SLEC Experience late Jan 2020

[Prisonmate 93]

I had my medical exam last January 13 and 14, 2020. I stayed at Hotel Soriente which is just a minute or two away from SLEC. I find the location of the hotel excellent as it is very near SLEC, stores like Ministop and Puregold, Banks (BDO and Security Bank) and there was also a mobile police station in front of the hotel which made the place really safe.

 

So on my first day for the medical exam, I left the hotel at about 5:54 AM and arrived at SLEC at 5:56AM. There were already people lining up at the blue gate at side of the SLEC building but the queue wasn't that long. It took me about 10 minutes to get to the guard. He asked me for the following:

*passport

*photocopy of passport bio page

*4 pieces of 2x2 US visa photos with complete name at the back

*1 copy of the NVC case letter

*1 copy of the SLEC online appointment confirmation

*1 copy of the interview appointment confirmation - I scheduled my interview on January 28th

 

After he checked my documents, he gave me my priority number. I got number 40 and he instructed me to go inside the building, in the waiting area for photo taking. It took me about 15 minutes to complete the process for photo taking. Before my photo was taken, the attendant asked me for my complete name and birthday. After photo taking, I was told by the lady guard to proceed to the Reception area for Finger Scanning. When it was my turn for the finger scanning, the lady attendant asked me for my requirements (the documents that was asked by the guard). She also asked for my complete name, birthday, what's my relationship to the petitioner and petitioners name. She gave me a form to fill out and gave me back my passport and instructed me to go to the 5th floor for payment. After 8 minutes, I'm done paying for the medical fee amounting to Php 17,025.00 and I was told to proceed to the 3rd floor for X-ray.

 

At the 3rd floor, the nurse asked for the form I got from the reception area and for my passport. He also let me fill out another form where you will declare if you are pregnant or not. I waited for 17 minutes to finish the X-ray and was advised to proceed to the 4th floor for laboratory (urine and blood extraction).

 

I went to the 4th floor, gave the form and passport to the nurse and he asked me to wait in one of the seats. But this time, I was so ready to pee. I felt like going to the restroom to pee even before my x-ray was taken. There were lots of people in the 4th floor waiting for there turn. So I took a seat and waited. The wait was just too long and I felt like I can't hold my pee anymore so I approached the nurse in the counter and told him that I am so ready to pee and can't hold it anymore and asked if it's okay if I just do it. He asked me when was the last time I urinated and told him at 5:28AM. The nurse was so kind to let me go first. He searched for my form, scanned it and told me to go to the left side of the room where urine samples are collected. I was instructed by the lady nurse on how to collect the urine sample. She said they need me to collect from the first "drop" until I reached the red line on the container. She told me not to fill the entire container, just up to the red line or a little above it. After collecting my urine sample, I went to the blood extraction area where blood sample was taken. By the way, before the nurses do any procedure, they will always ask you for your complete name and birthday.

 

After laboratory, I was told to go to the 5th floor for Physical Exam. In here, they will take your height, weight, vital signs (bp, temp, pulse), eye test and physical exam with their doctor.  There were a LOT of people waiting when I got to the 5th floor. I got there at 8:34AM. While waiting for my turn, I heard my name being called along with other 8 applicants. We were asked to go back to the 3rd (where our x-ray was taken). Now, I really got scared and wondered why. I used the stairs going back to the 3rd floor. I then asked the nurse what I need to do. She asked for my name and birthday and asked me to go to room 4 for x-ray. This isn't the same room where my first x-ray (of my back) was taken. So I asked her why do I need another x-ray. She told me the doctors were requesting additional x-ray but on the chest this time.

 

So she took my chest x-ray but had to do it again. So she had to do the chest x-ray twice. Then she told me I'm good and to go back to the 5th floor. At this time, I was really getting super scared, super nervous. I lost all the confidence I had since the start of the medical process. 😢 At 9:11AM, I was back at the 5th floor waiting for my turn.

 

Then I was called to line up for my height and weight. Then go back to the seats and wait again for my vital signs to be taken. After vital signs, I lined up again for the eye test. Once done with the eye test, I was told to submit my form to the representative in the US counter, just outside the eye test room. The attendants there will line it up for the doctors physical exam. The lady before me took a while to finish her physical exam. She said the doctor had a lot of questions for her. So I got scared again. LOL. 

 

When it was my turn for the physical exam, I greeted the doctor when I came inside the room (Room 5). She greeted me back and asked me for my complete name and birthday. She then instructed me to change to a lab gown. Take off my pants but leave my bra and undies on and was asked to lie down. She checked my chest, asked me if I felt some lumps on my breasts, she let me bent my knees and checked my tummy (push it lightly), then she asked me to turn back. When she was checking my tummy, she saw the scars that I have due to the surgery I had before (gall bladder removal). She asked me where I got those scars so I told her I had a gall bladder removal. She asked what type of surgery was it so I told her it was lap chole (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) and she asked me what year was it performed.

 

She also checked (touched) my neck and instructed me to swallow. She asked if I have thyroid issues. I said I used to have thyroid issues but it's in remission already. She asked what kind of thyroid problem so I told her hyperthyroidism (grave's disease). She also asked when I was diagnosed with it. Then she finally told me to change.

 

She was typing some stuff in her computer and started asking me again. She asked when was the first day of my last menstruation and when was the last time I had sexual contact. She also asked if I've gotten pregnant, have given birth, any miscarriage/abortion. Then she proceeded and asked me again about the operation I had, I think she is verifying the dates and the details of the lap-chole operation I had. And she also asked about my Hyperthyroidism. I told her I was diagnosed 2015 and that it was in remission as of 2018 and showed her my medical certificate that I got from my endo. She verified the meds I was taking for my hyperthyroidism and the last dosage that I took and if I am currently taking any medication. She also asked if I have my immunization record with me and if I already had chickenpox. I told her I don't have my records with me and that I had chickenpox before, when I was 7 yrs old. She asked if I have scars from that. I told her yes and showed her my scar in my face, between my eyebrows. And that was it. She told me to submit my paper back to the US Counter.

 

When I submitted my paper to the US Counter, she took the form and gave me the receipt and told me to come back the next day at 9AM and that I can already go home. I was done with my medical exam (first day) at around 10AM. 

 

But at about 6:30PM, I got a call from St. Lukes. They verified if I've done my medical exam already.  They asked from what counter I was checked out (before going home) and asked me how many times I did my x-ray. So I told him I was checked out from the 5th floor (physical exam) and that I had 3 x-rays in total - 1 at the back and 2 in front (chest). Then he said, "ahhh, the doctor required for additional x-ray" then I said yes and asked why. He told me they usually do that if the doctors reading does not coincide with each other. I remembered in the 3rd floor, there was a notice posted that at least 2 doctors will read the x-ray result. So he said, one of the doctors who read my x-ray saw something suspicious of TB. So I had to have that chest x-ray taken and that the morning doctor will have to read it to too. Apparently, all 3 doctors read my x-ray. The afternoon and evening doctor plus the morning doctor (who will have to read my xray the next day). I couldn't sleep at all after that phone call. I got really scared and sad. 😢 But thanks to my ever supportive fiance and family, they all helped me calmed down and tried to lift my spirits up.

 

The following day which is day 2 of the medical exam, I went to SLEC at about 7:40AM. I asked the guard in the entrance (still outside the building) where should I go and showed him my receipt. He told me to get inside and go to the guard stationed at right side, in the corner. So I went to him and showed him the receipt. He asked for my name and asked me to scan my index finger. He was typing something on the computer, I think he was searching for my record. He stamped the receipt that I gave him, turned it over quickly and place it on the side facing down. I couldn't see what the stamp was so I asked him what's next. He told me to wait in the waiting area for my name to be called and instructions on what's next.

 

So I seated in one of those chairs and waited for my name to be called. I saw some familiar faces from yesterday and I saw them placing their receipts in a box in the releasing counter. Some of them were even told that they are for immunization. So at that time, I was feeling really down, scared, worried that I might be for Sputum Test. I felt like crying while I was chatting with my fiance and my family. And the long wait is prolonging my agony. I stayed in one of the seats watching those people putting in their receipt at the box in the releasing counter and wondering why the guard got mine and what was the stamp for. So so so scary and stressful time for me.  I waited for an hour and 26 minutes before my name was called. I was so relieved when I heard my name and was instructed to proceed to the 2nd floor for immunization. I was overjoyed and really cried when I heard my name. My hands were trembling and I immediately went to the 2nd floor. In my mind I said, I have to go now, asap before they change their mind and tell me to go somewhere else. 😁 

 

At the 2nd floor, I was 3rd in line. When it was my turn, the nurse asked me if I had chickenpox before and I told him yes and showed him my scar. He then asked me to sign a consent form and told me he will be giving me 2 shots, measles (on my left arm) and tetanus (on my right arm). The he told me to go back to the releasing area in the ground floor and wait for the releasing of result.

 

I waited for the result for an hour. When my name was called, I was asked for my name again and birthday and passport. The nurse double checked the information from my passport and his computer and printed the results. He then asked me to double check my information in the immunization record and asked me to take a photo of it just in case I will lose the record. He also told me that I will need to bring that record when I go to the US. He then put inside the brown envelope (with a very big DO NOT OPEN mark in front) and sealed it with elmers glue. LOL. He told me my medical exam will expire in July 13, 2020. He then gave me the brown envelope, immunization record and CD and I'm off to go. Yahoo!!! Super happy day for me. 😍 By the way, I looked at the receipt to find out what the stamp on my receipt was and it said "medical records on process". I think I came in too early and the morning doctor who needed to read my chest x-ray wasn't done yet. If only the guard told me about it, I won't have stressed out a LOT of over. But it's over now, I passed the medical exam and I'm off to the next stage, the interview at the US Embassy.

 

 

 

[AGF 146]

Congratulations! Time to schedule your interview 😊 good luck on your journey!