Enjoying the health care benefits here in France

I have free healthcare benefits here in France:

* giving birth to 2 kids

* dental care

* eye check up and will get my eye glasses soon

Meanwhile, personal care services are very expensive:

* haircut for 40 euro

* manicure and pedicure are expensive

* getting a massage is also expensive

When I was young and single, I was able to take advantage of our affordable personal care services in the PH:

* haircut was 50 pesos

* manicure and pedi were 50 pesos each

* massage was 250 pesos

But health care is expensive:

• dental cleaning was about 600 pesos

• getting your own prescribed eyeglasses was expensive, I chose the best

• giving birth in the PH is sure expensive when you are a CS mom

To realise, I deserved the personal care services that I spent when I was in the Philippines. I had the money to spend. I worked a lot and I suffered abuse from a family member. My ex didn't pay me back the money he owed me. I deserved to travel. I deserved to pamper myself. You know, mental health is expensive. You have to see a psychiatrist or you need psychological help to help you understand what is going on. You need to take medicines if needed. I suffered anxiety and insomnia before.

Instead of seeing a psychologist, I decided to travel and cut off toxicity. When being alone means selfishness to other people, being alone is something to save myself and my sanity.

When no family members or relatives can help me with my personal dilemma, I realized not to depend help from them at all. It is only me who can help myself but I am thankful to my friends who are there to listen to me and supported me when I had some financial crisis.

To have kids in the Philippines is for sure expensive since giving birth is not free. Nowadays, several women are having CS because of the difficulty to give birth naturally.

My husband and I are having a discussion. We saw a documentary here which a French presenter who went to the Philippines and showed Manila. She went to a maternity hospital in Manila where in one big room or hospital ward, there were a lot of new mothers with their new born babies. It was a horror for my husband to see such. He couldn't imagine to see me in a hospital ward overcrowded with other patients.

He said that I am so lucky that our kids are born here in France. I was so well-pampered in the hospital. I had my own private room. The midwives took care of me. I felt like I was in a hotel having a vacation. Even though I was alone all the time but I never felt so lonely. I just had difficulty with my CS scar but eventually, I recovered.

I am so thankful to my husband for doing his best to fly me to France from the Philippines. I am so lucky that he is actually taking care of us. I am so lucky that I belong to a good family now.