So It Will Be…

Last Monday, I went back to my ENT to show her the results of my audiometry tests. My goodness that was something I didn’t really want to hear. It is now time for me to have hearing aid on both ears.

Since last December, I researched for hearing aid clinics and inquired how to go about it. She approved only one, the best hearing aid clinic in town, Manila Hearing Aid. They have several clinics all over the Philippines and she said it will be easier to contact them if there would be problems. I initially talked to one of their staff before requesting an appointment in one of their branches. According to her, hearing aid for severe hearing loss starts at P70,000.00 for one ear alone, so costly for me to shell out P140K around this time. Half of my minimal pension is spent on medicines alone. I am thinking of paying it via my BPI gold credit card which has an available limit of 298K but I have to settle it in six months which is still a large sum monthly. It is another option.

I could understand the price because my youngest brother cost him $5,000.00 for both ears. I have an appointment with them on Monday for evaluation of my audiometry tests. According to one of their staff, they do separate tests for free. We’ll see how it goes. Help me Lord.

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Going Back Again To My ENT

I was supposed to visit my ENT Thursday last week but the date coincided with the distribution of Mom’s social pension at the Seniors’ Hall here in our village. The monthly pension is minimal and is given every quarter. Sayang naman kung di ko kukunin.

Yesterday, I went back to The Medical City Clinic to consult with my doctor. She said I could now have my audiometry tests at the Medical City Main Hospital. Wow! My left ear is clean and dry, she didn’t even have to clean it. I told her my medical insurance is expiring on June 30. The more I need to have the tests done earlier. Josef is still waiting for the confirmation of Intellicare before scheduling me for the lab tests. I have to undergo three tests:

Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA)

Speech Audiometry (SA)

Tympanometry (Tympa)

Dropped by David’s to have my hair trimmed. I have it shortened a little. It is summer here and it is so hot outside.

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Timely

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?

Jetpack prompt today is too timely. Among the four of us at home who had Covid almost two years ago, I was the only one whose sense of hearing was affected. When I had Covid, I heard loud sounds like several rolling drums. When I got well, my sense of hearing was affected. Initially, I could not hear ordinary conversations with people with soft voices. It went back to normal for a while or so I thought. It took me a year before I consulted an audiologist and an ENT. My ENT was not satisfied with the result so I underwent CT scan because eventually my left ear was infected. That was a painful experience. I was supposed to go back to my doctor these days for another check-up after more than a month but she was not around. I’ll be there again next Monday.

Quite apprehensive to use hearing aid. Besides being so expensive, I read somewhere that once you start using one, you ‘ll never recover having a normal hearing sense again. I need to undergo another audiogram.

COVID, you suck😷😠😢

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Back To My Two Doctors

My blood sugar is still the same, a bit elevated so I have to continue with my medications. My internist gave me a prescription of antibiotics for my UTI. My goodness, almost half of my retirement pay this month went to buying medicines.

I have good news from my ENT. No more ear drops starting tomorrow. I ‘ll get to see her again in a month. She told me, I could now be fitted with hearing aid Maybe I have to wait for two more weeks, that is when I am done with more lab tests as required by my internist. I read somewhere a while ago that once you start using one, your sense of hearing will finally be lost and you would just depend on the hearing aid to understand speech. I hope it is not too late. It is amazing but my right ear could hear well now. As for the left ear which was infected, I could hear faint sounds when I tried the hearing aid my brother left behind.

I have a healthy 126 lbs. weight and it hasn’t increased. Hopefully in the next few months, I’ll be able to maintain it.

Thank God for all Your blessings despite the setbacks. 🙏🙏🙏

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After A Week Of Rest

Check up again. Waiting for my ENT to arrive at 10:00am. Been here since before 7am because I have to wait at the ground floor of the mall until 8 am with all the arriving patients of The Medical City Clinic. Better be early so my medical insurance would be approved early too. Never mind waiting for the doctor until she arrives.

My ear is no longer painful, thank God. It is a great convenience when you don’t feel anything. Josef and I are done gardening, the garden just needs finishing touches.

P.s.

At home now, will be back in three weeks after I am tested with my blood sugar. 1:00pm

I’ ve been blogging daily since before the end of December and yesterday WordPress informed me that I have blogged for thirty days. So glad really that I reached another milestone because I have set aside reading because of it. I have also new followers, they are all just starting at WordPress.

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Thursday Visit

Finally, I’ll have a week rest from doctor visits. My next one would be on January 26. Josef and I might be able to prune the plants and trim the carabao grass. I am doing it little by little. I don’t want to tax myself too much. Good thing I also won’t prepare meals for a day or two. We still have the adobo I cooked two days ago and the embutido rolls sent by Nissa yesterday.

I asked my ENT if I still need to take antibiotics, she said it is not necessary because there was no growth when the ear wax was cultured. I breathed a sigh of relief that she didn’t mention surgery although she emphasized that as long as my blood sugar is high, it would be difficult for my infection to subside.

I checked the meds I purchased from Mercury Drug last Tuesday, they are all sealed in boxes by the thirties except for one which contains 28 tablets and the pharmacist forgot to add two more. I dropped by the pharmacy after my check-up to buy Advil and I showed the receipt of all my meds. No questions asked, she gave the lacking two tablets. It’s what I like when people understand the plight of senior citizens like me. As they say, every centavo counts. Even the guard at The Medical City is always ready to assist the information nurse when my name is called because I could not hear well.

There are more kind people in the universe than those who rudely act as if they are smarter and brighter than you are.

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Saturday Blues

My son-in-law Obet called up a while ago inviting us to their fiesta in Tondo tomorrow. How I wish! I told him about the result of my CT Scan as told by my ENT to Josef early this afternoon. Sunday and next Wednesday are my only free days next week. I am going back to my ENT on Thursday.

My social life is practically nil but if you count the presence of my doctors and the nurses in attendance….haha….then it’s active. Pathetic me.

I didn’t understand what the doctor explained to Josef, all I saw were the downloaded figures of my CT Scan. Aside of course from having a low immunity, that elevated blood sugar a few months back contributed to my ear problem. She wanted to know the result of my FBS but it will be available on Tuesday.

I wish I won’t have to undergo that surgery. Praying on it🙏🙏🙏🙏

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CT Scan Results

I was at the Medical City Hospital early this morning to get the result of my CT Scan. I feel bad, my ENT did not report when I went to the satellite clinic of the Medical City.

It was a two-page report with accompanying DVD for the doctor. I have to Google those medical terms that I could not understand. This is just a brief summary of the findings, it is not even complete but just to let you know a little of it: left otitis externa and left otomadtoiditis with no evidence of cholesteatoma formation. Cannot rule out nadopharyngeal mass. Contrast-enhanced MRI is recommended for further evalation.

There is nothing wrong with my right ear. It’s all on the left one. My ENT will be back on Monday so I’ll just have my blood sugar test the same day. Killing two birds with one stone so to speak. I need to take a rest, I feel exhausted going out always and waking up early too. Once I read that suggestion of undergoing MRI, I was alarmed. It is not fully covered by my medical insurance. I am praying I won’t have to undergo MRI.

Truly I believe, HEALTH IS WEALTH.

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The Medical City

The Medical City Hospital is one of the most modern hospitals in the country. Their staff were so helpful and courteous. Everything from the waiting down to the serving of clients is through electronic numbers.

Josef and I were at the hospital around 11:30 am. The only thing that made us wait long was the approval of my medicare insurance. Josef has to e-mail Intellicare at JP Morgan to submit the requirements to them, once he got it, the local branch of Intellicare at the hospital printed the approval and it was smooth sailing after that.

A doctor interviewed me at the CT Scan Center. He was so nice about it and Josef interpreted those questions I could not understand. He asked about my cancer journey, the medicines I take for my BP and diabetes, the history of my ear infection. I smiled when he did a thumb’s up after the short interview.

Once I was at the scan room, the radiologist briefed me on what to do. It was so cold so she gave me a blanket to cover my body. It was my first time to undergo CT Scan. Twenty minutes of not moving was quite tiring too. You might laughed at this but I kept my eyes closed and kept counting silently.

They have several Scan suites and I took shot of one of them where my CT Scan was held. We were at home by 4:30 pm. The result will be available today but I will get it tomorrow morning then proceed to my ENT for consultation.

That was indeed an experience I’ll not forget,

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CT Scan

I had my nth check-up yesterday with my ENT. She cleaned my ear as usual and there is no more blood. All I saw were just dried residue of my Otic drops. Since she could no longer find anything why it is still not well, she suggested that I undergo CT scan. I am not just sure if it is covered by my medical insurance. The procedure costs 11K which for me is expensive. Been spending my monthly pension on medicines alone not just for my ear but for my BP and blood sugar as well. Hoping and praying it is nothing serious. It’s holiday here today and there’s no office work until Monday. Josef will have to accompany me to the hospital on Tuesday.

Need your prayers, thank you very much.

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