THIS IS NOT A SEX STORY. NO SEX SCENES. NO NOTHING. I JUST WANNA SHARE TO YOU EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME.
I haven’t been working since august 21, 2015. And today is October 25, 2015. More than 2 months already. Well, I have a valid reason. And I am bored to death, as in.
August 21, 2015, I was brought to the hospital at 2:30 am. I had a very severe stomach and back pain that I couldn’t stand it anymore tapos nagsusuka pa ako. Then later that day, the result of my ultrasound showed that I have gallstones. That needed to be removed. Not only the stones but also my gallbladder. So I must undergo surgery. I asked if there were other choices but the doctor said none. If I prefer to take medicines, only pain reliever would work but eventually, the pain would still come back. And those other medicines that said could make the stones melt or something, would not work either or maybe they could but on low percentage only. So that same day, after they gave me pain reliever prescription, I checked out of the hospital (haha parang hotel lang??? hehe). And guess how much my hospital bill was? Php 4,021! (Big deal sa tulad kong isang hamak na empleyado lang). Ugh!!! (this is the trouble not having my philhealth checked, it turned out na di pala inaasikaso ng boss ko, so after ilang days I converted na lang my philheath into “Volunteer” kesa naman hintayin ko pa pag asikaso ng boss ko, mahirap na, so I paid P600 for the third quarter July to September, and sabi sa akin magagamit ko on September, August 25 ako nagbayad.)
I went to two other doctors and said the same thing to me. So I knew I really got no other choice. I was given a referral letter to a certain surgeon. Then I went there and talked to that surgeon. I asked him about the surgery and how much would that cost. I was shocked. He said, 60 to 70 thousand! And that would be the excess if I use my Philhealth. I thought I was just mistaken and I asked him again. In the end, I told the doctor that I will just come back whenever I’m ready financially.
Then after several days, it was already September, I just took pain reliever whenever the pain was unbearable, somebody told me to go to the medical center and inquire there. Though I must really be very patient because it is a public hospital so that means many people are also there. So, I went there on September 15th. When it was already my turn, the doctor looked into my ultra sound result and asked me some questions and wrote something on a prescription pad and told me to go to the other building, look for the surgery office and ask for a schedule for my surgery.
Then when I was already there, only few patients were there waiting for their turn. Then my name was called. The doctor also read my ultra sound result and explained to me that there are three options. The pay, the semi-pay and the charity ward. But he said let’s just forget the pay ward, though, on this, I will be the one to decide when my schedule is, but it will cost much, as it is like a private one that I will have my own room. So he tackled about the semi pay and the charity ward. On the charity ward, the old process will be used. A long cut on my stomach that means a longer and bigger wound and a longer time for recovery. If I use my Philhealth, there will be an excess on my bill approximately up to Php 15,000. While on the semi-pay, they will use Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. This procedure will only give me 3 or 4 little wounds on my stomach and the recovery is much easier and shorter. And the excess will be more or less the same. Php 15,000. Of course with Philhealth. Of course the latter would be much better. The doctor told me to go to Philhealth office on that hospital to ask the status of my account. Then I just need to comeback afterwards.
I then went to PhilHealth’s office, and guess what? There were lots of people there so I just went to the end of the line and waited patiently. And at last, my turn came. I asked if I can use my account for a surgery. He asked me what kind, and told him removal of gallbladder and gallstones. He checked my file and the receipt then told me yes. Then I asked him what if there’s an excess on my bill? He answered: “ah, there is a social worker for that, you can ask help there about your bill, but you must be in charity ward only, not semi-private ok?”
That’s that. I told myself that it’s ok whether it is charity ward only. I am not rich. The important thing is to get a surgery. Then I head back to the surgery office only to find out that it was closed. Just my luck. When I check the time, it is already past 12 noon. I was really super worried. What if the scheduling time is only on morning? What if… what if… I don’t want to come back another day and wait again and again. I knocked. Then the secretary opened the door. I told her that the doctor told me to come back to have my schedule for surgery. She told me to eat my lunch first and just come back at 2pm. I was relieved. Really.
Then came the 2pm. I was already inside the surgery office. Then the doctor arrived. I told him that I will just be on charity ward and he said yes. So I got my schedule and it was October 2, 2015. Then I went home. And waited for that day to come. Paid the last quarter of my Philhealth (October- December). Then it came. My schedule was morning, before 9am. Then the operation was done. I was still dizzy when somebody asked me “Ma’am may masakit ba? Nararamdaman mo ba yung sakit? Then I nod. May nafe-feel akong sakit sa right part ng tiyan ko. Siguro kasi nawawalan na ng bisa ang anesthesia. Tapos may ininject yata siya sa dextrose ko tapos nakatulog ulit ako. I went out of the recovery room at 12noon I think. I had trouble sleeping kasi kapag napapahimbing ang tulog e napapalalim ang paghinga, so nagigising ako sa kirot ng sugat. Kaya pagising-gising ako nun. Then the next day, October 3, early morning, the doctor came and removed my dextrose and told me to take a bath. So I did. Though I was super dizzy and I thought was gonna blackout at that moment at the cr. Sobrang hirap maligo mag isa. Then a few moments after I took a bath, the doctors who were doing the rounds came and checked on me, and the doctor who told me to take a bath smiled at me and motioned a thumbs up. Maybe because I followed his order immediately. And later that day he told me that he will discharge me already on that day. By the way the procedure that was done to me was Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. Yes. When I submitted my Philhealth documents I was suddenly assigned to a semi-private room from a charity ward. I got worried about the bill. I was afraid that there would be much excess on it that I need to pay. So worried that October 3, 4, and 5 has passed and still no hospital bill yet. The more I got worried about my bill hehe. Then at last, October 6 came and at 7pm they told me that my hospital bill was ready. Guess how much my bill was? P31, 675.00. And the P31, 000 was covered by PhilHealth. Thank God. That was a relief. And then I was discharged,
After a week, I went back to the hospital for a follow-up check-up. As usual, I’ve waited for my turn. I’m the 118th patient at that time hehe. Then my turn. The doctor looked at my wounds. And said they were fine and asked me if I am still taking my medicine and I answered yes. I told him the pain on my stomach and my back were still there and he said that it may take more than a month for that to be gone coz my body was still adjusting. I asked when can I start jogging and he answered after a month. He told me “Wow nice yan, good good, baka pagdating ng summer BOMBSHELL ka na hahaha, baka pag bumalik ka dito di na kita makilala? Hehe” Smile lang ako wala ako masabi eh. Ang kulit ni Doc. Hahahah Then I went home. To be there on the hospital t…