A Plea to Make Easier Requirements for Government Hospital or Surgery Discounts

To begin with, I do not have enough money to afford a kidney transplant. So when the Z package of PhilHealth was launched last year, I felt there was hope at last. I decided to apply under the co-pay classification where the patient shells out a maximum of 600 thousand pesos as his contribution to the transplant.

Since my fundraising efforts has not reached 600 thousand, I pleaded that my contribution be lesser than the maximum. Thus I was referred to the social welfare office for evaluation of my financial capability.

What I got was a long list of requirements in two pieces of paper handwritten.

• Residence certificate - my own , my wife's and all immediate relatives who will help shoulder the surgery. (Have already mine and my wife's)
• Certification that I own or do not own "real property" or "land" from the City Assessor's Office. (also my wife's and immediate relatives who will help.)
• Certification that I own or do not own a business. (In my case, I do not own a business and I do not own any property or land.) Same thing with my wife and immediate family who will help.
• latest ITR (have both mine and my wife's already)
• 1x1 picture and whole body picture
• Certification of Employment specifying position, salaries, deductions and the latest payslip
• PhilHealth MDR
• Certification from SSS (not just an ID, but certification..Imagine long lines) that I, my wife and those immediate family who will help me are members or not.
• Certificate from barangay of residence for me, my wife, etc.
• A social case study report from DSWD (I think it is based in Labangon).

And I will be getting all of these while I am undergoing this...

and this because of recurrent fever..

I hope there is an easier way to get all of these. I need a bilateral nephrectomy right away to stop once and for all my recurrent UTI and to accommodate a new transplanted kidney.

I do not have household help to do chores or run errands for me. I do not have a car to bring me anywhere. I have to report to work while waiting to continue receiving salary and I am relatively immunocompromised to face many people in the long lines. Is there a better way or system to get all these requirements if we truly want to help the poor sick people? I am not speaking for myself only here.

Attention senatoriables @UNAsaSenado, @TeamPNoy2013, @piacayetano, aspiring or returning congressmen!Vice president @VPJojoBinay DSWD? @dinkysunflower @tomasosmena

I am one of the masses you promise to serve. All I want is a chance at the Z-package. The only problem is I would prefer to pay less than the maximum 600 thousand because I have to think of the immunosuppressive drugs (na di dapat tipirin). With time, I can raise the funds for the expenses posttransplant. And PhilHealth allows a patient actually to pay less than the 600k maximum based on the memos online. 

My wife is a willing donor. She is already compatible with me in blood type and tissue type. Only a pre-approval is needed for us to proceed with her other tests if she really is healthy enough to donate.

Meanwhile, my bills for the antibiotics are piling, my IJ access is reaching one month when it will be prone to infection, and my will is being tested.

Yes I am a doctor but I am not a practicing one. My sole job is a medical teacher and I entered medical school through a scholarship where I strived to learn about the disease of my mother and predecessors which I now also have. 

Like the others, I am getting the requirements one-by-one but I expect it to take some time with my condition. And I will be risking infection which will be another problem. I understand the requirement. I am just asking, "Can you make it easy on patients because they really need help?" 

By the way, here is my humble Facebook page for raising funds at https://www.facebook.com/DocBuboysKidneyTransplantFund

Social media, my best friend during dialysis

This is how I spend my time in the dialysis facility... Opening facebook, answering messages, interacting with friends. I also log into twitter. Believe it or not, social media helps keep a smile in my face.

Kidney transplant, also for non-millionaires who need it

It was Day 4 of my Hemodialysis session and I met this fellow patient who was also having dialysis in the same facility as I am. We shared our stories, the reason why we came to this point. I asked him how long he has been on dialysis and how was he doing. At one point I asked him if he was considering a transplant. He replied no because a transplant costs 2 million pesos.

Hearing this I just realized that apparently there are still end-stage renal disease patients who are unaware of the Z-package for kidney transplant patients and one example is the patient I just met.

And so I told the guy that there is already a Z-package which will reduce the cost of transplant alone to less than a million (excluding anti-rejection meds) if as a co-paying patient or sponsored if classified as an indigent patient. The guy replied that he will still not avail of the Z-package because he does not believe he can afford the package.

And so it struck me. He may not be alone in his belief. Perhaps many patients like him still believe that they do not really have a chance to undergo a transplant under the PhilHealth Z-package.

I am hoping that my kidney transplant under the Z-package will be successful so that I may inspire others to avail of this very timely package and therefore have a second chance of life even if they are not affluent.

Meanwhile I am preparing for an upcoming bilateral nephrectomy this week, an equally difficult procedure. And after that, another challenge...going through days without a single kidney while waiting for the transplant.

Please say a prayer for me and my surgeons and my team of doctors. Say a prayer also for all the other patients who are on hemodialysis who may want to go through kidney transplant. That they not be discouraged by their financial standing.

Kidney transplants should not be for rich patients only. With the Z-package, there is hope for others who are not millionaires.

The tough journey begins with my first hemodialysis

Entering the operating room, I was greeted with a smile by the anesthesiologist (in another operation which has not yet started) and it was a good start for the day especially that I was quite nervous knowing that my blood vessels are small from the previous attempt to make an AV fistula in my arm.

I was in the OR for a procedure to create an access for hemodialysis in the internal jugular vein. It helped that I saw some familiar faces and that my wife was around. As the operation started, I was in a Trendelenburg position with my body laid flat on the back and my feet higher than the head like a volunteer for a magic show. Perhaps I indeed need some magic working for me as my veins are quite "challenging". True enough, there was some difficulty in inserting the catheter but thankfully it was resolved. If you ask if it is painful, I can say what I felt more was the discomfort of having something somewhat pierced to your neck than the pain. I felt like a cyborg with a line for refueling.

Anyway, below is the pic of me after the procedure.

Immediately after the procedure (with this look), I went to the administration office of my employer to take care of some PhilHealth requirements for transplant. Unfortunately, I wasn't still able to get a certain signed document I was requesting. (I hope they realize the urgency of the situation so please help me pray for that.)

Later in the afternoon, I reported to the hemodialysis center. I always wondered what is inside and how does it feel to be in a dialysis center. I do not know if it was luck or what but the in-house physician happened to be an alumnus of my college before and we have common acquaintances so the conversation with her and the center's senior nurse helped eased my feelings towards going to the dialysis.

Inside I met the other hemodialysis patients. I still consider myself lucky that I can still walk around relatively "healthier" than most inside. I thank God that my kidneys still have some function left and I can still urinate. I have read all about dysequilibrium syndrome and some possible side effects of dialysis and I thank God I did not experience those during and after the dialysis.

I noticed there was a TV in the ceiling for patients to watch. Mine was showing HBO. But being the social media enthusiast that I am, the first thing I asked was, "What's the wifi password?" The staff did not know. However I was still able to access the net somehow without a password so I did some "camwhoring". Hehe. I will just post one photo here. Yup that's me smiling.

My first session was just 2 hours but even 2 hours is quite long for a newbie like me. I just tinkered with my phone playing fruit ninja and answering messages on facebook. And before I know it, the 2 hour session was over. 0.4 kg was taken from my original weight and I am due after a day of no dialysis for my second session this Thursday. This time it will be 3 hours.

Meanwhile I am going to go back to my employer again later for the PhilHealth requirement which I really need and which I hope they will already give. Then visit my urosurgeon for the next challenge -- bilateral nephrectomy early February.

Please do pray for me. Any form of help is really appreciated. (And my paypal donate button is still around in this blog.)

Till next time. And thank you for the overwhelming messages of support and prayers in Facebook.

Transplant preparations update for January

The past few weeks, I have been very busy. It's because before the Big Day comes, I would like to put things in order especially my schoolwork.

Had lab tests where my electrolytes were within normal range although my creatinine is still on the rise. I still have good urine output though. No swellings or edema anywhere and I feel good.

Visited my team of doctors. In one of those visits, I had my first erythropoietin injection and boy it was quite painful. I think I prefer the pain of venipucture than a subcutaneous injection. Anyway, the hormone was administered by my wife so somehow it helped lessen the pain. Being anemic already, the plan was to raise the hemoglobin high enough so that it will be less likely for me to have a transfusion later. I will have erythropoietin twice a week says my nephrologist. Then I will have IJ access on the 28th then dialysis.

We also planned where dialysis will be held and in which hospital the procedures will be done.

The Feast of the Child Jesus or the Sto. Nino (Cebu's patron saint) is fast approaching. I really requested that the procedures be done after this feast not because I want to dance during the Sinulog festival. Somehow I want to build up the spiritual and emotional strength as well and partipating and witnessing the people showing their devotion during the Holy Mass at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino Pilgrim Center grounds really helps.

My favorite part is when people raise their hands as they sing in unison the BatuBalani sa Gugma.

Fundraising efforts are also doing OK. I thank my colleagues especially from the Philippine Society of Microbiology and Infectious Disease (PSMID) Cebu Chapter for really supporting me in my ordeal. I really appreciate it.

Special thanks also to my friends in Candelaria, Quezon Province. They still remember me and I also cherish that.

I can really feel the Divine Providence. When there's a problem, somehow some help arrives. I know the Lord will help me get through this with the help of family and friends.

As the Sinulog or the Feast of the Child Jesus comes, I have a request. Please include me in your prayers during the novena masses and in the procession so I may continue to be strong.

And to my surgeons, can you play Les Miserables soundtrack during surgery?  #wishfulthinking