ANOTHER BUSY DAY

As predicted, yesterday was just a flurry of activities. I woke up at around 630 to get ready. We went along with Ruther and it was nice having the physical exam together. We already prepped Nikki about the day's events and he seemed okay with it. When we got at Tokyo Healthlink, it was around 9am. We filled out some forms first. Since I was not included as one of Ruther's dependents in the company health plan, I had to pay for the examination as a walk-in client. It cost P2160 (approx. US$53). I thought it was pretty reasonable because the examination included the chest x-ray, urinalysis, fecalysis, blood test (CBC), ECG, liver function test, routine medical check-up (blood pressure, etc.) and pap smear.

The first procedure was the x-ray. Ruther went first, then Nikki (who was very behaved) and then Ethan (who was scared of the machine) and then me. After that, we went to the laboratory on the second floor for the drawing of blood for the CBC. I had to distract Nikki when they had to get his blood because they had some difficulty finding the vessel and extracting blood. But once they got the needle in, it was okay. When it was Ethan's turn, Ruther and I had to hold him because he was really strong and just wanted to get out of the chair. Good thing the guy who got his blood was very competent. Then we went through the rest of the tests except for the pap smear (for me) because the OB's schedule was from 4-6pm. So I would have to go back there at 4pm. I didn't mind. We really planned on staying at a nearby mall to kill time until Ruther was done with work anyway. By the time we were through with all the tests and examinations, it was 1150am and time for lunch. We walked to the mall and ate at KFC. Yummy! I remember we used to eat at KFC in Japan a lot! Anyway, after lunch, the boys played at the activity center and at a quarter to 1, Ruther said goodbye to us to go to the office (which was 2 blocks away). While the boys played I checked the bookstores nearby. I could never stay away from bookstores. You know how other women can't seem to resist going into a dress or bag shop? Well, I can resist that. But I can't resist a bookstore. Anyway, I got some nice books for the boys as well as a new workbook for Nikki and I also found a Mary Higgins Clark book. I plan to give it to my mom but I'll read it first. =D

The boys napped for an hour and a half (we just stayed at the activity center because it was air conditioned and it had benches) and I just snacked, read, and played with Nikki's Nintendo DS to while the time away. By 355pm, we made our way back to Tokyo Healthlink. I think I waited for 15 minutes before the doctor came but I didn't mind because the last time I waited for a doctor it took an hour! Anyway, I first asked the doctor about the pap smear procedure and she was very patient with all my questions. Since it was my first time, I did not know what to expect but it was not painful so that was a pleasant surprise. I just don't know if the results are good or bad. I'll find out in a weeks' time. Hopefully it will be nothing serious.

After that last test, we went back to the mall and Ruther checked out some shoes. He's thinking of buying one for Japan. Shoes are horribly expensive there. We found a nice pair but thought that we might find something better so we didn't get it. We bought some burgers, fries and apple juice from Burger King for dinner. We ate the fries on the way home. It was yummy.

When we got home I was exhausted. We watched some shows while eating our burgers, took a shower, checked out the books we bought and then went to bed. It was a busy day but another day well spent with family. I'll surely miss days like this when Ruther is back in Japan...