No real surprises at the ENT doctor visit yesterday. Put the scope up my nose, shook his head with a tsk tsk sound, and said the blockage was stage four–complete. He prescribed some steroid medication which might result in some shrinkage, but surgery to remove the polyps is really the only option.
So, we discussed what was involved in getting the surgical procedure. Dr. Tolentino confirmed that I would have to be completely anesthetized during the operation. I would also have to be admitted to St. Jude’s hospital for an overnight stay after the surgery.
Doctor Tolentino won’t be available for two weeks, and in the interim, I’m supposed to get cleared by a cardiologist that I can safely undergo the procedure. I’m still not comfortable with the idea of being put to sleep, especially with my COPD issues. I’m also not wanting to be confined to a hospital room overnight. I’m considering a third opinion from the highly rated Clark Medical City in Angeles. I’m also toying with the idea of leaving the country for the surgery. Stay tuned.
Like a good ENT, Dr. Tolentino checked my ears and throat during my visit. He removed a clump of wax from my right ear that was as big as a fingernail. Hmm, maybe that was causing my deafness.
After the doctor’s visit, I took a trip to Seoul. That’s my favorite Korean restaurant in these parts, located on the old Navy base.
When we got back home, I took a nap, and Mary joined me. That was nice. Later in the afternoon, we walked to Baloy beach and visited the floating bar. I stuck with my beer diet, and Mary experimented with different mixed drinks, gin and soda, and then a margarita.
I didn’t actually enjoy this visit to the floater as much as I had previously. They were blaring the music so loud I couldn’t even hear Mary talking right next to me. I asked them to turn it down some, which they did, but I noticed the volume increased little by little as time went on. I had two beers and headed for shore.
Next stop, Johan’s. Mary continued her drink smorgasbord with a Tom Collins and then a Bloody Mary. She said she had never had a Bloody Mary before, and I challenged her, saying she has one monthly. Yeah, I’m a funny guy. Mary was surprised at how spicy it was and needed a bottle of water to stop the burning in her mouth.
When it was time to move on, we took a stroll down the beach to McCoy’s. I ordered her an apple beer while she was in the CR, and she was surprised because it was just what she wanted. Well, it had to be better than the Bloody Mary, and McCoy’s doesn’t serve mixed drinks, so it was an easy call.
I put Mary in a trike for home, but I wasn’t through just yet. That’s one of the benefits of beer consumption; my staying power is elongated. I popped into Snackbar for a couple of drinks with my old bargirl friends, including Lydell. She had seen me walking earlier with Mary but only asked about the floating bar. Yep, I’m proudly flaunting my player reputation these days!
I still wasn’t quite ready to call it a night, and I had a “buy one, get one coupon” to exploit before its expiration, so I made a rare visit to Queen Victoria, the nearest SOB bar to my current location. And that’s where I met Rein. Well, I had met her before. She briefly worked at the old Dive In Bar, which is now Hideaway. She had also been involved in the ill-fated Posiden bar in Calapadayan that was out of business after a few months. Anyway, I had a great time getting reacquainted with her; she’s quite the conversationalist.
Two beers, two lady drinks, then home safe and sound.
Speaking of Facebook, Nerissa from Cheap Charlies sent me a new friend request, and I accepted it. Of course, it’s a little too little and a little too late. Happy to be her friend again and feel comfortable returning to Cheap Charlies occasionally, but she has shown me a side of her character that foretells the drama that would come with a relationship. No, thank you! Or maybe I should thank her for teaching me to embrace being the player she thought I was.
And the Facebook memories feature reminded me just how damn happy I was to be living the Itaewon life back in 2006.
But things can certainly always be worse.
Speaking of accidents, there was a bad one this morning on the National Highway in downtown Barretto. I didn’t witness it, but someone sent me a video, and it was pretty gruesome. I understand the bus driver was killed, and many passengers in the Jeepney were severely injured.
Alright, well, let me leave you with something to cleanse your palate before I go. This is a children’s video, and it is hilarious when viewed in context.
The punchline is the definition of “Pekpek” in Tagalog.
I guess that’s about enough for one day’s reading here at LTG. I’m skipping the SOB tonight and escorting Mary on her continued journey of exploration in the bars of Barretto. We’ll start the night in Sloppy Joe’s and take it from there. Back tomorrow with a full report.
Damn, all those vultures who swoop into the accident site with their cameras…
And that one dude inside the bus with the profusely bleeding head wound! I hope he got taken care of; he was literally bleeding out. From the pumping of the blood, I’d guess an arterial gash. In the head region, that’s double-plus ungood because the brain is arguably the organ in the body that requires the most blood to stay functional.
Yeah, when you’re on the road in the PI, it’s probably best not to think about all the things that can happen to a person. Jesus.
Good luck as you choose what sort of care you’ll be getting. If your consult with a bigger hospital concludes with their telling you that the polyp removal can be an outpatient procedure (local anesthesia), it’s probably best to choose that option. But while you’re talking to the bigger hospital, ask them their opinion of the inpatient procedure. If they see nothing wrong with going the inpatient route, then you might be okay just sticking with the local hospital. However…
I found this from the National Library of Medicine:
The above was a paper about anesthesia and laparoscopic (abdominal) surgery, but the upshot is that COPD patients are probably better off with local anesthetic. So I think your intuition is right: things are more likely to go wrong if you’re put fully under. So I won’t take back what I said above re: getting the bigger hospital’s opinion on general anesthesia, but personally, I’m with you in leaning toward an outpatient procedure that uses local anesthetic. More research is necessary.
Healthline: COPD and Anesthesia
(also recommends local anesthesia)
The stars seem to be aligning a certain way. Again, good luck.
I wasn’t clear about this in the above comment, but there are apparently three main ways to receive anesthesia: (1) general, (2) regional, and (3) local. Based on the little research I did above, it seems the better choice would be regional or local, not general, for people with COPD.
Wow. Quite the gruesome crash. From the pics (didn’t watch the video), I would have thought that the Jeepney driver would have had the worst of it.
I was surprised when I first started going to Korea that it has quite a high road death per capita. Fortunately, when I drove there, it was mainly in the rural areas, so maybe a bit safer.
EDIT: Looked up the stats and it appears that maybe Korea is not too bad. :shrug
I’ve not seen an update yet, but the accounts I heard said the bus driver and one Jeepney passenger didn’t survive the crash. I agree the Jeep driver was lucky!
I made the choice when I moved here not to drive. I’m happy with that decision, even if it sometimes requires I ride in unsafe public transport like Jeepneys and trikes. When I drove in Korea, I maintained a strong defensive driver stance–it was as if all the other drivers were drunk. Here, the drivers have the worst skills and lack of common sense that I’ve ever seen. Unsafe passing and the inability to execute simple actions like backing and three-point turns are common sites. I get road rage as a passenger in my driver’s car on our short drives to the grocery store each week. Just dumb shit done aggressively. The horn is used constantly and seems to be saying, “I’m stupid, look out!”
Kevin, the vultures with cameras thing seems to be a cultural norm. I first observed it when my bar friend died here a few years back, and the Filipinas took and shared photos of him on his deathbed after passing. Whenever there is an accident involving a motorbike or pedestrian, the victim laying in the street is photographed by more people than those trying to provide help.
I really appreciate your research and the links. I was wondering if my fear of general anesthesia was unfounded; now I see that it is not. If it were a matter of life or death, I wouldn’t hesitate, but I’ve lived with this nasal blockage for months. I may just wait and make a trip back to the USA for the surgery.
The expat dilemma regarding certain medical procedures in a developing country is one that is not to be taken lightly. As much as I despise what the good ole USA has become, with its Woke-Ness and Defund The Police Mantra, I still regard medical care in these United States to be some of the best on the planet. Maybe not the cheapest, but if I am in cardiac arrest or in a horrific accident on a highway, I do know that my chances of giving the finger to the Grim Reaper are so much better here than in most parts of the world. If I were McCrarey what would I do? Well first I would drink a few beers and then put on my thinking cap. Option 1: Roll the Dice and have the procedure locally. Hope that Snake Eyes are not the outcome. Option 2: Head back to the ROK and have the procedure done. You have familiarity with the country. It’s relatively close. The medical care is primo and not that expensive. Option 3: Take that long-awaited trip back to COLA town. See the grandkids at the same time you take care of your medical needs. Heck, you might even have time to head on over to Maurice’s BBQ or Rush’s and have a culinary delight. I follow a guy on YouTube called “Philly in the Philippines”. He headed home 6 months ago to have some medical procedures done and see family. Whatever you decide McCrarey, I wish you all the best. Peace Out!
Thanks for the insights and advice, Soju. More and more, I’m thinking going home is my best option. Maurice’s baby back ribs and Rush’s chicken wings are the icing on the cake!