Medical Adventure Part 3 (final)

[RBM]

Last part.....

Following day after a painful restless night with no follow up from Doc C we decided time to go home. As mentioned room was disgraceful and not conducive to healing. Doctor Sanchez also agreed and gave us prescriptions for medications. Our 1 cover insurance agent had paid everything up which was confirmed by payments office.....How ever although we had final payment receipt typical Philippine bureaucracy kicks in. One must have some final gate pass which in the whole  complex of Riverside Hospital just one individual  can sign....Almost sent my SO crazy, one moment this person was at a meeting, next having  coffee and so on.It was 6PM before she signed which meant Bacolod traffic...

Home around 9pm, helped to bed, exhausted from trip an sedated suited me, slept. Over next days still trying to settle with a sub standard to small halo we knew must get to Cebu. Doctor Condor at cybergate had treated me years ago for broken hand and impressed me so following week this was our aim.

Fortunately the seats in our car recline fully  so travel was possible,  trying to walk was difficult as harness was digging in and painful. After some initial difficulty we met Doctor Condor whom was not impressed with my attire, he immediately ordered a CT scan as suspected the C2 was miss aligned, This was done same evening, results ready next day. 

Doctor Condor had already arranged a new halo and large harness, CT scan fortunately showed all good, he carefully and slowly changed the halo (apart from part screwed into scalp). Basically pain free but exhausting, spent far longer than Doc C and charged just P5000. A kind skilled compassionate orthopedic.

After a few days resting and adjusting new halo headed back home. Today is exactly 4 weeks from accident, now able walk around, off pain meds and trying stay positive. Many posters here have helped with this. Next week x rays and hoping halo removed and replaced with neck brace end Jan, still prepared it could take up to 6 months. 

Is this a life changer....yes and no, I have always been very active, ridden over 200K here and done heaps of mountain climbing, hiking. No serious incidents  this happens having a P.....just tells me how life can, does change in an instant. Definitely going be more careful  in future.

Was going to write a few lines here which may help newer members, not necessary as there is an excellent post here which we shall add to.

Thanks guys for taking time to read this and stay safe.

Edited December 5, 2016 by RBM
Add pic

[Queenie O.]

Wow RBM--what an ordeal! So glad that you're now on the mend even though it will still take a while.

I guess we'll all try to be more careful, although one can't really escape a freak accident if it happens.

I hope that you recover quickly and can put this awful accident behind you.

I took the liberty of making note of this surgeon and his medical group for my own use, in case of an emergency. https://www.spineuniverse.com/specialist/orthopaedic-surgeon/ph/richard-condor-19754

As you helped to express, finding  doctors/hospitals is often through chance, or trial and error, and is not always a good outcome.  I don't know about how willing we forum members are about sharing the names good doctors and hospitals that they personally have benefited from in their area. I know that it would be something that I'd be grateful to read about and take note of, and if I had any to share I would. I wonder if that could be a new forum category in the future.

Thanks for sharing your story RBM. Take care, Queenie

 

[Dave Hounddriver]

Your story reminds me of a conversation with "y" about doctors in Philippines.

Me: "Your friend is not going to do well as a doctor if he continues "just passing" all his courses.  I mean, do you want a doctor who "just passed" or do you want a doctor who is top of the class?"

Y:  "It does not matter in Philippines because all the doctors we have here "just passed" because the ones who are top of the class go to other countries as OFWs."

[robert k]

You know what they call the guy who almost flunked out of medical school? Doctor.

[OnMyWay]

4 hours ago, Queenie O. said:

 I wonder if that could be a new forum category in the future.

I think that is a great idea!  We could have a pinned topic like others we have.  JGF?

I was thinking it might be a good idea to have the bad docs listed too, but that is a slippery slope.  It is not really fair for one of us to act as judge and jury.

I could recommend my primary care doc (who I need to see soon for a physical), and my skin doc, with a caveat.  He is expensive but he probably has a ton of money invested in his laser equipment.

[Jollygoodfellow]

38 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I think that is a great idea!  We could have a pinned topic like others we have.  JGF?

I dont think its worth it most never look at pined topics. The philippines is a big place so listing a doc here and there is not much point. If a member likes to start a topic asking for a doctor say in Cebu or somewhere then someone will answer.

[Jack Peterson]

40 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

 It is not really fair for one of us to act as judge and jury.

It may even draw unwanted attention to the Forum

[OnMyWay]

2 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

I dont think its worth it most never look at pined topics. The philippines is a big place so listing a doc here and there is not much point. If a member likes to start a topic asking for a doctor say in Cebu or somewhere then someone will answer.

Yes, unfortunately, true.

[robert k]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I think that is a great idea!  We could have a pinned topic like others we have.  JGF?

I was thinking it might be a good idea to have the bad docs listed too, but that is a slippery slope.  It is not really fair for one of us to act as judge and jury.

I could recommend my primary care doc (who I need to see soon for a physical), and my skin doc, with a caveat.  He is expensive but he probably has a ton of money invested in his laser equipment.

One has to remember that truth of what you say or post is not a positive defense against Philippine slander/libel laws. It would be a positive defense in the US but not the Philippines.

[mogo51]

Wishing you a full and speedy recover from what must be a very traumatic experience.