Duration: 5min 29sec  

Transcript

KHOPOTSO: E ne e le ka kgwedi ya Pudungwana lemong se fetileng ha Nonhlanhla Kubheka a itokisetsa ho tsamaela kopano e neng e tshwaretswe naheng ya Uganda ha ho ne ho bonahala hore bophelo ba hae bo a fokola. O ne a lokela ho etsa diteko tse mmalwa tse akaretsang CD 4 count test ‘€“ e bontshang matla kapa bofokodi ba masole a mmele wa motho ha a ena le tshwaetso ya HIV. Teko eo e ile ya bontsha hore masole a mmele a Nonhlanhla ho setse a 300 feela. Jwale ka mora dikgwedi tse supileng Nonhlanhla o kgathatsehile hore ho ka etsahala hore disele tsena tse bitswang ka hore ke di Helper

T-cells di se di fokotsehile haholo – hona hoo di ka ebang tlase ho 200. Tshwaetso ya HIV e phakisa ho bolaya disele tsena tseo e leng masole a mmele. Ha disele tsena di ballwa ho 200 kapa tlase mading a motho, ho thwe motho eo o ena le AIDS kapa Phamokathe. Ho molemo hore ka yona nako eo motho a qale ho sebedisa meriana e mona e bitswang ka hore ke dianti-retrovirals ho theosa bohale ba tshwaetso mmeleng wa hae. Nonhlanhla o dumela hore o se a fihlile boemong boo.

NONHLANHLA KUBHEKA: Yes, it’€™s what I think because of the virus in my body and the time that I stayed having this virus’€¦ Immune system is getting tired’€¦ So, I’€™m willing, really, to have my CD 4 count’€¦ If I need to take treatment I want to start it now. I don’€™t want to start it very late because I want it to work for me as much as I see it work for other people.

KHOPOTSO: Kgweding e fetileng Nonhlanhla o ile a qala ho tswa mathopa mmeleng mona.  

NONHLANHLA KUBHEKA: At the neck’€¦ It’€™s all over the body. I’€™ve got the other one here on the stomach and the other one was here on the leg’€¦ They’€™ve got that yellow thing inside when you press it’€¦

This is the first time that I experience this thing as a person living with HIV for 11 years.

KHOPOTSO: O ile a ya tliniking ya Perinatal HIV Research Unit e sepetleleng sa Chris Hani Baragwanath ho eya bona hore molato ke ofe. Teng o ile a nehwa setlolo le dipilisi tsa Panado ho kokobetsa bohloko ba mathopa ao. Mooki a neng a mo thusa ha a ka a hlahisa morero wa hore Nonhlanhla a etse teko ya CD 4 count. O ile a mpa a mo bolella ho tswa hloohong ya hae hore palo ya masole a mmele wa Nonhlanhla, di-Helper T-cells, di theohile. Ho sa le jwalo, mathopa ana a ntse a tswela pele ho iketsetsa mmeleng mona ho Nonhlanhla.

NONHLANHLA KUBHEKA: They go and come. They go and come because there’€™s nothing like anti-biotics that I get that can kill it inside. And what is causing this? It’€™s either it’€™s the stress or it’€™s the immune system. It’€™s down’€¦ He just told me that ‘€˜Oh, ah-ah, your CD 4 count is very, very low. It was 300. Maybe it’€™s around 100. He just assumed’€¦

KHOPOTSO: Lena ke letshwao la ho qala la tshwaetso ya HIV le batlang le hlobaetsa ka mora dilemo tse pedi ho tswa ho tse 11 tseo Nonhlanhla a bileng le HIV ka tsona. La ho qala le bile ka selemo sa 2002. Lona le itlhahisitse ka tshwaetso e tsejwang ka hore ke Herpes Zosta. Herpers Zosta e hlaha ha motho o le ka tlase ho kgatello e kgolo kapa ka mora thobalano e sa sirelletsehang.

NONHLANHLA KUBHEKA: It’€™s small pimples with water inside. They come close together from the chest around the breast, to the back and the shoulder. Even now it’€™s still paining’€¦ Once you come (down) with it, it always comes (back). So, we need to avoid stress and you need to look after yourself’€¦ You don’€™t need to get infections. So, you need to go after, maybe, a month to drink the Isoclevera tablets’€¦ I asked the doctor: ‘€˜Why is it painful because there’€™s nothing now?’€™ But when the pain hits, you see ukuthi (that) it’€™s where I was developing Herpes. Then they said: ‘€˜It’€™s inside the blood’€¦ you need to drink treatment to kill it not to come out.’€™

KHOPOTSO: Hona ho bolela hore Nonhlanhla o ena le ditshwaetso tse pedi tse sa phekoleheng. Palo ya masole a hae a mmele a duletse ho eya tlase. Na hona ho a mo tshosa?

NONHLANHLA KUBHEKA: I’€™m not scared, so far’€¦ Because of these boils that I develop that’€™s why I want to insist to take my CD 4 count’€¦ I’€™m willing to take ARV’€™s if it’€™s the time that I have to take ARV’€™s. I don’€™t want to take them when I don’€™t have a choice’€¦ The CD 4 count will show me whether I have to take them or not.                                

KHOPOTSO: O lemoha hantle ditlamorao tsa ho nka dipilisi tsa di-antiretrovirals le boikarabelo bo tsamaisanang le ho nka meriana ka ditshiu tsohle tsa bophelo ba hae. Empa hoo ha se bothata boo a ka bo tsotellang. Bothata ba ka nnete ke hore Nonhlanhla o lokela ho lwantshana le letswalo leo a ebang le lona ha a tshwanela ho nwa dipilisi.

NONHLANHLA KUBHEKA: My worry is that they are big. And this is an issue again because I’€™m afraid to drink tablets. But I’€™m ready to take them. So, I will try other ways to take them. They are many, and the size, others they are big, with the shape like round shape or V-shape’€¦ And then you think ukuthi (that): ‘€˜Aah, Eeish. Life, maar (but), it’€™s not fair’€¦ But I have to take it.’€™

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