I mentioned in My First Vacation in the Philippines that I had a general check up as part of my to-do list.
And that would be the start of a tradition, the habit of getting a clean bill of health from medical professional.
My travel fund not only included a trip to Cambodia and Sofitel Hotel but also a budget for laboratory, check up, and hospitalization (which happened to my dad).
I am not going to debate about the efficacy of vaccination whether in the Philippines or Canada.
All I know is that my parents thought my siblings and I to take care of ourselves.
And that prevention is better than cure.
I’ll share how much I spent and how I managed to squeeze into my short vacation the trips to a clinic.
Vaccination
As a child, I assumed I had all the necessary vaccinations I need that I managed to reach adulthood. So I’ll continue to do so.
I had two vaccinations through our family doctor.
- Pneumonia (lifetime)
- Hepa B (booster, every five years)
I had the vaccinations after my trip in Angkor Wat, one of the temples in Siem Reap.
Each vaccination may have cost between 4,000 to 5,000 pesos or $125.00 ish. Almost the same amount as my travel insurance (World Nomad) or Malayan insurance for my two siblings.
Before I move to Canada I also had vaccinations which help put my parents mind at ease. I am the only person in our family to work abroad. (For me it was my ticket to world travel.)
- Cervix (lifetime)
- Flu
- Pneumonia
In Canada, I get a flu shot every year for free before winter.
Some preferred not to have a flu shot because they said they felt bad afterwards or they had fever.
As for me, I didn’t experience anything of the sort other than seeing where the syringe could have entered my skin. I am right handed so I always want to be vaccinated on my left arm and have it done on my first day off for the week.
Clinical Laboratory
I had to get up early and remind myself to practice Canadian time (15 mins early).
For two days I spent my mornings waiting for my turn to be examined while starving myself and controlling my bladder for medical purpose.
- ECG – Php 240.00
- Abdomen ultrasound – Php 1,480.00
- Thyroid ultrasound – Php 605.00
- Chest PA (x-ray) – Php 240.00
- Urinalysis – Php 70.00
- Other (glucose, creatinine, CBC, platelet count etc) – Php 2,190.00
I spent Php 4,775.00 for all clinical procedures which comes with discount; otherwise, I would have spent Php 2,000.00 more or less.
The cost is almost equivalent to a Cebu Pacific roundtrip base fare to Cambodia.
My doctor included thyroid examination: thyroid ultrasound, TSH, and FT4. Our family has a history of goiter including my mother and cousins who had undergone operations in Canada, luckily, for free.
By lunchtime, I can tell how hungry I am when I was not picky at 7/11 that all I want is to nourish my body with food and not faint.
The Result
After getting all the result I went back to our family doctor and have her explained the outcome. I was curious to know how my lifestyle has affected my health from a medical standpoint.
Good news! I am healthy.
It was a result that I was expecting and had to explain that I’ve been a vegetarian for more or less than seven years.
Everything is fine and also weird.
My cholesterol level is so low that my doctor somehow laughed at the result and assured me that it’s fine.
Cholesterol: 124.32 MG/DL
Reference: 131 – 200
There’s nothing to worry.
My worst nightmare as a vegetarian is if I would be required to eat meat again for medical reasons.
In fact, I’m considering of being a vegan . . . gradually.
Final Thoughts
With a healthy body, I somehow assured my parents that I am tough enough to endure the Canadian winter and explore the world.
That’s somehow a bold claim but I can feel how at ease they are.
What’s the takeaway in this post?
When having a vacation in the Philippines, add something important in your to-do list like getting a medical check up or investing in coop (which I failed to do, there’s next time).
And also urge your family member to do the same.
Do you regularly have a general checkup at least once a year?
Hello @PwedePadala, just wondering why did you have your medical checkup done here in the Philippines and why not in Canada?
I want to consult my family doctor in the Philippines. And also it is faster to get an appointment and have the laboratory test done in the Philippines. In three days I did everything from consultation to test to getting the result and feedback. And I am going to do it as a routine every time I go on vacation in the Philippines.