Is anyone here will undergo sputum exam starting tomorrow March 13?

[maim3 5]

Until now i'm devastated with the result of my medical exam last week. Since i got the result saying i need to undergo sputum exam, i haven't sleep well until now. I feel paranoid and nervous. What makes me feel more upset is i need to go to St. Luke's everyday for 3 consecutive days as early as 6am... halleeerrrr i'm almost 7 months pregnant na! I'm living in Bulacan and i need to commute as early as 3am just to be on time. Unfortunately, they didn't honor my previous x-ray plates from Lung Center of the Philippines because they said they are following the international rules and Lung Center of the Philippines doesn't. And aside from that, by the time i got the result probably i already give birth. I need to process my new daughter's CRBA and that will consume more time!

This whole process is stressing me out! i really wish i wont have a pre mature labor because of this hardships.

My doctor friends are telling me that sputum culture result can be released in 2 weeks and in some medical websites they say it can be done in 4-6 weeks. And i guess they are right because as i've read in some posts here, St. Luke's can call earlier for positive results, it only means they have the result in less than 8 weeks. So why we need to wait for 8 weeks for the result? Can we call them as early as 4-6 weeks to get our result?

i really need to give birth in the U.S. My fiance is USAF and i need to be his dependent before i give birth so that that USAF will shoulder all my hospital expenses. He cannot afford anymore to pay my hospital expenses here plus the CRBA fees plus 4 plane tickets (for him, me, my 1st daughter and our new daughter).

I am so stressed!

[ruseter 4]

Until now i'm devastated with the result of my medical exam last week. Since i got the result saying i need to undergo sputum exam, i haven't sleep well until now. I feel paranoid and nervous. What makes me feel more upset is i need to go to St. Luke's everyday for 3 consecutive days as early as 6am... halleeerrrr i'm almost 7 months pregnant na! I'm living in Bulacan and i need to commute as early as 3am just to be on time. Unfortunately, they didn't honor my previous x-ray plates from Lung Center of the Philippines because they said they are following the international rules and Lung Center of the Philippines doesn't. And aside from that, by the time i got the result probably i already give birth. I need to process my new daughter's CRBA and that will consume more time!

This whole process is stressing me out! i really wish i wont have a pre mature labor because of this hardships.

My doctor friends are telling me that sputum culture result can be released in 2 weeks and in some medical websites they say it can be done in 4-6 weeks. And i guess they are right because as i've read in some posts here, St. Luke's can call earlier for positive results, it only means they have the result in less than 8 weeks. So why we need to wait for 8 weeks for the result? Can we call them as early as 4-6 weeks to get our result?

i really need to give birth in the U.S. My fiance is USAF and i need to be his dependent before i give birth so that that USAF will shoulder all my hospital expenses. He cannot afford anymore to pay my hospital expenses here plus the CRBA fees plus 4 plane tickets (for him, me, my 1st daughter and our new daughter).

I am so stressed!

why is it that you will undergo sputum test? do you have any history of TB ? i will be on medical next week ...

[maim3 5]

why is it that you will undergo sputum test? do you have any history of TB ? i will be on medical next week ...

Yes i was treated way back 1997 and i already have scar. I even passed the medical exam for my scholarship of my Masteral in Japan through JICA.

St. Lukes didn't honor all my previous xray plates (i have that yearly for our annual physical exam in the office) because they say they are the only hospital who follows international rules.

It only means that if u have scar, automatically you will undego the sputum culture and wait for another 2 months for the result!

[RandR333 9]

Until now i'm devastated with the result of my medical exam last week. Since i got the result saying i need to undergo sputum exam, i haven't sleep well until now. I feel paranoid and nervous. What makes me feel more upset is i need to go to St. Luke's everyday for 3 consecutive days as early as 6am... halleeerrrr i'm almost 7 months pregnant na! I'm living in Bulacan and i need to commute as early as 3am just to be on time. Unfortunately, they didn't honor my previous x-ray plates from Lung Center of the Philippines because they said they are following the international rules and Lung Center of the Philippines doesn't. And aside from that, by the time i got the result probably i already give birth. I need to process my new daughter's CRBA and that will consume more time!

This whole process is stressing me out! i really wish i wont have a pre mature labor because of this hardships.

My doctor friends are telling me that sputum culture result can be released in 2 weeks and in some medical websites they say it can be done in 4-6 weeks. And i guess they are right because as i've read in some posts here, St. Luke's can call earlier for positive results, it only means they have the result in less than 8 weeks. So why we need to wait for 8 weeks for the result? Can we call them as early as 4-6 weeks to get our result?

i really need to give birth in the U.S. My fiance is USAF and i need to be his dependent before i give birth so that that USAF will shoulder all my hospital expenses. He cannot afford anymore to pay my hospital expenses here plus the CRBA fees plus 4 plane tickets (for him, me, my 1st daughter and our new daughter).

I am so stressed!

You just have to accept that you are in for the 3 day sputum then waiting for the 2 month culture, unless you are positive then they will notify you before 2 months. Start planning for it now because there is no way around it, we are going through it now and I went to St Lukes with my wife to talk to them about all the "what if's" and "how about if's" - they aren't buying it. No choice but to follow procedure, just hope you aren't positive after 2 months because the only place for the accepted treatment is in Manila for 6 more months. So really there is no choice but to plan for birth in Philippines.

[maim3 5]

You just have to accept that you are in for the 3 day sputum then waiting for the 2 month culture, unless you are positive then they will notify you before 2 months. Start planning for it now because there is no way around it, we are going through it now and I went to St Lukes with my wife to talk to them about all the "what if's" and "how about if's" - they aren't buying it. No choice but to follow procedure, just hope you aren't positive after 2 months because the only place for the accepted treatment is in Manila for 6 more months. So really there is no choice but to plan for birth in Philippines.

did u try calling them today for the result? you're approx. 7 weeks waiting..

[RandR333 9]

did u try calling them today for the result? you're approx. 7 weeks waiting..

No, we haven't tried to call because it is a 2 month culture which means even if it isn't positive today, it could be tomorrow. That and the doctors won't process the paperwork until the 2 months is complete. The waiting has been hard because we know she is negative, unfortunately, we aren't the ones in control.

Actually, I think I read about someone calling 2 or 3 days ahead, but we are still about 10 days away.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Robert and Ramona

[maim3 5]

No, we haven't tried to call because it is a 2 month culture which means even if it isn't positive today, it could be tomorrow. That and the doctors won't process the paperwork until the 2 months is complete. The waiting has been hard because we know she is negative, unfortunately, we aren't the ones in control.

Actually, I think I read about someone calling 2 or 3 days ahead, but we are still about 10 days away.

There's no harm in trying...

[RandR333 9]

There's no harm in trying...

There isn't any harm, I guess. But you can't make a 2 month culture grow any faster than 2 months. I mean if we call, I'm sure they will tell us it's negative because they haven't called to tell us it's positive. That doesn't ensure it will be negative the next day because the culture is still growing. The paperwork can't be done until the culture reaches 2 months. I'll wait and let some others weigh-in on this, maybe there is some other insight.

[Hank_ 9,174]

I agree with you, if the test takes two months there is no benefit in calling St. Luke's early.

[maim3 5]

I just called my doctor friend in St.Lukes and she told me they can have the result in less than 2 months! Giving us 2 months timeline for the result of the sputum culture is the same as USCIS giving us 5 months processing time. And many of us got our NOA 2 in less than 5 months right? Same banana haha!