Second day destination- doctor

November 10, 2017
I woke up at 3:30 am went back to bed but couldn’t sleep anymore so I stood up at 4:00 am.

I tiptoed so as not to wake Edmund up.

I went down to the kitchen to find some food. I saw a pack of puto from Bacolod my Kuya Lito sent to me. I placed some cheese on top and microwaved them.

I got ready to leave. My husband asked if I was going to the office.

The customs officer at the airport asked me what was inside my two big balikbayan boxes. I told him inflatable Santa Claus, and more Santa Claus.
He nodded his head. True, I was not bringing in taxable goods. I had towels just to line the boxes, some chocolates, and Santa, Santa, and more Santa. I will give away to some people.

Traffic starts, Oh yes indeed, I am back in Manila.

My right arm gives me pain 24/7 and I am thinking maybe I broke my bone or something. First order of the day is to go to a doctor.
It’s always sad coming here, I see sick people. People coughing so bad as if their lungs would fly out. Grabe ang mga ubo, parang titilansik na ang mga baga nila. Kawawa.

I went to Dr. Edgar Eufenio’s clinic in Cardinal Santos Hospital and I found this notice on his door— 3 pm clinic. It was only 11 am.

I wanted to have my arm x-rayed so I went to the clinic of Dr. Palafox to ask his nurse secretary to give me a doctor’s request that I can show tot he X-ray technician. She insisted that I wait for Dr. Palafox instead.
There were many patients waiting. The only chair vacant was beside a nun.

I transferred to another chair when the guy left. I wasn’t comfortable sitting beside a nun. Parang napapaso ako, alam mo na, makasalanan.

I told Chat I’ll leave na lang but just as I stood up, Dr. Palafox arrived. I stayed and in a few minutes he called me. I just asked him to recommend a doctor for the pain and swelling in my elbow. I should go see a rheumatologist daw and not a surgeon otherwise “ooperahan ka bigla”.

When I went out of the doctor’s room, there were more nuns, at least four of them. I felt weird, I didn’t know if I died while inside the doctor’s clinic and I am now in heaven kaya ang daming madre? Or bakit sila rin ay may sakit. Di ba we pray when we are sick? Do they pray too, why do they get sick?

I went to the ENT, the son in law of Dr. Palafox. I was anxious about my throat kasi nga I had a bad infection twice in the past month and until now I still feel some discomfort. He inserted a camera and he showed me the screen.
A—-“Doc, bakit ang dilim ng screen? Hindi ba yan HD?”
Dr.—–“Malinaw yan kanina, dumilim na lang, gusto mo ulitin ko?”
A—-“Huwag na, baka lang kako hindi mo nakita”.

He said my throat is clean, and he suspects it’s acid reflux. When we are stressed daw, our stomach produces more acidity and when we drink water just before we go to bed, this flows back to our food pipe and throat especially when we lay flat. He advised me to drink water 45 min to an hour before I go to bed, not right before I lay down. I am relieved, nakaka nerbyos kasi ngayon.