Tag Archives: consultation

A Missed Opportunity

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I thought I was going to stop writing for the time being after the article before this one, but it looks like God intended otherwise. So here goes the story, and I’ll share it quick: it looks like God has already assigned me my first task for the Bible verse I shared in this article. And it was a missed opportunity. Sorry, Lord. I’ll try better next time. 😀

Yesterday, I went to Sorsogon City to have my FPE (first patient encounter) at SMMGH since I have chosen it as my YAKAP provider. Why SMMGH? I am already familiar with the place since we stayed there for almost 2 months in 2023 during Mom’s confinement. I always get lost inside hospitals. lol

I was planning on having my first consultation at the OPD, as I was targeting to avail of their breast screening services (breast ultrasound and mammogram), but I was informed that they are still waiting for the mammography machine to arrive.

I thought I’d just wait for it to arrive before I have my first consultation. Or I can have the breast ultrasound first because SMMGH is my YAKAP provider until December this year only.

It was around 8am when I left Bulan on board the Bulan Trans Co. shuttle. The bus conductor was a jolly, old fellow who approached me while we were en route to Sorsogon City, asking to exchange a 20-peso coin for 1 peso or 5 peso coins. He was already short of change, and I was more than glad to exchange the coins in my purse, as they are also heavy.

After a couple of minutes, he approached me again. This time, he handed a 500-peso bill, and when I looked at it, I knew what he meant. I smiled my widest and nodded, declining his request. And we both burst out in laughter. He knew that I was not going to exchange my smaller bills because, well, “barya lang sa umaga.” 😀

We arrived in Sorsogon City around 10am, and I was planning on grabbing a bite at SM City Sorsogon. Only to realize that SM adjusted its store hours to open at 11am pala. lol I was also planning to freshen up there. So I have decided to go straight to SMMGH instead via the tricycle and just have my brunch at a small cafeteria in front of the hospital, still looking “unfresh” from my 2-hour trip.

After I ordered my food, I chose a table and sat with my back towards the entrance so I wouldn’t get to see the passersby. Then a woman sat at the next table across from me. When she entered, she already sort of half addressed me, telling me she was going to get water from the water dispenser. I quickly noticed her expression, though she tried to smile: lost and bewildered.

I smiled back at her, albeit awkwardly, because I really don’t converse with strangers. Then I resumed eating, and I can see from my peripheral vision that she is somehow not relaxed. So I looked at her, and I saw that she’s also looking at me as if she wanted to say something, but was just hesitating. Then she just started sharing about how her son (if I got it right, because she was speaking fast) was bitten by a dog and has had a fever for 2 days already.

They came here at SMMGH to get an anti-rabies vaccination and an anti-tetanus shot, but she doesn’t know how much they are going to pay. So to make her feel relaxed, I’ve been asking her questions, like the age of the boy (grade 5). Then there was a pause in our convo, and I felt like I wanted to ask her if she’s eaten already. But I don’t know how to ask that question out of the blue because it seems off-topic.

I waited, and she started talking again and said that they are waiting for Doctor Hermo to check the kid, and she hasn’t eaten yet. Ah, yes, and there was my cue. I immediately took my wallet and gave her a 100-peso bill. I told her, “Ate, bili mo ‘yan ng pagkain mo ha.” She thanked me right away, and I asked her where they came from. She said they’re from Bacon, and I also told her I’m from Bulan.

Then she stood up and thanked me again multiple times while bowing. I almost laughed and just told her, “Okay lang ‘yan, Ate. No problem. God bless you po.”

Why did I give her money? What if she were just a con artist or a beggar? It doesn’t matter – the need was there.

I know that look. Three years ago, I was also seated at the same table where she sat, having the same lost and bewildered look, almost close to breaking down, and contemplating what would happen to my Mom. I was in that exact table, processing everything that my family and I were going through.

Questions like, will she survive her stage 4 breast cancer? How long are we staying in the hospital? How long will I see her with so many contraptions attached to her? Will we be able to keep up with the running bill at the hospital? And a whole lot more of anxieties and worries.

For someone like me who is extra sensitive to other people’s energy and vibe, I can sense right away without them telling me what they are thinking or feeling. And maybe this is the reason why I often encounter strangers who would just vent out their problems to me, and at first, I thought it was a bit awkward. But when it happened a lot of times, I realized that it was no longer a coincidence.

Then it dawned on me, I missed the opportunity. I should’ve PRAYED for her even if it’s just a short prayer. And it came clearer what the right response should be when people approach and share their problems: listen, pray together, ask God for solutions, and then go find those solutions.

At that time, I was in a hurry, though, because I didn’t know how long the FPE takes, and I was also going to the PhilHealth Sorsogon branch afterwards to inquire about contributions since I had missed payments (when I transitioned to a freelancer).

Yes, when I am on an errand, I tend to be “Flash” woman, accomplishing everything in as little time as possible. lol Let’s just say I am always deliberate and systematic in how I do things, and I am very intentional with how I use my time. So, no dillydallying. 😀 I also thought I’d process all of these now while I am not yet physically weak.

Going back to her, I know that is not a reason enough to let her go without praying for her. I should’ve asked her to sit beside me so I could pray for her and maybe give her a hug, too. I felt that her need was genuine; she was desperately looking for help, even if it was just for her food.

My heart bleeds for moments like this. 100 pesos is not much. It’s like the story of 5 barley loaves and fishes in the Bible. I was thinking what food she can buy with it, with all the inflation and skyrocketing prices of everything. And yet, I prayed to God that, though the monetary value of that money might be small, may its impact on her be big enough to sustain her and her boy – faith, hope, courage, and strength.

I believe my first task has already started. I know, I will be meeting more people like her. I know I will be praying for more like her in this setting, even as I myself will be in dire need of prayers. Because the comfort God gave me when I was in a situation like theirs is the same comfort that God has tasked me to share with them. ❤

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

P.S. Naisip ko na hindi kaya dahil din sa akala niya ay Med Rep ako? lol Check out the photo below for reference. I only had 3 seconds to take this photo before I caused traffic in the comfort room. Sareeee. 😀

I think it’s the bag that gave away the Med Rep vibe. lol

P.P.S. I thank God for the trusted and reliable workers whenever we have projects at home or on the farm. We wouldn’t be able to achieve each one of these projects if it weren’t for them. And I’d like to thank Tio Bindoy, a highly skilled mason who’s worked with the family for generations already, for bringing in these farm harvests galing din sa bukid ng kamag-anak nila.

Noong nakaraang buwan naman, isda galing sa huli ni Tio Pono, isa rin sa mga katiwala namin sa bukid whose other source of livelihood is fishing kapag wala nang masyadong gawain sa bukid. We insisted on paying for them pero ayaw nila tanggapin. Minsan, kung sino pa ang tinutulungan namin, sila pa ang mas generous, giving us anything that they could give sa mga tanim-tanim nila. Nothing is more humbling of an experience than this. I pray i-bless din sila ng Panginoon a millionfold sa generosity nila. ❤

KonsultaMD + Singlife & Sun Life: Are They Worth It?

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This year, God is telling me to prioritize my health above anything else. And once again, God never fails to provide when you ask.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7

My KonsultaMD activation came just in time for the celebration of International Women’s Day yesterday. Ah yes, thank You, Lord, for this wonderful gift. 🙏

And yes, it’s really a blessing because I got 3 months’ worth of free access including 1 video and unlimited voice consultations with a general practitioner/specialist. Super awesome, right? I can’t wait to ask the doctor every question I could think of like, “Doc, as a man of Science, do you think the air there in Nibiru is toxic to humans?” Or how salty is salty? Or why is cancer called “cancer”? Can’t we call it “Scorpio” or “Capricorn”? Or how about “Taurus”? 😂

Most likely the doctor will red-tag me as the worst patient ever in human history. lol And the next time I consult with the doctor, he/she is going to tell me to stop pestering him/her with all this nonsense. But I already prepared an answer for that, too: “Oh I am terribly sorry, Doc. I thought you’re an AI Doctor.” 😆

Okay now, let’s skip the jokes lest the doctors who get to read this block me on the app forever. Going back to KonsultaMD, if you’re wondering how I got the free access, it’s included in the new Singlife health insurance I purchased through the GCash app. For the past weeks, I’ve been researching and comparing the differences between HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations), health insurance, and VUL (Variable Universal Life) insurance. We all know that getting sick can be quite expensive, and we don’t want to spend all our life savings on hospital bills and medications.

I was doing my research on insurance the past weeks, thus, the WordPress hibernation. Another reason for my absence is that I have to limit my digital footprint as part of my preparations for yet another task. So this means I’ll be setting the visibility of this blog to “private” after a few weeks. But I’ll change it to “public” again when the time is right (because I just love my WordPress community). I was also busy “scrounging” the internet for any free medical services that I could find so I can share them with the breast cancer support groups on Facebook.

The number of breast cancer warriors who do not have the means to get their medical checkups is still increasing. My heart bleeds for these women. Sometimes I can’t help but cry because some of them are too sick and have been suffering from severe pain for a long time already because they don’t even have enough money for their basic needs.

But how do I help them? I feel like I only have 5 barley loaves and fishes and there are thousands to feed (Matthew 14:17-19). Day and night, every time I see a post asking for help where to get free medical consultations, lab tests, medicines, etc., I would pray to God to give me the resources to help them.

And God answered – I came across these free events and lectures (thanks, Doc Emmeline!) on social media. I am also praying for opportunities to accompany some of the women in the group especially those who are alone, are too weak to go to nearby hospitals, are too scared, are at a total loss for what to do and where to start, or don’t have enough money to pay for transportation expenses.

Unfortunately, this will have to wait because I’m currently busy helping my husband prepare for his exam this coming Monday. I am praying he will pass the exam so he can achieve his dream of working abroad. I am so happy to see how God is working in my husband’s life right now. It also motivates me to trust God even more. After sending him off, I hope I can devote some of my time doing volunteer work for breast cancer warriors back home.

Why Singlife?

I discovered Singlife through Globe’s GCash app back in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic started. I wasn’t able to activate the free health insurance though which covered illnesses like Covid-19 and dengue because I didn’t need it at that time. But after what happened to Mom, I thought that now was the perfect time to explore what Singlife has to offer.

I chose Singlife because it’s a low-risk investment, and yet offers higher coverage compared to HMOs (up to 100-120k only). But it is best to use the HMOs during medical emergencies. A lot of my friends tried to convince me to get a Sun Life insurance a few years ago (and until now), but I told them I’ll hold off getting one for now.

I guess these are the advantages of delayed gratification – you get to wait for a service or product to improve after some time, maximize the benefits later on, and get your money’s worth because there are now better options. My other reason for not getting Sun Life insurance is that my husband and I do not have kids. We don’t have beneficiaries in other words.

I am also apprehensive about getting one after what happened to previous insurance companies that went bankrupt, and policyholders weren’t able to get their invested funds back. Now that the US is heading toward another economic recession, I am unsure how these insurance companies will protect their policyholders’ funds that were invested in stocks and other volatile investments given the global economic outlook in the coming years.

Sun Life’s VUL insurances are a bit of a high-risk investment for me. Though I am considering getting their Business Owner Insurance Package later on God willing. I’m assuming this is one of their new insurance plans so this means conducting due diligence on my end and assessing how our family’s business could benefit from this insurance package. I’m considering it as another option that will add an extra layer of protection (buffer funds) to help sustain the business and recover in case of an economic collapse. Agripreneurs, by the way, can insure their businesses through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation under the Department of Agriculture.

As for Singlife, it offers more flexibility when it comes to monthly premiums. I tried the 100-in-1 Medical Plan, and I am looking into buying another plan (Cash for Medical Costs), which offers a higher monthly premium to increase my insurance coverage. But I’ll wait until the free KonsultaMD subscription of my first Singlife plan ends so it won’t overlap with the new plan.

My only prayer now is to find a way to share these unlimited consultations with some of the women in the BC support groups. How I wish I was allowed to schedule a doctor’s appointment on their behalf using my account. So my next task is to explore these opportunities and continue to look for more of them. As they say, when a door won’t open after you knocked, break it down. I’m kidding. We just keep on looking for more doors to open.

I am planning to share all about Singlife on social media because I believe this will help reduce the number of patients trying to avail the free medical services offered by public hospitals. Those who can afford to pay the monthly premiums offered by Singlife can choose a plan that fits their budget. The benefit of having one is that policyholders get to skip long lines and long waiting times to schedule laboratory tests and initial medical consultations (thru KonsultaMD) aside from the cash benefit that they can claim upon diagnosis of an illness and during hospitalization.

I am praying though that more doctors will sign up at KonsultaMD. We can expect more inquiries coming in and possibly more health insurance applications and medical consultations once I share this on social media. I also noticed there is 0-1 doctor only listed under some specializations. I hope there are still more doctors who can accommodate consultations via KonsultaMD in their schedules. Don’t worry Docs, we will try to ask (nonsensical) questions sparingly. ✌️

When it comes to the KonsultaMD app’s overall interface, it is very user-friendly. It is also easy to access and switch from one app feature to the other. And I love the portion of the app where they have a list of comprehensive medical checkup packages (prices included) classified according to gender, age, and illness. I find this very helpful because I plan to have my executive checkup soon though I am feeling well right now, and it’s next on my to-do list after I send off ze hubby. In summary, our best option to safeguard our assets, investments, and life savings when we get sick is to maximize what we can benefit from our HMO, health insurance, and PhilHealth.

And yes, we also never stop looking for opportunities to offer help in any way we can, especially to those who are in dire need of medical assistance. I agree with Prof. Samar Aoun, one of the speakers at the recently held webinar hosted by the European Association for Palliative Care, when she emphasized the need for reflective practice by addressing social needs (identifying the circumstances surrounding the need) and not just look into the pathological lens when it comes to understanding and dealing with patients.

To end this article, here’s my favorite quotation by Edward Everett Hale that hopefully will encourage us all to keep on doing what is good and what is best for everyone:

“I am only one, but I am one; I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by God’s grace, I will do.”

P.S. God’s surprises never end here. Stay tuned for my next post. 🙂