After complaining about a numbness in her arm the other day (which she feels only while lying down on a particular side, and only at night), my 73 year old mother had “woefully” asked for her to be brought to a geriatric doctor (not just any doctor, mind you, but a specific one), to finally find out what was wrong with her.
We had been through this type of discussion before, and knowing she could change her mind about it soon enough, I still agreed to inquire about her requested-for doctor’s schedule, as well as procedures for a complete work-up, specifically tailored for ladies aged 70-75 years.
A call to The Medical City Wellness Center got me the list of health packages we could avail of.
The particular one that was suited for Mother Dearest, for 60 to 79-year old women, included:
Complete Blood Count
TSH
Fasting Blood Sugar
Serum Creatinine
Lipid Profile
Uric Acid
SGPT / ALT
HbsAg
Routine Urinalysis
Routine Fecalysis with Occult Blood
Chest X-ray (PA view)
Ultrasound- Liver
Ultrasound- Gallbladder
Ultrasound- Kidneys
Ultrasound- Adrenals
Ultrasound- Pancreas
Treadmill Stress Test
2D Echo w/ Doppler Study
Ophthalmologist Consultation
ENT Consultation
Pap smear with MI Transvaginal / Transrectal
Mammography
Diet Instruction
Physical Examination
Clinical Summary
Coordinating Physician
Elderly Specialist
OB-Gynecologist
The complete package costs PhP29,000 (roughly $645), plus an additional PhP5000 minimum (around $110) for a room overnight.
Not bad, right? For all these?
I promptly showed Mother the print-out and waited for her verdict. I left her as she pored through the entire thing, weighing pros, cons, benefits, to satisfy whatever it was that was running through her head.
An hour later, she came back.
“So, when do you want to have this done? I need to check the hospital’s schedule to see if they can accommodate you then.”
“I only had gas. It’s gone now, nothing that Maalox can’t cure. I don’t need to pay this much for a check-up!”
She was cured.
‘Twas a miracle!
The Adventures of Super Normal Girl 