Online doctor's apppointment is the new norm

I noticed last May 20, 2020 (Wed) that I was running out of Metformin (my maintenance medicine for diabetes). I sort of panicked, I had no choice but to give 'online doctor consultation' a try.

Actually pino-prolong ko talaga eh. Few weeks ago pa dapat ako nagbook ng appointment pero dahil may hesitation ako, I called my pharmacist and asked if they could give me an 'emergency prescription refill.' Pwede kasi yun kung ang request mo eh yung maintenance meds mo talaga. Binigyan naman ako pero good for two weeks lang (normally for 30 days eh), then the pharmacist instructed me nga to get a new prescription via call or video appointment.

By the way, wala na nga pala kaming family doctor kaya floating kami ngayon. Our doctor Dr. Sahil Jain, who I really like and feel very comfortable with, went back to Toronto na yata for good. We thought temporary lang, na magpa-paternity leave lang siya nang medyo matagal, but then the other doctor at their clinic advised me to look for another family doctor na. Hay, ang hirap! Tapos natapat pa na pandemic, nag-semi close ang mga clinics. Nandito na rin kami sa Aldergrove ngayon kaya dapat dito na kami makahanap ng new doctor, kaso nga alanganin pa dahil hindi advisable pumunta sa mga clinics at hospitals ngayon (unless emergency) dahil sa Covid-19.

Hence, the proliferation of virtual clinics. Kahit naman daw sa Pinas uso na rin ang online consultation.

Grabe talaga ang hesitation ko sa online consultation, ewan ko ba. Mas gusto ko syempre ang face-to-face. Pero dahil prescription lang naman nga ang kailangan ko, walang ibang magagawa.

I've been seeing a lot of "doctors online" sites dito sa BC (just google online doctors canada/BC) pero dahil itong VivaCare ang medyo familiar sa akin (dahil nagki-clinic sila sa mga Walmart), sige ito na lang.

Ang dali lang palang magbook. You just need to ready your Personal Health Number (PEN). Pili ka lang ng date at time na gusto mo. Sobrang daming available dates and time, hindi kagaya ng sa physical clinics na pahirapan magbook. I chose a 3:45pm appointment the following day (May 21). I just chose the "prescription" option nga pala tapos nilagay ko yung mga medicines na kailangan ko.

NOTE: If you're not a BC resident, they will charge you $150 pala for the consultation. Shaiks!

 I received an email afterwards, providing me a meeting link.

The next day, I received another email reminding me of my appointment.

And 28 minutes before my appointment, may reminder na naman via text. 

Tapos after aroun 3:35, may nagtext again, saying: "the doctor is available now." I was waiting na rin naman so clicked the meeting link in the email.

I first talked to a receptionist/nurse who just verified if I am indeed Celeste Blanco. Tapos tinransfer nya na ako sa virtual waiting room. A few seconds later, kausap ko na ang doctor, who I thought will be female (kasi babae ang name ng assigned physician sa email eh).

The consultation only took a few minutes. After saying hi and hello, he just asked me kung kelan pa ako nagstart magtake ng Metformin at kung may allergy ako sa mga gamot na nirequest ko (I also asked for my cholesterol meds). He also asked me kung ano ang current blood sugar ko, I answered that I haven't had it checked yet because I am afraid to go to the lab. But I am sure that it is high because I've been eating a whole lot more during this quarantine period.

And it's done, ifoforward nya na raw yung prescription to my pharmacist. I put my pharmacy details nga rin pala when I booked my appointment. I chose the pharmacy located insider our kapitbahay-grocery store Frescho para malapit lang.

Before we hang up nga pala, I asked him if he could access my file kasi may gusto akong itanong about my gallstone surgery (Yep, I have gallstones! Ang daming sakit noh?). Ang sabi nya walang access ang telehealth doctors sa ibang health records namin. Ganun pala yun.

Hay nakatapos din! The experience was not as 'dreadful' as I thought it would be pero syempre mas gusto ko pa rin ng normal face-to-face consultation. Pero baka nga ito na ang "new normal" talaga sa ngayon. But I admit na mas madali ito kung prescription refill lang ang kailangan, ang bilis eh. Walang kahassle-hassle. Very accessible din ang doctors, kahit within the day pwede.

I called on the pharmacy after and asked kung naforward na sa kanila yung prescription ko. Yes daw. I asked my husband to pick up my medicines na lang para hindi na ako lalabas. So easy!

NOTE: We actually don't pay anything for our prescription medicines. Pinapaluwalan lang namin tapos pinapa-reimburse online sa health insurance provider namin. Ia-upload lang ang receipts tapos after a few days, papasok na sa bank account namin yung reimbursement. =)

My Sugar Pouch

Meet my sugar pouch. Ang cute noh haha. My husband has been teasing me, aliw na aliw daw kasi ako sa pouch na ito.

I bought this pouch at Daiso for $2 (plus 12% tax)

You see, hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is a common yet scary effect of diabetes. In my case, there was this certain medication (Glyburide) that throws my sugar off balance. Simula nang inumin ko yun every morning after breakfast, ayun palagi na akong nanginginig sa gutom, nagpa-palpitate at pinagpapawisan. During one hypo attack, I tested and my glucose level was only 2.2 mmol/L or 39.6 mg/dl (normal must be at least 2.9 mmol/L or 70 mg/dl)! I literally ran to the refrigerator to get a regular pepsi! I was so nervous, nakakatakot sa sobrang baba. And to think na hindi pa ganun ka-severe ang pakiramdam ko noon ha (kaya nga nakapag-test pa ako). There were days na hindi na talaga ako makapag-isip nang tama at parang magko-collapse na ako.

Hence, I never leave the house now without my sugar pouch. Mas mahirap kasi kapag sa labas naabutan ng hypoglycemia, hindi laging may access sa food lalo na sa fast-acting carbs like candies and chocolates.

I always have something to eat naman dati pa sa bag ko but I just put them on the pockets, or minsan sa diaper bag ng anak ko. Ang problema, minsan nagkakadurog-durog o napipisa. Kumakalat pa sa bag. I also change bags often kaya ang hassle pa maglipat. So this pouch is the perfect solution. I like that it's transparent pa for easy viewing.

A small juice will fit pa nga in this pouch kaso ayaw ko ng beverage na hindi malamig kaya wag na lang.. 

Aside from chocolates (I wasn't able to buy candies yet), I always make sure too that I have crackers with me. Again, ang hirap kapag nasa labas at hindi ka makakain sa tamang oras. Kailangan ng pantawid-gutom.

And just today pala, I also added Twin Sugar (calorie-free sweetener) in my pouch. I realized na dapat laging ready just in case may gusto akong kainin/inumin sa labas na kailangan ng sugar, like coffee or mais con yelo.

So there, I guess I'll have a sugar pouch for the rest of my life.

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NOTE: I finally found the courage to stop taking Glyburide, since last Monday (October 9) pa. Thankfully, my numbers are still good. =)

Guilt-Free Pasta

I cheat when it comes to my diet, but I never cheated with carbs. Takot talaga ako dyan. I still eat a lot of protein because it doesn't raise my blood sugar level pero talagang maingat ako sa carbohydrates. So far, so good. My numbers are now very normal, normal for person without diabetes na nga.

Hencem I haven't eaten pasta since I got diagnosed with diabetes -- except just a few days ago because we found this nuPasta at Save-On-Foods.

Grabe ha, sobrang low calorie naman nito! Twenty-five (25) calories lang per pack! Parang too good to be true haha. (Please go to their website na lang to know why.)

And when we checked the nutrition facts, WALANG CARBS! Whooaaah!

It actually says 6g of carbs but when you deduct 6g of fiber, eh di zero na. I learned from my dietitian dati na kailangan i-deduct ang fiber (which is a type of carbohydrates) from the total carbohydrate count kasi included na yun dun. Our body can't digest fiber so it doesn't affect our blood sugar level.

This nuPasta is already precooked na nga pala. Nakababad ang pasta sa water so you have to rinse it muna bago haluan ng sauce at initin. Mukha siyang konti pero nararamihan na ako sa kanya (o dahil lang nasanay na rin akong konti kumain?). Half lang muna ang kinain ko (I put the other half in the fridge) so bale 12.5 calories lang. Guilt-free talaga.

Picture taken from nupasta.com

Yun nga lang, sagana naman sa protein lol. I deliberately put a lot of meat para nakakabusog. Dinner ko na yan so pasok pa rin sa calorie/carbs meal allowance ko (kasi may carbs din ang sauce di ba).

Taste-wise, parang medyo crunchy siyang kainin pero ok na rin. Daanin na lang sa sauce lol.

*For the sauce, I just used Del Monte Filipino Style Spaghetti Sauce, ground pork, and Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs

Aside from spaghetti, my fettuccini at angel hair variants din sila (and organic and non-organic)

I am not into pasta naman talaga pero I am glad na meron na kaming option ni hubby everytime mag-crave kami. Sadly, my husband was also diagnosed with diabetes last September (waaaah).

One pack of this pasta costs $4.29, ang mahal kung tutuusin. Pero sabi ng ni Ford: "Mahal o patay? Dun na tayo sa mahal." Ang morbid ng reasonig ng asawa ko kaloka. Pero sa totoo lang, ang pricey talagang magpaka-healthy noh?

D-Day -- August 16, 2017

Hello! Yes, I am still alive.

I just have diabetes. *sigh

I'd probably never forget August 16, 2017 (aside from it being my BFF Raxie's birthday). It was my D-day, the day I learned that I have diabetes.

Parang deja vu. Three years ago (August 2014), I was diagnosed din with gestational diabetes.
Then three months after giving birth (February 2015), pre-diabetes naman. As I have said in my previous posts, ine-expect ko na rin naman na magkaka-diabetes ako. Both my parents are diabetic at napakalaking factor talaga ang family history sa pagkakaroon ng ganitong sakit.

It's just that I am only 37 years old (38 on August 27).

I only have myself to blame for this. I abused myself. I had a very unhealthy lifestyle. Despite the "warning" of pre-diabetes, I continued to eat a lot and live a "tamad" life. Di na rin ako bumalik uli sa family doctor namin sa Edmonton para magpa-check up. If I remember it correctly, they mailed me two laboratory requisition forms and I just ignored them. Sa isip ko, saka na lang. We were so busy then with our pending move here in BC kaya hindi ko siya pinriority. Tsk. Akala ko rin kasi mga 5-10 years pa bago mag-fullblown ang diabetes ko.

I also did not listen to my body and to those symptoms that I felt -- extreme fatigue/lack of energy, weight gain, frequent urination, blurred vision, numbness in my hands, frequent infection (UTI), many "low sugar" episodes.

Kaya nasa huli talaga ang pagsisisi.

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The doctor was 'apologetic' when he told me the bad news. Diabetes is a lifelong disease so I would have to deal with it for the rest of my life. Again, I am only 37.

I honestly wasn't expecting him to tell me that I have diabetes. Ang dami dami ko ng inisip na pwedeng sakit ko because of my stomach pains, pero never nga nag-occur sa akin na diabetes ang sasabihin niya. Ang tagal ko na kasing may problema sa tummy. Almost two decades na siguro.

Kaya nung sinabi niya sa akin na, "I am sorry but you have diabetes," ang unang pumasok talaga sa isip ko ay "hay, buti hindi cancer."

Later na lang nagsink-in sa akin na ang hirap hirap magka-diabetes, forever na talaga ito.

After texting my husband, who of course was shocked as well, I cried. Umiyak ako dahil sa regrets. Umiyak ako dahil nga panghabambuhay ko ng dadalhin ang sakit na ito. Umiyak ako dahil siguradong nabawasan na ang buhay ko (kawawa naman ang asawa at anak ko). Umiyak ako para sa mga pagkaing di ko na pwedeng kainin. Umiyak ako para sa malaking pagbabagong ito sa buhay ko/namin.

After wallowing for just a few minutes, I calmed myself. Ayoko ng mag-dwell sa negative. Inisip ko na lang na hindi pa naman katapusan ng mundo. Hindi lang naman ako ang may diabetes. In fact, one niece of mine (daughter of my first cousin who is also diabetic) was also diagnosed last month, and she's only 29. We also have one employee in the Philippines who is the same age as me who has it. Manual pa ang trabaho nun ha, kaya sagana sa "exercise."

Ang sabi ko na lang sa sarili ko, it's about time na rin naman na baguhin ko ang lifestyle at eating habits ko. At saka gusto ko ring pumayat kahit papano.

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So here I am today, feeling a little bit better than week ago. I've been instructed by my doctor to test my blood sugar every morning (after I wake up). He also prescribed Metformin and Glyburide for me to take. My numbers are good so far, kasi talagang on low carb diet na ako.

It isn't easy. Everyday is a struggle to get better. Ang daming adjustments and challenges. Pero sige lang, kakayanin.

I still have an ultrasound on September 9. I can feel na may ibang problema pa ako other than diabetes because my stomach is still not well. Sana naman hindi grabe. =(

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D-Day = Diabetes Diagnostic Day

Gestational Diabetes Session @ Misericordia Hospital

August 20, 2014 (Wednesday). Ford dropped me off at Misericordia Hospital - Mother Rosalie Building at around 7:30am for my "Gestational Diabetes Class."

The Reception for Diabetes Education Center was still closed. I was asked to come at 8am and I didn't want to be late (I'm always punctual in appointments). I also didn't want my husband to be late for work.

I waited on this 'lobby' nervously. Who wouldn't?

I've been surrounded by so many informational materials on diabetes. I was already disinterested. I've already done my homework on diabetes since last year, when we rushed my mother to the hospital due to very high blood sugar. My mother has been on insulin since then.

A little after 8am, I was called by a nurse for weighing and some additional personal information. I was told that there will be eight of us in the "Gestational Diabetes Class." They don't usually have that many in a class, she added. I felt a bit of relief. Misery indeed loves company.

After asking me several questions, the nurse instructed me to go to the restroom and wash my hands as we will be doing some finger pricking later on.

When all the eight girls have been weighed and interviewed, we were finally directed to the "class room."

Yung mga box agad ng glucometer ang bumulaga sa amin! Nangingig ako. Takot talaga akong magtusok. The good thing though is that the glucometers were given to us for free (ito talaga ang maganda dito sa Canada). We were asked though if we have extended health insurance. Only one out of eight has none and she was given a different brand. I have no idea why. Could it be that the test strips of that brand are cheaper?

Nurse Kristy started the session by giving us some handouts and explaining to us what Gestational Diabetes means. Of course we already knew that. Lahat naman kami nagbasa na online.

Now the most dreadful part was the pricking. As usual, pumalpak ako. We pricked twice and in those two times I failed to put enough blood on the strip. I wasted two strips tuloy.

Pricking though was not that bad. Medyo masakit syempre pero tolerable naman.

By the way, my numbers were 4.4 mmol/l and 4.7 mmol/l. Very normal, yebaah!

We were instructed to do a 6-times-a-day pricking for two days before meeting with the Specialist the following week.

After the nurse, it was the dietitian Benedikte's turn to talk about diet and meal plans. She's given us several reading materials as well.

As expected, most of the foods she's discussed were not applicable to my food preference. I really wished we had a one-on-one session with her. Oh well, magsasariling-sikap na naman ako.

A med tech from the laboratory also came to test our blood sugar kaya tinusok pa rin kami sa braso. They wanted to check the consistency of results to that of glucometer's. Para daw accurate. I was thankful kasi Pinay uli ang med tech. So far, wala pang med tech na kumuha sa akin ng dugo na hindi Filipino. I feel comfortable with them eh.

After the class, we proceeded to the Reception again to get an appointment with the Specialist. I am scheduled on August 28 (Thursday) at 1:30pm.