blood test Archives - Philippines Plus

American Expat’s Successful Gall Bladder Surgery in Philippines

08/10/202003/04/2020 by The Kano

My gall bladder is gone. Because I had suffered two painful gall bladder attacks within a space of one month, I had my gall bladder removed. Several doctors recommended the surgery, as did my wife. My asawa isn’t a physician. However, doctors at two different ER rooms convinced her that I did need to have … Read more

Search Continues for Cause of Spouse’s Ailment in the Philippines

11/23/201907/16/2017 by The Kano

The search continues for the cause of my spouse’s stomach ailment in the Philippines. We retired to Guimaras, our island province home in Western Visayas over eight years ago. While my asawa has suffered from dengue fever and pneumonia since moving back to her home country, she’s never had to visit an emergency room for a stomach ailment until recently.

Diagnosis Still Unknown: Iloilo Statlab Results

11/23/201907/14/2017 by The Kano

“Diagnosis Still Unknown: Iloilo Statlab Results.” A previous post dealt with my asawa’s recent visit to our local emergency room in Guimaras. The provincial hospital on our island province is ill-equipped to handle major medical emergencies. It doesn’t even possess a working ultrasound machine.

Diagnosis: Dengue Fever & Pneumonia, Part 2

11/23/201912/07/2015 by The Kano

“Diagnosis: Dengue Fever & Pneumonia, Part 2.”

I had rushed my asawa to the Provincial Hospital in Guimaras where we received the grim news. My wife had a case of dengue fever and pneumonia. Her white blood platelet count was dangerously low, 106, with 150 being the normal range. The physician on duty advised us that my spouse could be at risk for internal bleeding due to the dengue.

My Dengue Fever Scare in the Philippines.

11/23/201911/30/2014 by The Kano

Fever. Exhaustion. Severe muscle and joint pain. Rash. I had classic dengue fever symptoms. The other night as I covered myself with a bed sheet to try and catch some shuteye, I instantly felt a severe itching crawling all over my body. I was hot. I had been exhausted for over a week, not even able to carry out my daily routine of walking for one hour each morning. I took an antihistamine and dozed off, only to awaken multiple times that evening. The next day, my skin, even more inflamed, my eyes red, my dengue fever scare in the Philippines hit the crisis mode. My asawa and I rushed off to the Guimaras Provincial Hospital’s Emergency room. Our local driver NoNo, who was still at home as we made our way to the local trike stand, quickly pulled a shirt on and delivered us to the health care facility in minutes.

Outpatient Visit at Guimaras Provincial Hospital

11/23/201907/16/2014 by The Kano

Kidney stones. I would rather have all my teeth pulled without Novocaine than go through another kidney stone attack like the one I recently endured. My wife and I were on our way for our outpatient visit at Guimaras provincial hospital. We didn’t arrive until 9 am since I was extremely groggy from a sleeping pill I “borrowed” from my father-in-law to help me sleep through the severe pain on my right side, a common kidney stone side effect. Lolo, my father-in-law, has severe dementia and needs medication to help him sleep. (Thanks to Murray the Kiwi for supplying my father-in-law with a year’s supply of medications.)

The helpful nursing staff at the outpatient department included a foreigner from Ohio

A Return Trip to the Emergency Room in Guimaras, the Philippines: Part Two

11/23/201907/15/2014 by The Kano

I was sitting in the emergency room at our provincial hospital in Guimaras, where my asawa had accompanied me on a return trip to determine the severe pain I was experiencing. From past experience, I had no doubt that it was another kidney stone attack, as I had suffered one four years ago. Many people that have kidney stones have a recurrence of them within seven years unless they take preventive actions. I didn’t. A lack of drinking water every day and excessive sweating, which I do a lot of in this tropical climate in the Philippines, surely contributed to this recent attack.

More Medical Costs at Healthcare Clinic in Guimaras

01/20/202010/02/2011 by The Kano

With the recent events concerning my asawa’s health, an ECG, ultrasound and blood test were in order. We’ll be visiting our healthcare clinic in Guimaras where we are able to save on our medical costs versus taking the pump boat to nearby Iloilo City where the needed procedures are somewhat higher. My spouse did work outdoors all day yesterday at a new guest house to be opened on our island (more on that later.) She seemed to be fine, and I made sure she kept hydrated, though in the afternoon, I demanded (something I don’t often to) that she take a break. Her face was extremely red after burning some yard waste and inhaling smoke. She said she was fine and after a few minutes of rest her complexion regained it’s normal color.