Suggestion Best Posts in Thread: Malignant ovarian cancer

I too have these thoughts about my in laws and have said time and time and time again to my wife, that if I dont go 1st, I am not going to waste necessary funds that I will need for our two kids in the years ahead (I'm not a religious person), if you spend a lot of what you have now trying to keep and old person alive using what funds you have saved for your future, what are you going to do yourself when your worries came facts, this is no country to be walking past a bank and not being able to walk in, sure I have bought some medicines in the past and will of course again, but big big spends on in laws hospital stays and operations is a no no no (if hospitals or doctors see who is doing the paying, then be sure they will try to suck you dry)my wife and I have had several discussions/arguments about this, but as the years go by and she begins to see the things that us foreigners see and feel that is different in our cultures she too comments now on things before I do.

I guess what im saying in this tough tough time for you, not being so free with your money is not necessarily being greedy, I think that you are being very practical about it.

 

Yes, parents are covered by children's policy. Personally, it is not a good idea for her to undergo anything drastic such as chemotherapy or surgery. She's 80 years old and should not be made to go through such dangerous methods. I would suggest alternative medicine for her. Surgery and chemotherapy will only make her condition worse.

 

I am very sorry to read of your mother-in-law's illness and the concern it obviously is causing her family.

I am not aware of the Z package benefits of Philhealth by person experience but found this
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/49624-philhealth-z-benefit-package-faq

This states that the Z benefit is for the most serious cases but the chart shown there does not include ovarian cancer. It seems someone needs to visit a Philhealth office and ask about it. There may be another level of benefit available within the spectrum. ("PhilHealth classifies disease conditions from type A (the simplest and cheapest) to type D (the more severe and costly). Conditions under type Z, the farthest end of the spectrum, are cases "perceived as economically and medically catastrophic" due to the seriousness of the case.")

One thing I have had experience of is Holy Child Hospital and I do rate it highly.

I am sure you have read about ovarian cancer and I found https://www.cancer.org/cancer/ovarian-cancer/about/what-is-ovarian-cancer.html to be a useful source. It does state that the type of cell from which the cancer originates is a big factor in the outcome, as also is the degree of spread which has already taken place. Survival rates for 5 years can be as high as 98% but, of course, are lower in some situations.

I wish I could be of more help but I think talking direct to Philhealth is essential and we then hope the cancer can be controlled and the outcome is positive for your mother-in-law.

Best wishes.

 

Hello.

Other than PhilHealth, there are ways to get financial help for her so you don’t have to slog through those bills solo.
You can get help from the Congressional medical aid from the district where she is from. The Governors office also dole out financial help for their constituents. Then there is the City Mayor, the councilors and the Provincial Board Members. Just show your hospitalization bill, pharmacy receipts, and a certification from a social worker that she is an indigent or something.
I have a friend who was in the hospital recently and the wife was able to get financial aid from one of the city councilors and it was Php 60,000 so quite substantial. She was able to get that much because she was a “supporter.” Every bit helps.

 

As I like to say garbage in, garbage out. Medicine isn't an exact science, that said, who is in a better position to explain and estimate the costs that certain actions might have than the doctor and the hospital. I'm not really getting that kind of information. For example, what is the life expectancy with and without the surgery? What stage of cancer is it? Either the questions aren't being asked or they aren't being answered. It took them three days to get a CT scan read because it was over the weekend. What if this was life threatening, like a bad car accident. Would the patient and doctor just sit there for 3 days waiting on the CT. In my case, the doctor was suggesting ovarian cancer, now the CT scan comes back 3 days later and the radiologist says it's a dermoid cyst. It will still require surgery, but no chemo. This assumes that the operation doesn't find any, because one can lead to another, so cancer isn't off the table yet, but prognosis is better. What about a biopsy to verify the cancer hypothesis?
Now let's move on to the next road block. They hire a surgeon to come in once a month to do these types of surgeries, so they want to do it on 3/10 or we need to move her to Cebu to get the operation sooner. She is in a lot of pain and this thing is growing bigger by the day. I hope I'm never in Dumaguete and have a serious issue requiring surgery. Most doctors don't want to operate unless the patient is strong. She is in the hospital because she wasn't feeling well. She has a low red blood cell count so the first hurtle was finding 2 units of blood while they tried to figure things out. Oh, geez the blood bank only has one. There maybe also be some infection. All the while the bill ticks up. The majority of the bill so far is the hospital room and the pharmacy and clocking in at 45,000 php, so not much done and already have a nice start.
I'm currently working and not on a fixed income so I can recover as long as things don't get too far out of hand. The biggest problem is there really isn't good information to make a decision on. Every day there is some new change in direction and at some point you start thinking I'm half way in this thing why stop now, but are you really half way in??
Now the last thing to vent on. The insurance (PhilHealth in this case) in the Philippines. Do they have it? What does it cover? How do you use it? Now the kicker, my wife's brother has PhilHealth and has his mother and his daughter on the policy. Guess what? The f'ing employer is taking insurance out of his wages and not paying PhilHealth. They need to start putting some pressure on employers so they stop coming up with creative ways to pad their pockets and screw their employees.
Thanks.

 

I can't really say much about her state of mind other than she fears the hospital so her first inclination was to go home when she thought it was cancer. Either she changed her mind or a family member convinced her to get the surgery. The new diagnosis may have also played a role. Last but not least, there is the will to live. It's easy to say, just let me die, but when that times come, I don't think we really know which path we will take. Thanks.

 

Is she 60 or above 60? If she is, then she automatically is covered by Philhealth----she will enjoy huge discounts on all medical services. Make sure to get her ID made at the Seniors' Citizens Office right near the SUMC or Medical Center. It is on the corner of the street outside of SUMC.

 

Would you be so practical if it was your mother or dad in a similar situation? If yes, then at least you are consistent. If no, then things get more interesting. Not saying your choice is wrong because we all have different situations and different reasons for why we do what we do, just curious why you would treat your parents differently if presented with the same challenge.