Another new case?

I didn't post anything about my last clinic duty, did I? Usually, right after my clinic duty, I'd blog about it. But my last clinic duty was on the day my little Cek Mek was born, so my postings were focused on the little girl and her mom.

There were actually 3 cases referred to us that day - all male patients. However, for 2 of the cases, the communication was more with the wives, so while the men themselves didn't talk much and were not assigned any buddies, I did give our brochure to the wives and wrote my personal phone number (in addition to the hotline number on the brochure) in case the wives wanted to talk to me. Both women looked so stressed and even cried when I spoke to them during my clinic duty, I figured they may need to talk to someone later.

Well, one of the wives did call me when I was in Cameron Highlands - just 4 days after my clinic duty. Rosnah, whose husband Azlan was already too weak to take care of himself, called to ask if we provide any sort of financial assistance. Rosnah has a job, but since her husband was already bedridden (he was on a wheelchair when I met them at the hospital) and she had to frequently bring him to Ipoh for appointments with various clinics for various ailments, she certainly had to spend a lot more than usual. They have one daughter, now in secondary school.

I told Rosnah that while we ourselves do not provide financial assistance to our clients, we could help them to apply for financial assistance. And I specifically mentioned that it would probably be easier for me to get assistance for her daughter's educational needs - which I have been dealing a lot with since our Education Sponsorship Programme started last year.

Anyway, I asked if I could visit them at home. Rosnah was reluctant as her mother-in-law stays with them and she doesn't know anything about her son's HIV. Rosnah was afraid her mother-in-law may ask lots of questions during my visit. So I told her to call me the next time she needs to bring Azlan to Ipoh so we could discuss things further.

However, a few days ago I received a text message from Rosnah. Her husband Azlan passed away on Monday last week.

I will still need to call Rosnah soon. The last time I spoke to her, her HIV status was not confirmed yet. She was called to do a second blood test but the result of the second test was not known yet. I'm quite concerned because usually they'd only be called for a second test if the first test was reactive.

If she's confirmed positive, then I will have a new client to add to my already long list.