St. Lukes Medical

[Dakine 26]

I did the same for my wife, but no need for anak, she was not required to under go a medical or interview. As cheap as it is to have complete exam in the PI it's a smart idea!

When they took the first medical they discovered my anak had primary complex TB and was treated for it and cured before the St. Lukes medical. St. Lukes did xray her [2 times] and she was cleared.

Also they did St. Lukes 1 1/2 months before the embassy interview just in case there were problems.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Dakine

[sjr09 155]

When they took the first medical they discovered my anak had primary complex TB and was treated for it and cured before the St. Lukes medical. St. Lukes did xray her [2 times] and she was cleared.

Also they did St. Lukes 1 1/2 months before the embassy interview just in case there were problems.

When you say “primary complex TB” was it Latent TB infection (dormant ) or Active TB?

[Dakine 26]

When you say “primary complex TB” was it Latent TB infection (dormant ) or Active TB?

I'm not sure but she took medicine for about 6 months to cure it.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Dakine

[sjr09 155]

I'm not sure but she took medicine for about 6 months to cure it.

Ok if the mother and or others in contact did not have to take medicine, more then likely latent meaning not contagious (that‘s good) ether way you have to go on med’s.

[DaleandPat 0]

My Fiancee had her medicals the last 2 days. She reported back this morning and was told she has to have the Sputum test which will be next week on 12th,13th,14th. They found slight scarring on one of her lungs. She told me that the majority of the women that were there with her had the same results. What is the procedure for extracting this culture from the lungs?

This is a small set back as her interview was on the 14th of next week. I assume that St. Lukes will cancel this appointment as they stated that if the culture is okay in 8 weeks they will reschedule her interview in March. I just pray that all is okay and when they make new interview appointment that I can bring her across by May 2010. Just not sure how long between the time she is cleared and actual interview appointment will be!

Will she need to have new Cenomar and Philippine police clearance updated when she makes interview? She just got all this in early Dec 09.

Good luck to your fiancee on the sputum test. My fiancee had the sputum test done, because of lung scaring. It was negative after 3 days, but she still had to wait for the 8 weeks. t was still negative after 8 weeks and was able to come to the USA. She did have the vaccination some years ago, but they still want to run the test to make sure. The St Lukes Center did cancel the original interview with the US Embassy, but if they do not get the paperwork from St Lukes no interview can be conducted. At the end of the 8 weeks Pat went in for the evaluation and with the negative result St Lukes scheduled the US Embassy interview appointment.

God bless,

Dale and Pat

[Glynn & Jean 5]

Good luck to your fiancee on the sputum test. My fiancee had the sputum test done, because of lung scaring. It was negative after 3 days, but she still had to wait for the 8 weeks. t was still negative after 8 weeks and was able to come to the USA. She did have the vaccination some years ago, but they still want to run the test to make sure. The St Lukes Center did cancel the original interview with the US Embassy, but if they do not get the paperwork from St Lukes no interview can be conducted. At the end of the 8 weeks Pat went in for the evaluation and with the negative result St Lukes scheduled the US Embassy interview appointment.

God bless,

Dale and Pat

Thank you for the information. She has went to her Doctor and they started today the 3 day sputum test, the results will be available monday and she will take x-rays then also. I know this does no good for St. Lukes and we still have the same 8 week wait but atleast she will have peace of mind if all is okay. Next week on the 12th,13th,14th she will do the Sputum test at St. Lukes.

When St. Lukes does reschedule the interview, What is the time span between them actually doing it and then having the interview itself? Would it be within 1 month of her being cleared from St. Lukes that she would have interivew?

[Juan de la Cruz 0]

My wife is also waiting for the result of her sputum test and she won't know it till January 25th. I hope everything will be fine.

[donpobre 0]

Thank you for the information. She has went to her Doctor and they started today the 3 day sputum test, the results will be available monday and she will take x-rays then also. I know this does no good for St. Lukes and we still have the same 8 week wait but atleast she will have peace of mind if all is okay. Next week on the 12th,13th,14th she will do the Sputum test at St. Lukes.

When St. Lukes does reschedule the interview, What is the time span between them actually doing it and then having the interview itself? Would it be within 1 month of her being cleared from St. Lukes that she would have interivew?

@future asawa:

My parents undergo sputum test last Ctober 15,2009 and was cleared by December 15,2009.St.Lukes reschedule them for interview

December 21,2009.Interview done and now waitng for departure come Jan.22,2010.

To answer your query, A week after the sputum result.

Hope it helps.

[Glynn & Jean 5]

@future asawa:

My parents undergo sputum test last Ctober 15,2009 and was cleared by December 15,2009.St.Lukes reschedule them for interview

December 21,2009.Interview done and now waitng for departure come Jan.22,2010.

To answer your query, A week after the sputum result.

Hope it helps.

Thanks, This is good news!

[EricN 0]

I don't want to sound like a downer, but please be prepared in your mind for the worst...we were in a very similar situation. If they do decide to put her through the process, my best advice is to have her get to know 3 or 4 others that are also recent victims and let them all "Graduate" together. My wife now has 4 "Colleagues" and they are able to celebrate birthdays together, go to the mall together and eat a mid-day snack each day together. Because all 5 are from "the province" they have been able to take weekend tours of some of the sites on Luzon that they otherwise would never have had the opportunity to visit (Bagio, Ilocos Norte, etc.).

OK here you go on our experience...we are just finishing the process.

Last May, after a record fast paper processing my wife showed a slight shadow on her XRAY during her general exam. Never had TB before and never had a questionable xray in the past. BUT that does not matter. They did the spetum test and 5 weeks later they claimed that her first of 3 samples indicated that it could be considered positive, although not postive. We were never given the results of the 2nd and 3rd tests even after repeated requests. My wife was ordered to undergo 6 months of daily medicine treatment at St. Lukes (starting mid-June). In the end she will have to repeat the General Exam which obviously, creates more work and jobs and money for St. Lukes and the US Embassy Manila.

So she had to quickly pack her and her daughter things together and move to Manila from her home with her family in Mindanao. Along with her went an Aunt to help watch her daughter.

Meanwhile we had her family that lived with her and her daughter all checked for TB. ALL were negative on skin tests. I too was tested (most reliable method Blood Test) and was negative. Doesn't matter, but just helps us realize she is probably negative as well.

After 6 months and thousands of dollars spent on rent, travel etc., she is finally finished with her treatment (mid-December). However, the final spetum that was taken during the 5th month of treatment (ALL SPETUM EXAMS HAVE BEEN NEGATIVE since that first questionable result) will not be finished until the 7th month of the process (late January).

Late January she will have the repeat GENERAL EXAM including xrays and vaccinations. Soon after that they will hopefully give priority scheduling for an interview at the US Embassy. Regarding the embassy interview, we are being told to provide an updated Marriage Certificate, NBI, and Affidavit of Support. Well she is going to to ahead and get the Marriage Cert and NBI Clearances because they are easy to get, but the AOS states on the instructions that it is valid for 1 year from the date signed (March 13th for us) so I am not redoing it...I am going to send the 2009 Tax Return infor because it was not available when I did the AOS last year.

I went to an Infectious Disease doctor here for my testing. He is from the Philippines and told me that every time he or his children go back for a visit, when they return everyone is tested for TB becuase it is that common. He also told me that the full treatment really only takes 2 months but that policy is not used by St. Lukes. The "Gold" blood test is also the most accurate and quick test to determine TB infection. It only takes a day and not weeks to determine the results. It costs more than the spetum bacterial growth method.

More Questions... Just Ask, we just finished the treatement are awaiting the exam and interview so all of this is fresh in our minds.

EnE

[Glynn & Jean 5]

I don't want to sound like a downer, but please be prepared in your mind for the worst...we were in a very similar situation. If they do decide to put her through the process, my best advice is to have her get to know 3 or 4 others that are also recent victims and let them all "Graduate" together. My wife now has 4 "Colleagues" and they are able to celebrate birthdays together, go to the mall together and eat a mid-day snack each day together. Because all 5 are from "the province" they have been able to take weekend tours of some of the sites on Luzon that they otherwise would never have had the opportunity to visit (Bagio, Ilocos Norte, etc.).

OK here you go on our experience...we are just finishing the process.

Last May, after a record fast paper processing my wife showed a slight shadow on her XRAY during her general exam. Never had TB before and never had a questionable xray in the past. BUT that does not matter. They did the spetum test and 5 weeks later they claimed that her first of 3 samples indicated that it could be considered positive, although not postive. We were never given the results of the 2nd and 3rd tests even after repeated requests. My wife was ordered to undergo 6 months of daily medicine treatment at St. Lukes (starting mid-June). In the end she will have to repeat the General Exam which obviously, creates more work and jobs and money for St. Lukes and the US Embassy Manila.

So she had to quickly pack her and her daughter things together and move to Manila from her home with her family in Mindanao. Along with her went an Aunt to help watch her daughter.

Meanwhile we had her family that lived with her and her daughter all checked for TB. ALL were negative on skin tests. I too was tested (most reliable method Blood Test) and was negative. Doesn't matter, but just helps us realize she is probably negative as well.

After 6 months and thousands of dollars spent on rent, travel etc., she is finally finished with her treatment (mid-December). However, the final spetum that was taken during the 5th month of treatment (ALL SPETUM EXAMS HAVE BEEN NEGATIVE since that first questionable result) will not be finished until the 7th month of the process (late January).

Late January she will have the repeat GENERAL EXAM including xrays and vaccinations. Soon after that they will hopefully give priority scheduling for an interview at the US Embassy. Regarding the embassy interview, we are being told to provide an updated Marriage Certificate, NBI, and Affidavit of Support. Well she is going to to ahead and get the Marriage Cert and NBI Clearances because they are easy to get, but the AOS states on the instructions that it is valid for 1 year from the date signed (March 13th for us) so I am not redoing it...I am going to send the 2009 Tax Return infor because it was not available when I did the AOS last year.

I went to an Infectious Disease doctor here for my testing. He is from the Philippines and told me that every time he or his children go back for a visit, when they return everyone is tested for TB becuase it is that common. He also told me that the full treatment really only takes 2 months but that policy is not used by St. Lukes. The "Gold" blood test is also the most accurate and quick test to determine TB infection. It only takes a day and not weeks to determine the results. It costs more than the spetum bacterial growth method.

More Questions... Just Ask, we just finished the treatement are awaiting the exam and interview so all of this is fresh in our minds.

EnE

Thanks for the reply. Alot of usefull information and what can be expected. All we can do is hope and pray that all will be okay and not have longer delay. My finacee has finsihed her sputum test with the dr. at home and will have the resuls and x-ray's today. Hopefully she will have a peice of mind. She flys back into Manila today and will go to St lukes the next 3 days for thier Sputum test. All we can hope for is the best and be prepared for the worst.

Good luck to you and your finacee, I pray that all works out for you both!

[billordiway 0]

Hello Group, My wife just recieved her results and 2 out of 3 show positive and they told her to move to Manila and start her 6 mos treatment, I woud like to ask if there is another member here that has a wife or GF that is in Manila for the same that needs a roommate.

Thank You,

Bill

[Glynn & Jean 5]

Hello Group, My wife just recieved her results and 2 out of 3 show positive and they told her to move to Manila and start her 6 mos treatment, I woud like to ask if there is another member here that has a wife or GF that is in Manila for the same that needs a roommate.

Thank You,

Bill

My finacee is at St Lukes now for the Sputum test which is her 1st day of testing. If we find out that she is positive I will let you know for I am sure that she would like to have a roommate while under going the treatment if this turns out for the worst.

[fox fox 5]

when my fiance went through the xray process, the staff claimed that she had a scar on her lungs. she reported back some time later for a sputum test. the test came out negative, yet they required her to have a culture test done, which takes 2 months for the results.

now this is what I don't understand.....whether or not the sputum test is negative or positive, why don't hey just administer the culture test when the xray results show lung scarring???? , because the way "I" see it.......it didnt' matter if the sputum test was negative or positive. The staff was going to have us wait 2 months for a stupid culture test, which actually did come out negative. I don't understand why this st.lukes clinic needs to waste a couple's time.

anyone else go through the same thing and just be puzzled over St.Luke's procedures????

[EricN 0]

when my fiance went through the xray process, the staff claimed that she had a scar on her lungs. she reported back some time later for a sputum test. the test came out negative, yet they required her to have a culture test done, which takes 2 months for the results.

now this is what I don't understand.....whether or not the sputum test is negative or positive, why don't hey just administer the culture test when the xray results show lung scarring???? , because the way "I" see it.......it didnt' matter if the sputum test was negative or positive. The staff was going to have us wait 2 months for a stupid culture test, which actually did come out negative. I don't understand why this st.lukes clinic needs to waste a couple's time.

anyone else go through the same thing and just be puzzled over St.Luke's procedures????

Yes I remember this process. Yes it is confusing. My wife was negative on the quick 2-3 day spetum result but positive on the culture. She is done now and next week will have her General Exam/Check-Up again. Wow that was 8 months ago the last time she had her General Exam. Now we get to pay that 10,000pesos again!!