Nurse's Notes

by Jodie Schooley, RN - TOA Medical Administrator

A few months ago at our monthly HIV clinic visit, we received an encouraging report about Awadhi. His viral load had decreased to a very low number. You may remember we want the viral load to be undetectable (which doesn’t necessarily mean they are HIV free as far as the doctors are concerned, but that the amount of circulating virus is so low that it’s undetectable) and we want the CD4 count(one component of the immune system) to be high. When the viral load is low and the CD4 is high, the immune system is strong.

We received the good news that Awadhi’s viral load was low, but then the next month we received a confusing report that showed his CD4 count was extremely low. The doctor thought that it was probably a lab error and repeated the test. The next month we received the new results and were pleased to see that the viral load is now undetectable, and the CD4 count was not dangerously low as the previous month’s results. The doctor confirmed that it had been a lab error.

His CD4 count is still not as high as we would like it to be, but we are definitely praising God for this last report and believing that Awadhi is continuing on the road of healing. Thanks for your continued prayers for Awadhi and all the children needing healing at TOA.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases. Matthew 8:17