- Jul 28, 2023
- 0
- Category........
- STUDY
- Visa Office......
- Manila
- Med's Request
- 20-04-2023
I am 22yo from the Philippines, a study permit applicant waiting to study in Ontario, Canada by September 2023. But, I have just been tested positive for myobacterium TB complex during my sputum test in SLEC. I'm writing on here to ask for assistance with regard to my application, as I am unsure of what steps to take next. I am currently taking medications for the treatment (started two days ago).
Last March 27, 2023, I had a prior general medical examination in Healthway Medical, Greenbelt for personal purposes. I had just came back from Thailand and been smoking there for quite some time and wanted to check how it affected my whole body when I got back to the Philippines. I had a hematology test, urinalysis, fecalysis and a chest x-ray. My chest x-ray had findings that stated, "Streaky and nodular opacities are seen in the left mid lung; Pulmonary vascularity is within normal; Heart is normal in size; Diaphragm, sinuses, and visualized osseous structures are intact", along with an impression saying, "Consider left med lung fibrosis and granuloma. Recommend clinical correlation". My doctor at the time told me to avoid smoking, but everything else is fine and I shouldn't be worried about anything. I was a little concerned so I just rested for weeks and barely went outside until my appointment at SLEC.
My medical examination at SLEC was scheduled on April 20, 2023. They made me return on June 20-21, for a sputum test. A follow-up pulmonary evaluation was done on July 24th and that's when I was told I had something actively growing in my left lung, and apparently there was also water in it. Honestly, it just looked like my previous chest x-ray. So I was a bit confused. She also told me then that I tested positive for myobacterium tuberculosis complex, so I have to undergo a 6-month treatment. The whole news was so overwhelming and concerning because my semester is in two months, and I asked her how this is going to affect my studies and application. She told me bluntly that it's going to be postponed by the Canadian Embassy, pending a report about my health status. She told me that I have two options -- whether to do the treatment in SLEC everyday Mon-Fri or do it with my private doctor with continuous monitoring. I chose having to deal with it privately.
Honestly, I was so confused because I have never coughed, nor did I ever experience any other signs and symptoms typically seen in a TB patient. So, if I even had the slightest chance of having TB, it would be inactive or latent. I do chest x-rays every year, and last year it was fine, and didn't show signs of TB.
I saw a pulmonologist in Makati Medical Center last July 26, 2023 with my fiancé. My doctor was telling me about how good my immunity is because I only had scar tissues from my last chest x-ray. And that whatever was going on with my lungs at the time, it immediately stopped it. I wasn't able to show him the SLEC chest x-ray because they never gave me a copy for it. He told me that since he's going to follow the protocols and instructions given by the SLEC (Request for Medical Certificate) and immediately start treatment as needed and referred. As for my fiancé, he told him that he should get his x-rays done (from literally every side), and his results turned out fine, surprisingly. There were no signs of him having tuberculosis at all. This is the part where we both got more confused. He barely takes care of his lungs (smoker), and had been in close contact with me almost all the time. He had been wherever I have been for a year.
So, I thought maybe there's a chance SLEC mistakenly misdiagnose their patients with TB? And from what I have seen so far, there were numerous complaints talking about how SLEC is incompetent with tests regarding tuberculosis. They would be flagging x-rays that barely show active tuberculosis, and have mistakes with sputum results as well, delaying applications. And upon doing another test in their designated countries, they would end up knowing they never actually had any tuberculosis the whole time. And apparently, this has been a problem for years already, and no one knows why and how they come up with these results. I'm just concerned about the wasted money, time, effort and the bad side effects brought by antibiotics, considering it should be taken initially for two months. And it seems a little sketchy that it turns out it's actually a common case rather than rare.
I'm wondering if it's possible to get a second opinion from Makati Medical Center, Centuria Medical Center (Hi-Precision), or possibly another panel physician? Would they honor potential results that may contradict their assessment? If I do prove I've been free from TB, would I need a lawyer to proceed with this?
Last March 27, 2023, I had a prior general medical examination in Healthway Medical, Greenbelt for personal purposes. I had just came back from Thailand and been smoking there for quite some time and wanted to check how it affected my whole body when I got back to the Philippines. I had a hematology test, urinalysis, fecalysis and a chest x-ray. My chest x-ray had findings that stated, "Streaky and nodular opacities are seen in the left mid lung; Pulmonary vascularity is within normal; Heart is normal in size; Diaphragm, sinuses, and visualized osseous structures are intact", along with an impression saying, "Consider left med lung fibrosis and granuloma. Recommend clinical correlation". My doctor at the time told me to avoid smoking, but everything else is fine and I shouldn't be worried about anything. I was a little concerned so I just rested for weeks and barely went outside until my appointment at SLEC.
My medical examination at SLEC was scheduled on April 20, 2023. They made me return on June 20-21, for a sputum test. A follow-up pulmonary evaluation was done on July 24th and that's when I was told I had something actively growing in my left lung, and apparently there was also water in it. Honestly, it just looked like my previous chest x-ray. So I was a bit confused. She also told me then that I tested positive for myobacterium tuberculosis complex, so I have to undergo a 6-month treatment. The whole news was so overwhelming and concerning because my semester is in two months, and I asked her how this is going to affect my studies and application. She told me bluntly that it's going to be postponed by the Canadian Embassy, pending a report about my health status. She told me that I have two options -- whether to do the treatment in SLEC everyday Mon-Fri or do it with my private doctor with continuous monitoring. I chose having to deal with it privately.
Honestly, I was so confused because I have never coughed, nor did I ever experience any other signs and symptoms typically seen in a TB patient. So, if I even had the slightest chance of having TB, it would be inactive or latent. I do chest x-rays every year, and last year it was fine, and didn't show signs of TB.
I saw a pulmonologist in Makati Medical Center last July 26, 2023 with my fiancé. My doctor was telling me about how good my immunity is because I only had scar tissues from my last chest x-ray. And that whatever was going on with my lungs at the time, it immediately stopped it. I wasn't able to show him the SLEC chest x-ray because they never gave me a copy for it. He told me that since he's going to follow the protocols and instructions given by the SLEC (Request for Medical Certificate) and immediately start treatment as needed and referred. As for my fiancé, he told him that he should get his x-rays done (from literally every side), and his results turned out fine, surprisingly. There were no signs of him having tuberculosis at all. This is the part where we both got more confused. He barely takes care of his lungs (smoker), and had been in close contact with me almost all the time. He had been wherever I have been for a year.
So, I thought maybe there's a chance SLEC mistakenly misdiagnose their patients with TB? And from what I have seen so far, there were numerous complaints talking about how SLEC is incompetent with tests regarding tuberculosis. They would be flagging x-rays that barely show active tuberculosis, and have mistakes with sputum results as well, delaying applications. And upon doing another test in their designated countries, they would end up knowing they never actually had any tuberculosis the whole time. And apparently, this has been a problem for years already, and no one knows why and how they come up with these results. I'm just concerned about the wasted money, time, effort and the bad side effects brought by antibiotics, considering it should be taken initially for two months. And it seems a little sketchy that it turns out it's actually a common case rather than rare.
I'm wondering if it's possible to get a second opinion from Makati Medical Center, Centuria Medical Center (Hi-Precision), or possibly another panel physician? Would they honor potential results that may contradict their assessment? If I do prove I've been free from TB, would I need a lawyer to proceed with this?
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