A/N: Sorry if this is boring. I thought some exposition about the whole HIV thing was needed
Monday, November 12th 2007, 11:13am
When I was escorted back to my room, Olivia's hair was sticking up in odd places and she was just a little annoyed. She said, "You should have woken me up." (Of course, if I had, she probably wouldn't have let me go.)
Hospitals are slow, just like bureaucracies, and I just want to get out now. Being here makes me feel antsy and trapped, especially since I am feeling better. I have been asking to be released since yesterday night, but I have cops, lawyers, and doctors conspiring against me. What's a girl to do with all that opposition? I guess that I just have to wait.
The infectious disease guy comes around 11 am. He is small and sort of geeky-looking… but I don't mean as in the stammering high school boy way, more like the smart as hell science guy way. Lab coat and glasses sure, but he has a nice smile.
"Ms. Novak, I'm Dr. Harold Clemente. It is nice to meet you, though under the circumstances I understand it you don't feel the same way." He gives me his hand to shake. I reluctantly take it.
"How many people have you said that to over the years?"
"Enough. Too many. But at least we can help some people avoid getting the virus, instead of treating it after the fact."
"Do you really think it works?"
He smiles, "Yes, in my opinion it does, though there isn't much empirical evidence to support that yet."
"Now, People accidentally or incidentally exposed to the AIDS virus are usually given a three-drug combination with AZT and 3TC included – the CDC says that this therapy should start no more than 72 hours after the exposure to the virus, and the drugs should be used for 28 days. You have already been started on treatment here in the hospital. I am going to give you drugs to take home with you and we can make an outpatient appointment for follow-up."
"I am going to prescribe you Combivir, which is a combination of AZT and 3TC – AZT and 3TC are in the same class of drugs. They interfere with an enzyme called reverse transcriptase which is used by HIV-infected cells to make new viruses – so less HIV infected cells are made."
"What else?"
"I am also going to prescribe a drug called Maraviroc. It is a CCR5-blocking entry inhibitor. That means it binds itself to a protein on the membrane healthy cells, and once it does that, HIV cannot successfully attach itself to the cells.
"The medications can have some very serious side effects. They are burning, tingling, or pain in the hands, arms, feet, or legs; have chills; have ear, nose, or throat problems; fever; muscle aches; nausea; pale skin; severe stomach pain; skin rash; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomiting; or yellow eyes or skin . If you have any symptoms like that you need to call me right away.
"There are other less serious side effects - cough; diarrhea; dizziness; headache; loss of appetite; mild stomach cramps or pain and trouble sleeping. You can call me if you are having real trouble with these side effects, but I would hesitate to take you off the medicine when you are only taking it for a month."
"You will have to take both these drugs twice a day, preferably with breakfast and dinner. I want you to call me if you have any serious or debilitating side effects."
He takes out a blackberry (or as some call it, a crackberry) and we schedule an appointment for next month. I will get blood drawn Friday, December 14th, at 5pm and there will be results by the following Monday. So a month from now, I'll either have HIV, or I won't. It's good to know that this little torture has an expiration date.
