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Monday, September 10, 2007

Do you trust private doctors?


I could feel summer was on its way as the temperature in Manila rose drastically. From the usual 27-31 degrees celsius, it ballooned to a constant 31 and above. It was really hot and humid. I avoided the formality of wearing long pants while teaching. Since my students just see the upper part of my body, I found a way to give myself more ventilation by wearing a pair of shorts at the office. Until now, I really feel at home since this is also where I spend most of my nights. This office is now seemingly providing me that homey feeling.

We had to spend more on our electric bill than ever and I just realized how stingy my boss is at times. "Please lessen your use of the airconditioner because that accumulates much of our electric bill," he once reminded us." We maybe bad employees that we blatantly ignored him the fact that he was not here in Manila. He surely doesn't know how hard it is to teach while uncomfortably profusing at the teaching station.

Just as I was preparing for lunch waiting for the water to boil for my oatmeal regimen in one of the areas in the office, I received a text message from Mommy Ruth. "Meet me here my son, I am at a nearby mall," the message said. I had to hurry to the mall right away since I would have a class after forty minutes. Although in a hurry, I had to see to it to maintain a certain pace because my left tummy hurt everytime I would have to speed up.

I was so emotional when she greeted me with a hug and and a semi-kiss on the cheek. Mommy Ruth, she just treats me as her son. We are not relatives. I met her at the duckpin club I joined here in Manila. She once told me she likes me. Perhaps, I thought because I am gay and she can easily relate with me. She is a widow, deprived of any children. She must find vicariousness in the idea of treating me as hers. There she was, handing me a gallon of alkaline ion water.

"Never drink any water from any source, you have to stick to that. Just send me a message when it empties so I can send you another gallon..." I was so touched. Later, she took me to the nearest mall. She bought some tea bags for me, some unrefined sugar, biscuits, oatmeal. We even had to roam the market to look for molasses. How eager she wanted me to recover.

She kept asking me about my check up. I told her I had been to the clinic already and just had to go back for the lab findings but she insisted I get another one to be sure. I told her, I would have to go back since I needed the result of the clinic's laboratory findings.

When I went back to the private clinic, the doctor whom I had an appointment with was on a leave. I was disappointed to find out I would be handed over to another doctor. She seemed so naive that she could not explain to me all my querries. She wasn't sure if I had A or B based on the lab findings. She naively told me that "it could be A or B, or a combination of both. I was damned confuse and so was she I guess. She started explaining biliburin and stuff. I intercepted her and asked how I could possibly prevent the unwanted spread of the disease. I was so worried that I live in a house with several children and toddlers. She didn't seem confident of what she was telling me. She advised me to comeback for another consultation. My God! consultation alone would cost an arm and a leg. I just said thanks anyway and left the clinic for good. To be continued...

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2 comments:

Uri Kalish said...

I guess she just needs time alone with PubMed...

Staggo"s List said...

I understand you're short on funds--I too find medical care costly--but you really need to see someone else. You already have no confidence in her. She might make matters worse by her ignorance. We want you around, healthy, for a very long time.