Deaths

I don't mean to be morbid by choosing Deaths as the title of this post but it best describes what the topic precisely is.

In the months that I was "away" from the blogosphere, I've heard of the demise of young guys due to HIV-related ailments and complications.  Two of those who passed away were dear friends.

One was more than 30 years old and a very good friend of mine.  He and I belonged to a Facebook group.  Before he passed away, I never knew he was HIV positive since he was full of life and ambition. Months before he died, he was in and out of the hospital because of ailments left and right. Then he expired.  I was completely speechless and shocked when I learned that he died at such a young age and I had a suspicion that he was a PLHIV.  My suspicion was confirmed by my friend's siblings, who revealed to me his status.  They told me my friend simply gave up on living and became depressed. He stopped taking ARVs, which led to health complications.  As a return gesture for revealing the status of my friend, I came out to them and we hugged each other.  It was such an emotional moment.  They would remind me every now and then to never give up like what their brother did.  They instantly became my "sisters."  We still keep in touch every now and then.

The second guy died at the age of 21. He was from the southern part of the metro. We encountered each other via Twitter as he had a poz account.  We never got to meet but we'd often chat with each other via YM.  Then a few months before he moved on, he was acting weird and complained of not feeling well.  The next thing I knew, he passed away several hours after he was rushed to his treatment hub.  I never knew the exact cause of his death but later learned from a common friend what he died of.  I will not reveal here the ailment he died of to protect his privacy and his family.  I was so saddened by his death and since I couldn't go to his wake, I had a Mass sponsored for the eternal repose of his soul.

Before my two friends died, I've been hearings of young guys dying left and right - presumably due to opportunistic infections.  Just last week, I learned that a guy in his early 30s, a model and a regular fixture in the local gay scene, died in a hospital.  I didn't know what he died of but I came across his Facebook profile.  I've seen him already - I told myself.

It is really sad to learn of young guys who have died due to HIV-related illnesses - either because they learned of their status too late and medical intervention couldn't help reverse the effects of HIV infections or worse, they didn't know their status at all.

This is where it is really important to know one's HIV status as early as possible. Like I did. And I am lucky that I survived a bout of pneumonia before I learned of my status in 2010 and thankful that medical intervention is keeping the virus in me at bay.  I am not rid of HIV but I have managed to "tame" it.