Another day spent almost entirely chasing healthcare unicorns. Before it was over, my patience had been severely tested to the point where even my mantra (take a deep breath, relax, and accept the Filipino way) stopped working. I almost resorted to my American response of “fuck this bullshit,” but once I had wasted invested so much time and effort into the process of getting clearance for my nasal surgery, I couldn’t just walk away. Here’s the blow-by-blow account as I navigated the pitfalls of medical practice in the Philippines.

My driver picked me up at 7:30 a.m. for what is normally a fifteen minute drive to Baypointe Hospital on SBMA. About halfway there we encountered a traffic backup on the highway that slowed us to a crawl. Apparently this was caused by a combination of normal rush hour traffic and road construction. We arrived at Baypointe a little after 8:00. The first order of business was getting my blood and urine samples taken for testing.

During the pre-submission interview, I was asked when I had last eaten, and I responded it was nine o’clock last night (the doctor requesting the blood work told me not to eat after midnight). I was surprised to hear that I had “over fasted,” at least according to the protocols at Baypointe (they claim 6-8 hours is the optimum). I told them I was following the doctor’s orders, so they proceeded with the test. They told me to come back at 2:00 p.m. for the results.

The next step was gathering the results from the tests I had taken on Tuesday (ECG, chest X-ray, and MRI). That process went without a hitch. Results in hand, we went upstairs to schedule an appointment with the pulmonary doctor I had been referred to for a pre-surgery clearance. We were told she would be available at 2:00, so I left, assuming everything was good to go.

My stomach told me it was time to end my over fast, so I invited my driver, helper, and Swan to join me for breakfast. We gave a new place on SBMA called Maple a try. I didn’t see any healthy options on the menu, so I rewarded myself with an order of French toast.

I had my helper contact Dr. Jo about an appointment to review the MRI results. She was booked but offered to have a look after her 10:30 appointment. So, we headed for her office in Barretto. Unfortunately, the 10:30 patient exam went long, but her hubby Chris came to the waiting room and looked over the MRI. He said it did show the suspected spinal compression on the nerves that was causing my leg issues. Treatment for this condition is within Dr. Jo’s expertise, so I will schedule with her next week and get started.

I went back to my place and blogged yesterday’s post, then we left at 1:00 o’clock for my doctor appointment at Baypointe. I arrived early, picked up the blood and piss results, then went upstairs to see the doc. And that’s when my day really went to shit. It turns out I didn’t have an appointment at all, rather I was third on the list of patients to be seen. That’s typical in this country, it’s all hurry up and wait, no set appointment times. I had been misled to believe I would be seeing the doctor at 2:00 so I was not a happy camper. Then it got worse. The doctor was still “enroute” at 2:00 and when she finally arrived sometime close to 3:00, she had two patients ahead of me to see. And she took her sweet time with them. My turn finally came at 4:15. I was not a happy camper.

Anyway, I can’t blame the doc for hospital policy, I suppose. And I was really impressed with the questions she asked about my COPD and her attention to detail regarding the medications I’ve been taking for years. She had over a page of notes by the end of our session, which ran about 45 minutes. She referred me for a pulmonary functioning test, which I haven’t had since I was first diagnosed with COPD seven years ago. She also referred me to the cardiologist whose clearance I will need prior to surgery. She also asked me to retake the chest x-ray because the one I had on Tuesday was of poor quality. So, it looks like my medical jungle adventure will continue next week.

When we finally departed Baypointe, we were stuck in a rush hour traffic jam just trying to exit SBMA. So, I invited the crew to have dinner at my favorite Korean place, the Seoul restaurant. I ordered us beef bulgogi stew and thick-cut samgyeopsal (menu spelling) with several sides (you have to order the side dishes separately here)

Anyway, it was all quite tasty, especially the bulgogi, even though it lacked those string mushrooms that are standard fare in Korea.

It was almost 7:00 by the time we got back to town, so I visited the pub on my patio:

I’ll need to drink here more often!

Alright, my ride is due to arrive for my trip to La Union. So, look forward to an out-of-town post tomorrow!