Some Updates

• I'm commuting daily to work now which is 65kms away. Thank goodness there's no traffic here. I have been looking for a dorm or an apartment there but there's nothing that suits my taste and preference.
• I'm joining Dalubhayop, an association of vets in Palawan. There's an upcoming activity on World Rabies Day. I missed the first meeting and hopefully I can come on Wednesday afternoon for my first meeting.
• I have revised my CV, although I'm still not satisfied with its format now.
• I'm giving the third exam for the subject I'm teaching next week. Hopefully they'll do better this time.

My Posts Are Not Moving

My posts are not moving because I have not been posting blogs lately.

The Flu has arrived in the Philippines. So, ingat!

Let's eat more fruit, take vitamins, exercise and if possible avoid crowds.

Meanwhile, enjoy this:

Post T Update

No tonsillitis now for about a month, but of course! BUT having tonsillectomy doesn't mean that I cannot have any other throat problem.
+++++
I had SVI of sorts because of my re-introduction to animals, people and work. I'm still occasionally coughing because of it.
+++++
I enjoy watching Mommy Elvie's Problematic Show. It's on ABC5 every Tuesday night.
+++++
@work:
I had to ask our HR to talk with the 'boys' for them to catch up with their tasks, I wonder what the results will be.

Cleaning

I spent the whole day cleaning and rearranging things in my tiny studio. The result: rhinitis due to dusts.
To unclog my nose, cooked champorado and beef with button mushrooms.
Btw, I'm not at all excited about going back to work on Tuesday.

No more pain

I'm so relieved that the pain is away now that I didn't need to pop in another pain pill. I'm still on antibiotic though. I have to mention that if ever you need co-amoxiclav here in the Philippines, you may buy Bactoclav (R) for just 40+ pesos per tablet. It's cheaper and it's just the same medication as that brand being sold at 90+ pesos.

Lido

I went back to the surgeon today to have a follow-up consult and for him to see again my throat. It's not ordinary "see" today because he needed to see the base of my tongue so a special scope was used which almost made me vomit. Thankfully my sanity restrained me from doing that. The lidocaine spray helped.
A previous doctor asks additional payment for this but this surgeon did not insist that I pay. He also didn't charge it to my card. Hmmm, what happened?
I was prescribed lozenges with lidocaine for the throat pain and I was told to continue taking the prescribed antibiotic, which, by the way costs a fortune.
I wasn't able to pick-up the medical certificate and clinical abstract required by SSS.

Tanga!

I don't know what to say. I'm appalled by what the nurses and the surgeon did to me. Guess what?
All of them forgot to give me my prescription when I was discharged from the hospital last week. With all the sleepless nights because of the pain, that I can't even swallow my own saliva... I want to strangle them if I could!
As you already know, I went to the surgeon today, as scheduled and I complained about my swallowing, the pain, etc. He asked if I was taking my antibiotic. (Nye!)
He then prescribed antibiotics and pain medicines.
---
Pakiramdam ko, kawawa naman ang ordinaryong tao kung ganito.

I'm loving it

I'm beginning to love my recovery period which turned into a detox of sorts. No nicotine, no work, no stress... Only pain!
The pain has subsided only after I self medicated (mefenamic acid), using the right brand. The other day, I was able to buy the cheap, super generic type which resulted to the whole day and night of pain which did not allow me to sleep. There goes my money.
I was able to go out today so I bought another bottle of my new gargle which has lidocaine which helps numb my mouth, tongue and throat, and differently branded but still generic mefenamic acid. I popped one and the effect was instant and better that I was able to consume a liter of soup!
I didn't eat rice today because of the pain. I miss eating solid food.
My fantasy foods:
-crab
-lettuce
-squid rings
-KFC chicken
Ok, I think its not healthy anymore so I'll stop here.
By the way this blog could also be read in http://ruralvet.wordpress.com.

Post T Diet

I didn't know I could subsist on these:

Post T

I'm home! I was fetched by officemates from the hospital yesterday, after spending four days in the hospital.
My hospital bill is: 331.00 pesos, of course, not including the additional PF for the surgeon and the anesthetist (10,000).
I won't be coming back to work on June 12, 2007.
What I hated most?
-The nurses asking: "Alone"?, "No companion"?, and other variants.
T*ng-i*a nyo! Mahirap bang intindihin na maaaring mag-isa ang isang tao?

More later.


Get your own Myspace Countup

Tonsillectomy Video

T Day

My tonsillectomy would be on Monday (May 28, 2007), 7:00AM. It's final! :) I already have processed all the needed papers (SSS, Philhealth, Medserv) and the needed pre-op works (laboratory and clearance from my cardio). I will be admitted this Sunday afternoon and if all goes well, I'd be out by Wednesday afternoon.
If something happens (knock on wood, :)), here's the cellphone number of the surgeon, Dr. Arvin De Jesus: 09209208115 and his e-mail is docarvinj@yahoo.com. My cardio Dr. Jose Tirona can be reached via these numbers: 09198371123 and 0464140226 loc 268. Sue them if I die or if I came out debilitated.
I'm expecting a lot of bleeding post-op. I was already advised to stockpile ice cream for my recovery as I'm not allowed to eat "hard" food for several days. I would not be able to respond to e-mails as electronic devices are not allowed inside the hospital. Also, my hospital room would not have TV. So, it would also be a sort of a detox for me.
See you all soon.

Pre-op Works

I'm tired of going back to the hospital. It's my second trip to my surgeon today. Last Monday I was told to have chest X-ray, blood counts and ECG. I got the results today and I was told to get another clearance from my cardiologist. I was also ordered to go back to the laboratory fro blood typing and blood smear. Parang tanga. Di pa pinag-isa.

For tonsillectomy/GA
Dx: recurrent tonsilitis
Chest X-ray
No active infiltrates seen.
Heart is not enlarged.
Diaphragm and bony thorax are not remarkable.
Impression: Essentially Normal chest.
ECG Results:
Sinus arrhytmia
Normal axis

Shopping

I wasted my time in the hospital today. Actually I was window shopping for tonsillectomy and I'm trying to get the best deal because I don't want to spend for this surgery with my savings. :-/
But it seems that I won't be able to bargain for the surgeon's professional fee. It's because of UMC EENT Department's policy regarding PF's, which is unlike that of other hospitals. Sindikato rin nga. While there, I also consulted with a dermatologist regarding skin lesions on my arms. I was prescribed funny meds (of course her own formulation), one of which I didn't buy.
I'm planning to go to another hospital in Imus, a personal favorite, to scout for an EENT with lower PF.

Tonsils

Strep bacteria love my throat. The first infection started when I bas about 4 years old and recurred several time when I was on grade school. I was advised to have my (throat!) tonsils removed at that time (When I was on 2nd grade.) but I rejected that option. I remember that at that time tonsillectomy only costs 6, 000 pesos.
Fast forward to 4th grade, tonsilitis still recurs and I was given monthly antibiotic (Penadur LA) injections, which, by the way were given deep IM and very painful. This continued until my first year in university.
On my second year in UPLB, I decided to discontinue this monthly torture. I still had several Strep infections but all didn't require hospitalization, until....
Last year, maybe because of frequent contact with dirty animals I was, again, for the nth time, infected with Strep. This was the worst of all of the episodes because this time, my usual antibiotics decided that they cannot beat the now very resistant bacteria that I host. I was hospitalized for several days and I was on leave for about a week.
Also last year, I was advised to have tonsillectomy by an EENT in a hospital in Naic. I was already halfway with the pre-op requirements when I decided to back out :) That surgery was supposed to be free because it was covered (entirely) by my health card. But, I the surgeon that I consulted didn't get my hundred percent trust. So....
Last month, I discussed the recurring sore throats with my cardiologist, so he referred me to another EENT in DLSU-UHS in Dasmarinas. He said I had tonsilloliths, which are liths (stones) that come from the tonsils and are formed by debris from food, saliva, and bacteria. And that my tonsils need to be removed because they're already "dead" and are "decomposing". Cost of surgery would be more than 50, 000 pesos but it's covered by my card (PF excluded).
I'll see him again tomorrow for a schedule and for re-costing because I shifted to another health card.
I did some research and read somewhere that the mortality rate for tonsillectomy is 1/15, 000.

Google:
tonsillectomy+video
tonsil+photos

http://tonsilboy-blog.blogspot.com/

***May PANDAS kaya ako noon?

http://www.technorati.com/posts/tag/tonsillectomy

God bless me and u!

Real Doctor to the Barrios

A geologist and MD (Ortho) who really serves the people.

Here are some links:
BPT
Palawan doctor wins health prize

*Nakasabay ko sya sa plane nung umuwi ako last January. Wala lang.

HMO Stuff

We'll be covered by a new HMO company (Medserv) next month and we had an orientation seminar for the new one today. As expected, madadaya talaga ang mga HMO as the exemption list is veeery long. One neat feature that was incorporated was the inclusion of formerly diagnosed diseases in the covered diseases list. Also, both my doctors are included in the list of accredited MDs.
The following are not covered:

• Suicide, self-inflicted injuries
  
• Vehicular accidents
• Assault, provoked or not
  
• Bites
• Vaccines, etc.

Mahal magkasakit sa Pilipinas.

Btw, I was with Fortune in the last two years.