‘€œFor some weird reason, this year I started differently. I’€™ve just been getting sick very often and getting too tired, feeling like I can’€™t do anything. That got me to get worried about my health’€, says Pholo.

‘€œFrom December, I’€™ve had three main problems. One is that I developed thrush, which was the first for me. I also mentioned in my last diary that for the first time I developed shingles. But also, I’€™ve had burning feet. It’€™s something new’€, he adds.  

‘€œIt’€™s a pity that you can’€™t see the thing that I’€™m talking about on my feet because it’€™s inside. But I can actually feel that thing now. I need to soak my feet. But they are not swollen. You won’€™t see anything. But I can feel it. It’€™s a kind of burning that is like when somebody places, say, maybe a hot iron. The joints also get affected. Then it means I have to keep massaging this part ‘€“ these ankles ‘€“ like this, just to try to relieve the pain a bit. I’€™ve got painkillers. But it’€™s not the pain that you use painkillers for’€, he says while touching the soles of his feet and rubbing his ankles in circular movements.

‘€œI’€™m sure I’€™ll find out very soon what the problem is,’€ he says, believingly.      

At the beginning of the year, Pholokgolo Ramothwala listed three things that he wanted to do to improve his health in his monthly online diary. These included going to the gym, eating more healthily and stopping drinking alcohol.

Pholo laments the fact that as he gets sicker, he has to put his gym routine on hold. ‘€œFor now it’€™s kind of pulled the brakes on my fitness plan’€, he grumbles.

Besides the poor physical state he’€™s in, Pholo has also been under a lot of stress, primarily as a result of quitting his full-time job to do consultancy work.

‘€œThe nervousness of moving from having a stable job to doing what I’€™m doing now. The other thing is that in December I promised my kids to do stuff with them in January, but things just didn’€™t go according to plan. We got paid late. That really, really, really got me worked up.   And the other thing is that the 5th of March is actually the day when I found out that I’€™ve got HIV’€, he says.