racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Got an SMS from Caren late afternoon yesterday asking me to call

home regarding an urgent matter.  Turns out she was having a bad

attack of abdominal pains and wanted to see the doctor ASAP.  So

after quite a memorable encounter at the Emergency room of UST Hospital, she’s now admitted as in-patient for further evaluation.

By stroke of fortune this particular room we got (with

the lowest decent room rate available) has a telephone with free

outgoing calls (read: internet access), so here I am blogging about the

whole thing.  We also have a refrigerator and what I’m most

excited about: a bed for the companion (i.e. me).  You see, when

Caren delivered both Pia and Cate, the accommodations were meager at

the least: you get about a 3 meter by 5 meter shack with a padded bench

as the companion’s bed.  At least we now get twice that floor area

and much more (OMG! Pillows for me!)

The TV is standard, though, for every room.  And the Matrix Revolutions was playing on HBO!  I got to see the last 20 minutes in its full anti-climactic glory.

But by stroke of misfortune, this room also happens to be a tad more

expensive than the most basic decent room.  And all other hospital

fees are known to be relative to the room rate.  Hence, a higher

room rate would translate to a higher lab fee, and so on.  I’m

still hoping it won’t be that bad.  After all, we only get to stay

for a night, or so I was told.

C’est la vie!

There’s a premium to be paid for the better things in life.

And I’d rather have this than burn my brains out thinking of ways to

connect.  When we had Pia, I had to download documents to prepare

for a NEDA Board meeting via GPRS, and it cost me about PhP 300 for an

excruciatingly slow 5 minute access to retrieve two email messages.

Wait.  I had to

connect even if I was at the hospital?  I guess that’s how

addicted I am to getting online.  I’d have to go online maybe even

as I undergo a quadruple bypass surgery.

When we had Cate, I passed the time (outside of nursery viewing

hours and helping Caren with recovery, of course) finishing Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons.  I guess that’s healthier than working up an adrenaline rush while I listen to the modem handshake.

So here I am, up and blogging.  The speed is slow (outgoing lines are a bit dirty), but bearable.

Caren’s tests begin early tomorrow morning.  Please do include us

in your prayers.  We’ll need all the help we can get.

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