A different kind of trip

Last weekend, I went on a different kind of trip: a trip to the hospital.

I am a typical Sagittarian: optimistic. When it comes to hospitals though, I am terribly pessimistic. Whereas some people see hospitals as beacons of hope, birth and rebirth, I see it as a bringer of death.

I don’t know what made me think like this. Probably that one time when we were at the emergency room when I was in highschool. We were visiting an uncle who had a kidney problem. He was always going in an out of the hospital, always hooked up to tubes and equipment. He was particularly weak that time and it was a pretty draining visit. We stayed past the visiting hours, and had to wait at the emergency room for our ride. While waiting, I saw this guy in a wheelchair with a bullet through his calf. It has already stopped bleeding, but his leg was still streaked with blood and only first aid was administered. I don’t know what he was waiting for (maybe a room or a relative to pay for his room deposit), but he was already there when we came down, and he was still there when we left.

I don’t know why that affected me so, but I developed this aversion to hospitals.

This year actually started with a lot of promise — I was ecstatic during New Year’s and very optimistic for the year ahead. January 2 rolled in and I woke up with a cold, then a toothache, and finally came down with a flu. Maybe that was an omen? Haha.

2006 was probably my unhealthiest year, but it was also a year of positive changes. I set a goal for myself and I was able to meet 3 of my 4 targeted trips for the year. This little trip to the hospital costs as much as a domestic trip would cost, and as a consolation, I’m just telling myself it’s a trip.

My stay at the hospital actually wasn’t all that bad. Sure, they poked me numerous times with a needle (5 times), but after that initial prick, it’s bearable. The IV drip was annoying because I had to wheel the thingie that holds up the bottle whenever I go to the toilet. Though I did learned to utilize my left hand, because they put the IV in my right hand. The staff were all friendly, courteous and helpful, from the residents to the nurses, lab technicians, kitchen staff, orderlies, housekeeping staff, and administration staff. And my hospital was pretty, so I didn’t really mind staying there. And I had cable TV. Yeah, that was the highlight of my “trip.”

Of course, this meant no more self-financed trips for me this year. It’s just as well because this hospital trip made me realize what I should be prioritizing. I have gotten pretty reckless with my credit cards and my new hobby (collecting Pinky St dolls), that I’ve neglected to save money and have a medical check-up, which I’ve been promising myself for years.

Having pneumonia meant being careful, and I’m not risking any more diseases in the following years. I’ve looked at a couple of visa applications and they’re careful to include a question regarding serious health conditions in their questionnaires. Gah, this is going on my permanent record.

Most of my plans for 2007 have been scraped. I am now targetting significantly lesser trips than initially planned, and a major trip for 2008 might even be postponed until 2009. But I’m actually okay with that: my health comes first. Afterall, how can I travel if I’m already dead? (Well, I *could* haunt people…)

I stayed for 4 days at the wonderful Medical City in Pasig City. Pictured above was the view out of my 5th floor hospital room.

The Medical City
Ortigas Avenue
Pasig City, Metro Manila
Philippines
Telephone: (632) 635-6789 / (632) 631-86-26
http://themedicalcity.com/