New Doctor, New Hope?

I was ecstatic when I wake up this morning. I have a second opinion appointment with another doctor today. I was hoping to receive some good news that would help me feel better about my current health condition. And since I know how tedious it is in the hospital, I prepared a heavy breakfast this morning to keep my stomach full before going there. My appointment was at 10 in the morning, but I was advised to be there at 9 because of the long process that I have to go through before the actual consultation. 

There was already a long queue of patients when we arrived at the hospital. Most were elderly or senior citizens. I first went to the triage area where you have to fill in forms with your travel history, if you feel any symptoms of COVID, etc., blah blah blah. They also asked for my vaccination card, and after that, I was told to go to the OPD department inside the hospital. When my husband and I went in, there was another long queue of patients waiting.

I was number 38 already. A medical staff member took my blood pressure and weight. My blood pressure was okay, 110/80, and my weight was 66 kg. I was actually surprised by my weight. I was expecting that I would gain weight because I eat a lot, like 4 to 5 times a day. But to my surprise, I lost weight. My weight last week was 69 kg, and in just a short span of time, I have lost 3 kg already. I guess that is something to be alarmed about. My appointment was at 10 a.m., but the doctor arrived at almost 11 a.m., when she came from her daily rounds.

I was so nervous when my name was called. The good thing is that my husband was with me. The doctor was very accommodating and her voice was very pleasant to hear. She then asked me about everything, so I told her about how my first doctor diagnosed me with Myasthenia Gravis. She asked me about the symptoms or signs that I felt. I told her this and that. Then I showed her the prescription that was given to me by my previous doctor, and when she saw it, she told me that I only needed three of them actually. The Mestinon, Prednison, and the medicine for my blood pressure. So I was like, "Really?" It costs me almost four thousand pesos every week just to buy all those meds, and all I needed was three. She said that most of them were vitamins and could only be bought at my previous doctor's clinic. I felt like I was being robbed by that doctor, or pinerahan lang ako. Those synthetic vitamins can hurt my kidneys and liver, vitamins that I can get from eating healthy foods instead.

And then she told me the things that I should do. First is that I have to go through blood chem. She needed the result for her to determine if I have acquired another illness because I have taken so many meds for too long, especially the prednison, because she said prednison can develop diabetes in a person when taken too long. She explained everything to me in the simplest way possible so that I could easily understand it, unlike my previous doctor. She also told me about the CT scan to see if I have a Thymoma in my Thymus gland. But she said that not all Myasthenia Gravis patients have a thymoma, but if I ever have one on me, it needs to be removed as soon as possible. And she added that I have to take medicine for a lifetime. I knew that already, so that is not new to me.

Then another thing that she added was that I had to go to Iloilo City to undergo Repetitive Nerve Simulation, or RNS. It is the process needed to do to a Myasthenia gravis patient. She told me to book an appointment before going there and informed her about that so that she could coordinate with them prior to my appointment. She gave me the names and numbers to contact. I asked her about how much it would cost me and she said I should prepare 6 thousand to 7 thousand pesos for it.

I was actually surprised because I thought it would cost me much more than that. My previous doctor told me about this, but by the way he told me about it back then, it sounded like it would cost me a fortune. So he was telling me, "mahal sya," so you better stick with me. I remember that he even told me not to consult with other doctors and to stay under his care. Now I know why.

After hearing all of that, my husband and I decided to change my doctor. We both agreed to choose Dra. Jordan from now on. Now I have to prepare the amount needed for RNS. I should at least have 10 thousand pesos. Iloilo City is far from our place, so I should be prepared. My husband was furious about the thought that na pinerahan lang kami ng first doctor ko. For sure, all those medicines that I have taken have caused damage to my internal organs, but much more importantly, they have caused damage to my wallet. But those are the things that can not be undone. I am just glad that we decided to seek or ask for a second opinion.

Date Published: March 8, 2022

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