i have just returned from a neuro appointment.

when i lived in canada, thanks to taxes and the health system, all my appointments and the majority of my anti-convulsants were paid for. the pharmacists used to grimace as they filled my prescriptions, and apologise that i had to pay an extra $30CAN to cover the costs.

what a rude awakening to come to hong kong, where i had no medical assistance that covered "neurological assessments", not to mention the crippling costly meds. (looking back, it was good preparation for IVF and infertility). over here, a neurologists appointment cost $800, which is over $100USD. a four month supply of drugs was at least $2000, or about $250usd. could i try changing drugs? i have, a few times, before getting married (these drugs cause me to gain weight and i wanted to be thin and beautiful on my wedding day) and when magnificent and i started TTC (these anticonvulsants increase chances of spina bifida and cleft palate and club feet by about 30 per cent). i have tried alternative drugs less harmful to my liver, metabolism and potential children, but they weren’t as effective. i reasoned it was best to be on a drug that worked for me and stayed on this valproate.

soo, after seven years or so of financially draining neuro appointments, i managed a wonderful thing: to get an appointment with the queen mary hospital system. i had been trying to get on the queen mary system FOR YEARS. however, it is difficult, because you have to be referred to the queen mary system, and only doctors working within the hospital system can refer you. and there is no general clinic where you can go to get a referral. see how tricky it is? but when i got pregnant with the triplets, i was referred to the HIGH RISK CLINIC at the queen mary. (loophole!!! i could get referred to the queen mary high risk clinic by an outside doctor because the government hospital, the queen mary, has the only high risk unit in the city…does that make sense?)

a lightbulb went off in my head, and a devious smile across my face.

at virtually my first appointment i said to the doctor, "umm, would it be possible to get a referral to the neurologist here?"

she clicked away at the computer and DONE, i had an appointment for four months time. whee!

why the exaultation from a woman who could barely control her bladder ?

the government clinics have a set rate. they charge $60 per visit, (about $8USD) and an additional $20 (not even $4USD) for drugs. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY I WOULD BE SAVING?

(i admit to being a frugal person.)

let me tell you, because i worked it out: in a year, i would be saving about $1000USD. that was almost a flight to vancouver!

i loved the local health system!

admittedly, there are a few blips, which turn many people off the system.

when you arrive for your appointment, you first have to pay for your visit on the first floor. the lineup is usually about 20 deep, but moves quickly. there are sick people in the lineup, and lots of spitting into hankies and prolonged clearing of throats, etc. and another irritant: queueing is not something that most appointees excel at. queue jumping however, is an art. just today, i was in the lineup waiting, when it snaked forward a little, and i didn’t notice. i was deep in a book (the road to nab end…taking a book is essential to these appointments) and suddenly the lady behind me started easing infront of me.

as a virgin in the local hospital system, this might have thrown me, and i would have meekly allowed the lady to take my place. but these days, i don’t think so.

without lifting my eyes off the page, i shot out one arm (mercifully not holding a diaper bag, otherwise this would have been impossible), therefore blocking her pathetic attempt to sidle infront of me. she hissed, but wasn’t too upset.

so i paid my $60 (HA HA, $60!!), whew! first trial over. the next was the elevator.

the "epilepsy clinic" is on the seventh floor of the hospital. positioning is impararive when you get on these very narrow and deep elevators. after months of observation and practice i can tell you:

the best location for getting off first (that’s what it is all about in asia), is in front, on the side of the elevator that opens up first.

if you can’t obtain this position, don’t make the mistake of taking the other front corner.

today, there was a person in a wheelchair getting on the elevator the same time as i was, and although i am competitive and dreadful, i do have some compassion. cursing my fellow riders for their lack of the aforementioned, i manouevered the person into the elevator, then stood behind them.

someone else had pressed the seventh floor button. someone had an appointment time the same time as me. i might have had to wait until their appointment was over if they got in line at the clinic ahead of me. THAT MUST NOT HAPPEN.

so, i surreptitiously pressed 6. when the elevator reached the sixth floor, i said, "excuse me" and walked off, turned a sharp right to the staircase and ran up one flight of stairs. i reached the seventh floor just before the elevator and raced into the clinic lineup.

(another tact i might have employed had there been other people getting off on the sixth, would have been to head to the front of the elevator, and stop before getting out. (this puts you in prime position).)

now, there may be raised eyebrows at why tess was so manic about being first in line, and i don’t blame you. read why, and then tell me you wouldn’t do the same: say the clinic opens at 2pm. the clinic gives 15 people appointments for 2pm. then 8 more get appointments for 2.15pm, another 8 for 2.30pm, and another 8 for every 15 minute segment until one hour before the clinic is meant to close. there are maybe three, more likely two doctors.

obviously, they do not see anywhere near 15 people in the first 15 minutes. at 3pm, you still have people whose appointment was at 2pm that need to be seen. you have to come at the time of your appointment, because they go in order of arrival, yet you cannot see a doctor before all the people in the time frame’s prior to you have been seen. so, when you are in the elevator with three other people who are getting out at the same floor you are, you want to be first. otherwise, you might be waiting for another 30 minutes.

(and yes, the same rules and attitudes apply to the government oby/gyn clinics. add the collective desire NOT to wait to the hormones and you have some pretty  serious battles in the quest to be first).

i sat, and waited. bought a bottle of water, and waited. my appointment was for 2.30pm, i arrived at 2.15, and waited. got up, did wees, waited. mentally thanked father in law for bringing me good book. mentally thanked magnificent charles for recommending nab end to his father as a book i might enjoy. waited, waited waited.

and finally at 4.15, the doctor called …"teresa…room 22". bang i was up and in there so swfitly i heard my own voice coming over the PA system which the doctor hadn’t had time to turn off.

"hihowareyou".

getting right down to business, the dr said,
"any fits"

which is very un-pc in canada but apparently acceptable here. and as i am paying less than $8usd for the appointment i am not going to argue.

"no".

"you seem to be doing well"

"thankyou"

and then he said the magic words

"i don’t need to see you as often"

"excellent."

"i am going to give you a prescription and you need to get your liver levels checked in two months time, but i don’t need to see you for six months."

SIX MONTHS.

i have been seeing this little pup every six weeks! and now, six months! this is very very good news. i will not get nearly as much reading accomplished, but i am uncaring.

i nearly kissed his pre-pubescent face, but grabbed the rx instead and raced out of the room before he could change his mind.

back to the first floor, queue in the line i was in earlier to pay for my prescription, and take the rx and queue in the line to hand my prescription in. again, much shuffling and attempts to jump the queue, but no one was successful.

most people then have to wait about while their prescription gets filled, but i am not one of those. i simply handed it to the lady, and she gave me my number, 487. i checked the board, they had only filled to 414. definitely not a good situation. so i came home, and will collect the prescription later on. sebastian loves a walk to the hospital and racing around the pharmacy area. it will be a little treat for him.

government hospitals are slow, bring out our competitive and narky natures, but really, are excellent. and cheap. i hate going to appointments, but at $8usd per appointment, i can tolerate it. especially when i am only going in every six months. yay!