Patients and doctors BS

HIV- a short form of human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. HIV is a virus, while AIDS is a disease. Having AIDS doesn't mean that you're dying soon but it will lead you to death. HIV destroys your immune systems, specifically your CD4+ killer cells. Our normal CD4 level are about 500 to 1000 cells per µL or more but in these patients their level dropped down to lower than 500. When this happened, they are prone to infections. Their immunity became so poor that even a small flu can kill them.
HIV transmission are through three routes, 1. unprotected sexual intercourse, 2. blood transfusion/sharing needle, 3. vertical route (mother to child in pregnancy)
HIV positive patients are able to lead a normal life is they follow the precautions and medications prescribed by doctor. They needed to take medications twice a day with a period of 12 hours in between, which means if they take it at 8am, they will take another one at 8pm. They have their own medication time; it differs from one individual to another.
The time for medication must follow the specific time they had set out since the first time. It is crucial for them to follow the medication on time everyday.

They shouldn't miss even a minute in taking them. Even a delay of ten minutes will cause the virus to develop resistances towards that medication, causing the virus to replicate. When that happened, the medication will eventually become ineffective and that's when you have to go on to the second line of medication. Second line of medication usually consists of more side effects, a much more severe one that will damage your organs. There is no cure for HIV. And there is not much drugs/medicine available for anti-viral, especially HIV. But they are able to lead a normal life if they managed it well. Some are able to live through seven to ten years.

For today's lecture, we were taught of how to break this kind of bad news to the patients. The doctor said that eventually, we will have to deal with this kind of things, and one day, the MO will just ask you to tell the patients about this bad news. I can kind of imagine it myself, no experience, with the report on my hands, walking and facing the patients. You'll feel nervous. But at the same time, you really dont want to just crush the patients' and family's hope with that 'I'm sorry to tell you that blah blahblah.' We'll see lots of death later in our life. I heard from the doctor telling about how a patient jumped down from the hospital 7th floor after hearing his report. I heard about how a orang asli (who were used to living in the jungle) who jumped down from the second floor of the hospital because he did not know that he was in a building. I watched a real video about how the orang asli in my country refused treatments in a hospital because of his belief that he might die in the hospital and a past experience that a friend of him died in the hospital after going there. I heard about how a patient tell a doctor about a secret that other people might not know, that he/she did not even dare to tell other people about.

Apart from all the knowledge we must muster, we are told to have to learn how to deal with the patients' feelings etc. We must try to give them some spaces of hopes and supports. but sometimes, there are limit that we would reach. Yes, doctors are human too. Just like you and me. Sometimes, you just have to be mechanical/not to be too attached to the patient. Else, you'd lead a sad life.