster
Tiredness/exhaustion
‘Cold’ sores, or sores that don’t heal
Chest pains Headaches, fainting, blackouts Difficulty seeing

Symptoms of TB

Dramatic weight loss
Nightsweats
Large swollen glands at the side and front of neck
A persistent cough
Chest pain
About 75% of SAs are carriers of TB, in other words, most of us, however, it only becomes active/makes us sick when our immune system is already depleted. It is airborne so you are as likely to get it while in conversation with a friend as any other way…
Would be nice if this year you made a donation to SANTA which fights TB

Opportunistic infections

See under infections, but also TB (biggest killer of those with AIDS in this country), a range of cancers including lymphoma, Kaposis Sarcoma, Hodgkins Disease, cervical cancer; kidney failure, PCP now known as PJP – previously a rare form of pneumonia which is a major killer of those with AIDS, meningitis, some people experience dementia – AIDS infects the brain and so they experience a personality change, become irrational, start raving,

Things that help

Being shown love and acceptance
Going for an HIV test once a year
Getting screened for TB regularly
Never be without latex gloves in your bag, your pockets, your car and your home (you can buy a box of 50 very cheaply from Pick n Pay), never touch blood, or any bodily secretions including mucous, vomit or faeces without wearing gloves, afterward also wash your hands thoroughly
Being on a medical aid
Having easily accessible condoms in more than one place in your home, don’t ask who takes them, just be thankful if they do disappear, and concerned if they don’t I
f you test +, ensuring you always have safe sex to prevent reinfection, eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, don’t eat anything with preservatives esp tinned food, no fizzy drinks, no sugar,cut down on salt, no alcohol, no drugs although dagga can help with pain relief in final stages, no tea or coffee although rooibos and buchu teas are good, no smoking, have three to four raw carrots a day for great vit C, no fried food (boiled, grilled, steamed), no red meat eat fish, chicken or beans and peanut butter is also a good source of protein.
No brown bread, pasta or sugar – people with HIV are prone to diarrhea so do not give them bran, wholewheat bread, wholewheat pasta or brown sugar (sugar generally is poisonous to those with HIV, they need to eliminate those cups of tea with 3 tsps of sugar) . People with HIV tend to battle with energy levels and tiredness so give them white rice, white pasta, white pap, white bread…
Disclosing to your partner, family, friends and work colleagues
Being shown love and acceptance
A raw clove of garlic each day, eaten whole, chopped into food (uncooked), or inserted in your bum is excellent to prevent skin infections, garlic is a powerful antibacterial which means that if and when you go onto antiretrovirals (ARVs) you must dramatically cut down on garlic because it can render the ARVs useless.
Bulbinella is good to rub onto the skin when skin disease is apparent, and sour fig (one leaf boiled in half cup water and then left to stew for five minutes before drinking, 3x a day for three days) is very good at eliminating thrush. Thrush during HIV can start off as a sore or sores on the mouth or genitals, but those sores then spread all the way up the oesophagus and is excruiatingly painful, usually leading to the HIV+ person unable to eat or drink because they are in such pain, and often vomiting blood.
Being shown love and acceptance
The liver is headquarters for the immune system’s ability to fight – it needs help. Once a week use this Ayurvedic recipe – third cup olive oil, squeezed lemon or orange, grated clove garlic (about 1tsp), grated ginger (about half tsp) – beat it up with a fork then swallow. Chase with another cup orange juice or rooibos tea.
Do not go to excess with anything – there is only so much the body can absorb/cope with – too much of anything can be bad for you
Don’t breast feed if HIV+
Human touch is healing, touch the hand of a person ill or infected, and hugs are always very comforting
Difficulty in breathing or shallow breath, chest pain can often mean PCP (PJP) – it’s a rare form of pneumonia that is often fatal – please get it checked out urgently.

Never…
Have unprotected sex
Share toothbrushes or razors
Forget to talk to your children openly about sex – don’t threaten, be a listener. Children never confide in those who threaten or use religion to intimidate, children need you to be open and to listen without the lecture
Always ensure a medical worker takes a needle out of the packet in your presence before injecting you
Good tattoo artists always use clean needles – my advice: a tattoo isn’t worth the risk
Neglect to show love and empathy to a person you know or suspect is HIV infected

Best places for care
Red Cross Children’s Hospital, Cape Town
Netcare hospitals esp for post rape care
Helen Joseph hospital, Jhb esp their HIV clinic – Themba Lethu (8am to 4pm weekdays)
Coronation women and children’s hospital, Jhb – esp the children’s section
Nkosi’s Haven, Berea for free HIV counseling (nice if you leave them a donation)
Chris Hani Bara’s perinatal HIV unit
Please note, no matter how wonderful your GP is, most are astonishingly ignorant when it comes to HIV, rather go and see an expert, contact HIV Clinicians sahivsoc@sahivsoc.org or penny.penhall@sahivsoc.org to get the name of the closest accredited HIV clinician near you, or go to a Netcare or state hospital

• © Speak Out Terms of use