I’ve been so caught up with my other sites, I almost forgot to post the conclusion to my recent hospital episode. So for the sake of having a record, I’m blogging it now to remind myself never to undergo this again. Bawal magkasakit.

I spent most of the third day of sick leave at the hospital. I was there early to get my blood test and x – ray results, after which I was supposed to visit my doctor again so she can give me a medical clearance.

As I held the printouts in my hand, I tried to decipher what the numbers and letters meant. Everything seemed normal and my x – ray was clear. Surely, I thought, the doctor will quickly give me a clean bill of health so I can get back to work.

When I arrived at the Medicard office, the attendants told me my doctor won’t be on duty until 1 pm but they can refer me to another doctor who could check me up. I liked my doctor but since I wanted to make the most of my time, I decided to get the referral so I could go home earlier. The other doctor had a quite a waiting line though which meant I would probably still be there close to 1 p.m.

When it was finally my turn, the other doctor seemed to be in a hurry, she wasn’t nearly as emphatic as my other doctor was. But I heard what I expected to hear: I was clear but I needed to see an EENT doctor to confirm if the bleeding did come from my throat.

After lunch, I went to Medicard’s EENT doctor who was incredibly nice. She told me I had to undergo some kind of examination where a tube with a camera will be inserted through my mouth down to my throat so that they could see where the bleeding was.

Of course, I was hesitant since I tend to throw up easily, but she was very calm and reassuring. She recommended for me to undergo an alternative route, the tube would be inserted through my nose, so that I won’t throw up.

I had to wait an hour later to undergo the procedure because I had just eaten lunch. A patient was already being examined when I arrived at the Voice Center and she seemed fine so I figured it should go smoothly for me too.

When I sat on the chair, a nurse sprayed my nostrils with some kind of numbing liquid, It dripped down my throat, I don’t know why but it kind of tasted like salt and banana with a hint of mint, like salty banana flavored toothpaste. It felt a bit weird when they inserted the tube in my right nostril but I was too distracted by the video of my nose and throat’s insides to feel any pain.

Woah, so this is what I look like inside. Amazingly complex, but not very pretty. At least I’m all pinkish red inside. Nice color.

The doctor asked me to breathe in and out, to sing “mi” and to swallow. After a few minutes of probing, she finally pinpointed the bleeding spots. I had small red spots near the base of my tongue and an inflamed area in my throat.

The diagnosis: acid reflux.

Apparently, my stomach acids were reverting to my throat sort of like burning it. She pointed out to me the area in my throat which was supposed to be white or colorless in most people, but mine was like flaming red. So that’s where the blood came from.

She prescribed anti-acid reflux meds and gave me a printout of reminders to prevent it from happening. The glaring thing that stood out to me was, NO CHOCOLATE. Not that I would be a hundred percent obedient though.

Besides, I think I know the root cause of my condition: stress. Something that no medication can heal. I need to relax more and have faith everything is how it’s supposed to be right now. Easier said than done but I have to do it if I want to really get well.

So yes, I’m trying to relax.

I’m still thankful though that my hospital experience was quite pleasant, and I owe that to the awesome doctors and nurses who attended to me. A hospital can have the most modern buildings and high tech Holter systems, but it’s the doctors and nurses, the empathic and patient – focused ones, who make all the difference. I don’t like going to hospitals but if I absolutely have to, there’s only one place I would go.

Thank God too for medical benefits. I’m pretty bent on keeping my Medicard even when I start working on my home business.

For this week, I’m trying to relax more while also focusing more on the essential tasks on my to do list. I’ve chosen to narrow down and simplify my list to make my life much easier.

Working  hard is bad for your health.

Working smart is the way to go.

Thank God it’s Friday tomorrow.  A lovely weekend’s just a day away.