Getting on with life…

Remember my recent update about Yati complaining to me that her husband AJ seemed to be getting weaker but simply refused to go to the clinic or hospital? Yati herself had almost given up on him as she didn’t how what else to do with him.

“Pujuk sudah, marah pun sudah kak. Tak jalan!”

I told Yati she had to continue coaxing him to get treatment. Otherwise nobody could help him. I even told Yati to threaten him that I’d be visiting them at home if he still refused to get treatment. I knew neither Yati nor AJ wanted me to visit at home to avoid suspicions from Yati’s family who were still unaware about AJ’s HIV.

I guess the threat worked. The very next day Yati sent me a text message saying she was at the hospital. I called her to find out more info.

“Di mana ni?”

“Kat hospital lah.”

“Masuk wad ke?”

“Tak tau lagi kak, masih kat tempat emergency lagi ni. Doktor dah jumpa tadi, depa kata hati dia bengkak. Tapi lepas tu dok melangut je lah. Saya pun tak tau depa nak suruh balik ke apa ke.”

Oh well, it was the emergency unit… unless you look like you’re dying, you’ve got to wait!

After a while I got another text message. They were already in the ward – AJ had to be warded and he was put on drip. Yati was worried. The next day was the Saturday that her brother was getting married and the whole family including herself was going to KL. I told her I’d try to visit if I had the time but whatever it is, I’d inform AJ’s buddy about it and get him to visit at least.

Saturday came and I was down with a flu. I didn’t dare visit for fear of spreading the flu to others, especially at the hospital ward. Besides, I wanted to have a good rest as the next day was our awareness campaign at the OA village. But my colleague who’s been assigned as AJ’s buddy did visit.

Yesterday I got another text message from Yati – inviting me to her house as her family was planning to have bacaan Yaasin after Maghrib. Hmmm… so now they don’t mind me visiting at home? No more worries about her family becoming suspicious? Or does her family already know?

Anyway, remember AJ was supposed to have his blood test done at a private hospital to get his CD4 count? And they couldn’t afford it and so we approved the amount from our Client’s Welfare Fund? Due to the long list referred to the private hospital by the GH for the CD4 tests, an appointment had to be set. The appointment was for this afternoon but AJ was at the ward in Ipoh GH. Yati called me to find out what to do.

Somehow these clients prefer to call me to ask these things when it would have been easier to ask the nurses at the ward. Or are they just afraid to open up their mouths to ask?

I told Yati to explain the matter to either the nurses or the doctors. Or call the lady in charge at the private hospital to explain the situation. Yati did finally call the lady at the private hospital and was told to get the nurses at the ward to arrange for AJ’s blood to be taken, then reps from the private hospital will come over to get the blood and payment for the blood test.

Later today when I called Yati, she sounded a bit happier. She said AJ seemed better and could at least sit by himself and could walk to the toilet if aided. Earlier he was so weak he looked so helpless.

Hopefully that is proof enough to him that he could get better with proper treatment and that life is not over just because he has been infected with HIV. He just needs to have more faith.