Diabetes

Dear insansapinas,
A few days ago, my friend called me to ask how to bring a deceased back to the Philippines. He died while the ship was in US territorial waters. He was her brother-in-law, a seaman. I advised her to cooordinate with the shipping agency because he died while on duty.


He died of kidney failure due to complications of diabetes after being in a coma for three days. He was not aware that he was diabetic. They have no relatives in that state where he was brought in the emergency ward of a hospital. 

Even i was not aware that I was diabetic not until I lost consciousness when I was all alone in my home. When I woke up, I was shivering. No amount of heat can stop me from shaking and feeling cold.

The following night, again, I fell inside the bathroom. I was lucky that my head fell outside the toilet where there was a heavy carpet.
I called up my friend when I regained consciousness. For how long i was knocked out, I did not know. I did not even know where I was. Early morning, I was brought to the doctor by a friend. My blood sugar was 400 up. She was amazed that I was still standing up and she said that I got a lucky angel  when I did not fall into coma when I lost consciousness not once but twice. Masama ngang damo eh.


Yesterday, my friend rung me up again. Her husband is already in the Philippines waiting for the casket. The agency took care of the hospitalization and the shipment of the body which ETA is going to be this Sunday. With him are his parents who flew in from Canada. His siblings also arrived from other parts of the world for the burial of the eldest son.


His parents are permanent residents of Canada.


She said that the family needed Php 1.5 million, not for the burial expenses but for the mother who suffered from cardiac arrest. The mother is also diabetic and was found to have clogged arteries. She needed a by-pass. The stress in the travel and the anticipation for the arrival of a dead son must have taken its toll. She is now  confined in St. Luke's.


I advised my friend  to consult the medicare coverage of the mother-in-law in Canada. She is elderly and is covered by government health insurance. Here in the US, if the medicare patient travels outside the United States, the hospitalization is paid by the medicare as long as the person remains a US resident. Those who chose to live permanently outside US no longer enjoy the medicare coverage.


Last night, she called again. They still need the money although they can claim for reimbursement later from the medicare. The old woman was stressed and dehydrated due to hot weather in the Philippines.


My friend-doctor in the Philippines wrote that the heat in the Philippines can kill diabetic and hypertensive patients especially if you come from a country with cold climate.


Pinaysaamerika