Day 1.
It was the dawn of Sunday when the thermometer read 39.5 degrees Celsius for my 2-year old son. This is after giving him paracetamol 6 hours ago for a sudden fever at 10PM of Saturday. The fever was accompanied by his constant whimpering. This cannot be left un-treated.
My husband, who pre-packed some things to bring with us in case we go to the emergency room, immediately started the car and then in a breeze we were on our way to the nearest hospital, the Divine Heart Medical Service and Development Cooperative (DIHMESCO) General Hospital.
It is a hospital located in Novaliches Bayan, and although it is not accredited by my son’s health card (Asianlife), we opted to go there as it is just around 10 minutes from our house. It is here where he was also confined last September to cure his Pneumonia.
There, 5:30 AM we were parked in the lone parking slot in front of the hospital and was welcomed by the staff. We gave our son’s name so the receiving nurse can look up his medical records, and then after getting his weight and temperature we were guided to give urine and blood for testing. CBC costs P360, Urinalysis for P105, and a service fee of P180 were our initial expense paid to the cashier before the test.
My son was cooperative in giving his urine sample on the container. He was also calm when his ring finger was pricked for the blood sample.
In less than 30 minutes the results were out and we were seen by the resident physician. The urinalysis showed that pus cells in the urine were too many to count (TMTC) meaning there is a serious infection in the urinary tract and we need to have the patient admitted for treatment and to prevent dehydration (and convulsions perhaps).
Next thing we knew our son was ready for intravenous antibiotics with dextrose. He also underwent skin test while in the emergency room. All the while he was crying.
Unlike our previous hospitalizations, it’s amazing that this time with the implementation of the new ruling in admitting emergency patients, no deposit was collected from us upon admission. Before we paid P3000 before we were accommodated.
We chose the best room that is available which costs P1,600 per day. It has two beds, a comfort room, television set, air-conditioner and refrigerator.
My son started receiving antibiotics that very morning and for the whole day, which he has been having his fever still, we gave him paracetamol to manage the temperature.
The doctor came to see him some time in the afternoon and ordered an ultrasound and urine culture, which was done in the evening.
Days 2 and 3.
During these days I secured my Philhealth Certificate of Remittance and CF1 Form from the Human Resources of the company where I work. They will be needed for Philhealth benefit claims upon our bill-out from the hospital later on. I submitted them, together with a copy of my son’s birth certificate, to the Philhealth coordinator of the hospital.
My son improved a lot with the fever gone. He’d like to move a lot, if not for his IV. So I entertained him with his Fish-Alphabet Puzzle and alternating it with some Play-Doh Videos on youtube. Antibiotics – IV was continuously given to him every 6 hours.
The doctor made his rounds every afternoon and on Day 3 he ordered for a repeat urinalysis, which came out fine. We were advised to wait for the result of the urine culture however, which was expected to arrive in the morning of Day 4, so we stayed for another night.
Day 4.
At this day I was already dying to go home but had to relax myself to keep my sanity. My son’s so active and happy that by the time he heard the doctor saying we can go home now he started jumping and thumping and moving around. Thank God that aside from my son’s nanny, my mother came over to save the day.
Result of urine culture hasn’t arrived yet so it will just be discussed during our follow-up check-up this coming Saturday. Prescription for oral antibiotics was given and later discussed by the nurse.
We received the bill mounting to P18,000, less Philhealth amounting to P10,000. We had to cash out P8,000, which I paid and hopefully can reimburse with Asianlife. Thank God for these benefits that we get from the government and from the company that we work in. After payment, the clearance issued by the cashier was given to the nurse station, triggering them to finally remove the IV. What a relief! My son was even more happy by that time.
I secured the billing statement, medical certificate which states the diagnosis as acute pyelonephritis, and the prescription for oral administration.
We were home by 6pm of Day 4. Home sweet home. Thank God for this journey that we had to face as a family.
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