I had my annual executive check up in one of the hospitals in Quezon City two weeks ago as part of our company requirement. The result was delivered two weeks later to our company physician. I passed everything except the xray so our company physician recommended an apicolordotic xray to verify if the white spot on the upper lobe of my right lung was something that needed treatment.

Of course, my initial reaction was it could be tuberculosis because that’s where most people fail in the PA xray. Though treatable, I thought of my young kids, my work if I needed to take sick leave and how unfair life could be. Later on, I came to accept that maybe, I had TB and I needed to be treated ASAP.

I brought my five year-old son with me to the lab for the apicolordotic xray. The technician asked for the PA xray film from the hospital in Quezon City but it was not yet forwarded to our company nurse so she suggested a repeat PA xray and the apicolordotic xray. I normally don’t warm up to strangers but the thought of me having TB prompted me to tell her about my fears. She said that maybe, it was just a false alarm, an erroneous reading from the previous radiologist.

Apicolordotic xray had this weird body position. You would be asked to lean your back against a metal plate because the front side of your lungs would be captured through x-ray. Your legs would be asked to move forward in this weird semi-squatting position while you bend your arms in a weird akimbo to stretch in your lungs. The whole procedure took me around 2 minutes plus another minute for the repeat PA xray.

While waiting for the radiologist’s reading, I focused my attention to my son who was busy playing in the reception area. The last bad cold that I had was in January 2014 and a minor one just two weeks ago, a day before my executive check up. Tuberculosis was treatable but it nearly knocked me down emotionally. How much more for the cancer patients and those with life-threatening diseases?

It was a long 15 minute-wait for the result. It humbled me, actually. It made me realize that once and for all, God is my loving saviour and health is wealth. The technician gave me the result, still poker face.

It read, “No significant blah blah” and though I know that it was a false alarm, I needed assurance from the radiologist that I was TB-free. She asked me to ask the company physician. When my son asked for a dine in at a fastfood store, without hesitation, I said my yes.

Today, the company physician assured me that I am perfectly in the pink of health. It was just a false alarm, an erroneous reading. Again, I was humbled and I was very grateful for the good health. It takes a lot of courage to confront your fear. It is always best to have an annual check up especially if a person can afford it.