I’m getting pretty good at this living one day at a time thing. Makes it easier to put days like yesterday behind me, too. That’s a good thing. Having said that, in the big scheme of things there was nothing tragic or painful about yesterday’s events. Well, a pain in the ass maybe. I’ll recount the day’s events now to remind myself that life is indeed good when the worst that happens is having your patience tried.

So, the day started out with confirmation that I could indeed see Dr. DeCastro at 10:00 a.m. in the Baypointe Hospital Eye Clinic. I actually got called into the office at around 10:15 which is pretty good by Filipino standards. They did all the typical tests (I hate that blowing air into your eye one), then I was invited to wait outside until the doctor was ready to see me. That was only about ten minutes, so I’m okay with it.

Did the meet and greet with Dr. DeCastro, then he gazed deeply into my eyes. He had a machine to help him with that. Then he donned a headset and looked some more. He asked if I was driving, I told him no, and so he put something into my eyes to dilate them, then gazed some more. He then confirmed the diagnosis of my optometrist, stating I had a significant cataract growing in my right eye and a lesser one starting in the left. He recommended a procedure called Phacoemulsification and Intraocular Lens Implantation.

According to all I’ve read, the procedure is safe and effective and restores vision once the cataract is removed and a lens inserted. Well, seeing (heh) as how I’m practically blind in my right eye now (most of the time I have to close it to read), the surgery is pretty much a no-brainer. Dr. DeCastro asked if I had insurance and I told him I do in the states, so I would have to pay out of pocket, then get reimbursed. He told me the surgery is around 50,000 pesos and depending on the lens I choose, another 25,000 up to 100,000. So, this is going to be a couple of thousand dollars when all is said and done.

And then the bullshit part of my day started. I asked Dr. DeCastro when we could do the surgery and he responded I needed to get cleared by an internal medicine physician before he could perform the procedure. Say what? Why? He told me it is to ensure that there were no problems with my health that would be exacerbated during his surgery. The surgery he had just described as taking about 15 minutes to perform with me under local anesthesia. It sounded like a simple case of bill padding to me, but what choice do I have?

So, I paid my 2100 peso fee for the doctor’s visit and headed down the hall to see an internist. I was told someone could see me right away, then was directed to another room for a blood pressure check and other vital stats. After that, I sat down in the waiting area and waited. And waited. I was getting frustrated and told my helper to go see about scheduling an appointment. Someone came back and said there was only one other patient ahead of me, so I sucked it up and waited some more. Finally, my turn came and I plopped down in front of the doctor (with a plastic shield between us of course). She looked at my paperwork and told me, “I’m sorry, but you need to see the cardiac doctor for this clearance.” WTF? She then added that the cardiologist was only available on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 until noon. She said he was always busy and suggested I come at 7:30 to register so I could be one of the first to get in once he arrived. I think my tongue has almost healed from the biting it took to prevent me from saying something I’d surely come to regret. I thanked her and left.

My driver and another helper had been waiting in the car for the two hours the above episode had required me to endure. I was hungry and said let’s go eat at Texas Joe’s, my favorite barbeque joint on the old Navy base. Once we arrived, sat down at our outdoor table, and got our menus, we were told no smoking or vaping was allowed, which was why we chose to eat outside. My help was surprised at how expensive everything was and it did seem the prices had gone up considerably since my last visit. They suggested we try the Filipino place next door. Fine by me.

The menu was in Tagalog but I recognized the fried chicken and ordered that. The Filipinos with me got food to their liking and the bill for the four of us was around $30, probably half of what it would have cost me at Texas Joe’s. Did I enjoy my lunch? No, not really.

The next stop was supposed to be a store called HMR, which is sort of a department store with appliances and the like. My friend who is opening the canteen wanted to pick up some pans and cooking gear. Alas, the HMR was closed for remodeling. I went to the hardware store next door and was able to purchase a new grill. So, not a total waste of time at least.

My domestic helper wanted to go to the mall to “pick up her glasses”. She had teasingly shown me a sale coupon for frames and lenses at just 1888 pesos, asking that I buy her glasses. HaHa. Well, the mall was not that far out of our way, so off we went. Except it wasn’t a pick-up-the-glasses situation, it was pick frames then get an examination. Okay, I was starting to get pissed. I hadn’t had my daily nap for one thing. Plus, I had to pee. I was told there was a restroom on the third floor of the mall, so up I went. Found it, but a sign said: “closed, go to the fourth floor.” I used the escalator in the department store to the fourth floor, but the exit from the department store was closed off. Back down to the third floor, then up the mall escalator to the fourth floor, where I was able to relieve myself at last.

Back down to the eyeglass floor and my helper was in despair because she didn’t have the money to pay for her newly ordered eyeglasses. I guess she wasn’t teasing about me paying. Well, it’s coming out of her salary, that’s for sure. My mood had grown decidedly worse by now and I was anxious to get back home.

Easier said than done. It’s usually only twenty minutes or so home from Olongapo (especially the way my madman driver drives) but even he was powerless to overcome the massive traffic jam caused by a checkpoint for vehicles entering Zambales province. Manila is under lockdown again because of the COVID Delta variant. And no one from Manila is supposed to be traveling. And so Zambales is checking everyone’s ID to make sure the virus doesn’t spread. Yeah, that’s going to work. And it gets worse, now they are requiring people from Olongapo to show a negative COVID test before WE can enter. The reason for that latest insanity? Two cases of Delta in Olongapo. Now, that’s a big deal because I cross that border regularly and I ain’t ever been tested for COVID. Nor do I plan to anytime soon. I crossed on foot this morning, and while they were checking vehicles, no one said anything to me. I guess COVID only rides. Anyway, we were stuck in traffic for another thirty minutes or so before I finally got home.

I figured I’d post up the photos from Friday’s hike and share a bit of other news. Except my blog for whatever reason wouldn’t load the pics. No idea why and I was too tired and pissed to try and figure out why. They are loading today though, so I guess I was just cursed yesterday.

That’s the gist of the bad stuff. I did hear from “Jane” for the first time in over a week. She asked if I wanted to join her at a club in Castillejos for drinks and live music. Well, Castillejos is 20K away, so I’m not sure it was even a serious offer. But there was no way I was up for that regardless. We had a brief chat and she explained her lack of contact as related to her being busy at work. I was of course understanding.

I’m not going to let having a bad day keep me from drowning my sorrows though. So, I headed out to Mango’s once drinking time had arrived. As I am unwinding from my shitty day I get a message from Joy. Seems her sister was having a baby last night and lacked the funds to pay the midwife. Joy said she was begging me to help out. A bunch more begs and pleases with the praying hands emojis and I had had enough. Why do you think it is my responsibility to pay for your sister’s childbirth? I asked. Then I told her that she had violated the terms of our arrangement and I said goodbye and good luck. Today she has been begging my forgiveness. I’ve not responded to her messages.

Finally, there was this footnote to my day. On Friday night a woman told me she loved me. Words I had hoped to see (she said it via messenger) months ago. I had actually given up on her, thinking the feelings I had for her were not mutual. It was shocking to learn otherwise. I was pretty excited thinking about the possibilities when I went to bed Friday night. But I didn’t hear from her at all yesterday. The icing on a shit cake kind of day.