Day 186 - Medical Tourism

One way the Philippines is trying to develop, is through medical tourism. Medical care in the States for those of us without insurance is stupid expensive. Because of that, Cz and I have not been to any kind of doctor since we had coverage in June of '06. That means that we were overdue for all the standard check-ups.

We have an advantage in medical tourism front in that with family here, we have references to the best doctors the country has to offer. Our medical tour started in Basilan with the dentist, who also happens to be related to us (cousin I think). We both had a full teeth cleaning with all modern equipment and a fluoride treatment. The total bill - $10 each.

It continued today with a trip to the optometrist in Cagayan. We both had our vision checked, and both of us needed new prescriptions. Mine is still very light, so I was able to get new glasses in an hour. Cz's because his vision is technically ranked "bat" requires special order glasses that won't be ready until the 23rd. Even with new frames, (I lost the old ones, and I like these better) my vision check and new glasses came to just under $65. Cz's was more expensive, but still only about half of what he would pay in the States. This is a decidedly unflattering photo of the glasses, but at least the event is documented.

Incidentally, the tasty treat in the bowl is 'halo halo', or Philippine ice cream treat. It's a mound of shaved ice covered in all sorts of sweeties, and then topped with a scoop of ube (ooo-bay) and a scoop of cream ice cream. Ube is a type of yam, naturally that purple colour, and only mildly sweet. I like it a lot, so Cz's mom always has some in her freezer in Virgina Beach when we come to visit her there.

After our shopping adventure, we caught a cab to the hospital. One of Cz's uncles whom we hadn't visited yet, had a stroke last night, and was still in intensive care today. Luckily, both his wife in the States and the eldest son are nurses, so between phone calls and direct observation, the doctor doesn't have any choice but to do a good job. The hospital itself doesn't differ much from a US hospital. It might be a little less frantic and a little less shiny, but there are still the antiseptic smell, the bored children, and the dazed families milling about.

It's too soon to to know what permanent damage the stroke will cause. All we can do is wait, trust the doctors and nurses, and pray. It sounds cheesy, but Christmas is the season of miracles. Perhaps we will have one of our own this year.