biggish data

Nice, Budget Hotels Near US Embassy in Manila?

Lotus Garden Hotel..Near St. Luke's, US embassy and Robinson's mall. They have high speed wifi and free breakfast.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-11-23 07:45:00

My detailed USEM Manila Interview experience 12/09/2011

Congrats! Thank you for sharing your experience :dance:

Edited by LarryandChristine, 10 December 2011 - 05:56 AM.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-12-10 05:56:00

***Question about the SPUTUM TEST in the Philippines***

Sorry to hear that but I will also be going to have the sputum test this coming Oct 3,4,5. My husband was also devastated that they don't schedule the said exam a day after the 2nd day of the medical exam. When the St Luke staff announced that bad news, I asked her if I can do it the next day so I don't need to stay in Manila and considering the cost of the hotel accommodation and the plane fare going back and forth the province. She just told me that they still need to prepare the solutions used for the sputum which is unbelievable because it is not an isolated case, well what can we do but follow their policy and wait...

Edited by LarryandChristine, 27 September 2011 - 09:23 AM.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-09-27 09:21:00

ST LUKE'S- ROOFTOP

Attached Files

stlukesroof.jpg 66.68KB 4 downloads

Edited by LarryandChristine, 23 November 2011 - 01:08 PM.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-11-23 13:06:00

thank you for posting a very detailed information. it will be a very great heads up for those who are anticipating our turns to do the medical exam at st. lukes. i wish that everything turns out well for you.. keep us updated

You are very much welcome. Glad to be able to help. I'm on my 5th week now. Keep on praying!

I will post the update here as soon as I can. Keep posted!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-11-10 02:25:00

Now, if you ask me how I feel that our supposed Nov. 18 interview is canceled and I have to wait for another months or more
I really don't know how long... I'M DEPRESSED. As I'm writing this I'm crying. I feel so sad. I've been waiting for this for almost 5 years and this is what happened to me.

I'm so worried. I got so many questions in my mind right now.

I know how you feel. But there is nothing we can do but pray and hope for the best.During the time I went to have my medical, I heard a lot of experiences from other people. Some are even for immunization but when they were in the immunization room they were asked to go back to the Pulmonary Evaluation and have to undergo the sputum exam. Some cases are worst, they were ok already with the medical and had the immunization then after a few days they were called back by the clinic to have the sputum exam done. One wife I met she had to undergo a sputum exam because her husband's sputum culture's result is positive even though her x-ray is clear. A word of advice by some applicants, once your done with your interview and visa, leave the country ASAP. Goodluck to all of us!

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LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-20 22:41:00

me too i had my xray one month before i have my nedical like what you said they didnt bother to look at it. Eventhough we had a clear xray way before the medical took place, it doesn't matter. What matters is their findings on your xray done only in SLEC. I asked them why i had a spot wherein i am physically fit?She told me that their radiologist were trained for that and anything they saw something suspicious will undergo the sputum and culture test. Its a long wait but we can't do something about it but obey..dont worry, time flies easily you will never know ur done with the culture test..gudluck

Thanks! I have no choice but to wait. Hurry up Oct and Nov! :yes:

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-12 11:12:00

[quote name='Bob 4 Anna' timestamp='1318429100' post='4948175']
I'm not a doctor and never played on on TV (ha ha ha) but I'm not sure how an x-ray can determine if pTB is active or inactive.

I am nurse,but not a doctor either. They used the old films to compare it with the new one.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-12 10:58:00

It's going to be hard for me to share about this since I'm still upset with what's going on with my medical examination at St. Luke's. Yes, I had to undergo the horrifying sputum exam. Now all that was left was for me to keep it together and time trial to the end, easy enough right? But I figured, for the sake of my friends and readers,I am writing this post to share my experience. I am not sharing this to anyone who will just criticize what I've been through or judge me based on my history.

"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted."
-Mother Teresa

I understand your feelings about it. Me too had undergone Sputum Exam last September 19,20 and 21. At first I cried, because my husband and I was expecting that I would be there this October but unfortunately this came up. When I had Sputum test I met a nurse and explained to me everything about it and right there and then I understood about the whole procedure, however, she said 2 months of culture is too long I told her we can't do anything about it that's the procedure all we have to do is to wait and pray that the results are negative. I went on the fourth day and thank God the 3 smear tests are all negative. I just hope and pray that also the culture will also be negative. Don't be sad my friend God is good and all of us who went through this will also be with our love once in his perfect time. Cheer up!

Psalms 37:4
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Thanks for the inspirational thoughts. It makes me feel I am not alone on this case.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-12 00:03:00

The whole point of the X-Ray is to eliminate as many applicants from the Sputum Exam as possible. If the X-Ray is clear then you are eliminated.

It's as fair as the process can be. Exclusion is reliable (in that if you're x-ray is clear there are no signs of an infection current or previous) which is the important part of the process.

I respect your opinion...but I am saying this based on what happened to me because I brought with me the old xray films from 2006 up to June of this year and they did not bother to look at it.The films showed inactive ptb.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-11 23:59:00

If the result of the x-ray film is not reliable whether you have it or not or still active, I guess it is just fair to have all applicants to undergo sputum exam...just my opinion..

[img][IMG]http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7936/christinesignaturethree.png[/IMG] Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/img]

Edited by LarryandChristine, 11 October 2011 - 03:28 AM.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-11 03:23:00

I must say that the St. Luke's experience (3 day sputum test, and 2 month culture) was the most agonizing experience of the whole process. Just keep on praying, and good things will happen for you. My wife had to contact the local county health dept upon arrival here in the States. My wife had been treated for TB about 2 years ago. The health dept doctor looked at all her past x-rays and record of medication she had taken in the Philippines, and told her that no further follow-up was necessary. USCIS was notified of this fact, and the case was closed.

Good to hear that your wife is now with you. Is it true that she had to have the sputum exam again when she got there?

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-08 21:54:00

It's going to be hard for me to share about this since I'm still upset with what's going on with my medical examination at St. Luke's. Yes, I had to undergo the horrifying sputum exam. Now all that was left was for me to keep it together and time trial to the end, easy enough right? But I figured, for the sake of my friends and readers,I am writing this post to share my experience. I am not sharing this to anyone who will just criticize what I've been through or judge me based on my history.

"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted."
-Mother Teresa

I, too,am a person who had a history of TB way back 2006. I am treated without previous manifestations except for the positive x-ray. After years of keeping my experience with tuberculosis a secret, a few months ago I decided to become open about my condition.I cannot tell you how difficult it was for a person to accept the fact that he or she has tb. Since the time when we were very young we have all been conditioned to accept that if someone is contagious, that person should be avoided.I was more concerned of how others will look at me when they will find out because I am aware healthy people are not comfortable with the thought of living with a seriously ill person in their neighborhood, being in school with them, or being in their workplace. We still frighten them. But life in general is beautiful! My world should not stop because I had it. There are still people that love and accept me, my hubby, my family, and my friends. So there is no need for me to push people away.

After the first day of my medical exam last September 19, 2011 when I blogged about it here, the next day I was going to get my result. The guard at the entrance stamped my receipt with "For Sputum Exam". Those with no problem on the first day will be asked to proceed to the 2nd floor for the immunization. At the 4th floor, I waited for half an hour until called and given instruction. The nurse told me to come back on October 3,4, & 5 for my sputum exam. For others it might be a surprise, but me and my hubby were a bit expecting the worse already that I too will be asked to take the sputum exam since I had the tb before. I even asked the staff nurse if there is a possible way for me to have the sputum exam the next day,so I don't need to go back home and spend another plane fare plus it will be too stressful to be flying home and back again but, she didn't give me my request. She gave me back my receipt, passport,yellow form(to be submitted during the first day of sputum exam), and a small paper containing instructions on how to properly collect the sputum.

FIRST DAY
-I couldn't sleep that night. I woke up around 1 a.m. and stayed awake until it was about time to shower. I arrived at St. Luke's before 5 a.m. although the instruction said the sputum exam will start at 6:30 a.m. I was sure that a lot of people will also come early, and I was right! I was one of the few people to start waiting in line and got no.6 since it was still early but after a couple of minutes there were already several people behind me. The guard at the entrance allowed us to get inside around 5:30 a.m. We were given a mask after presenting the documents. We put on our mask and used the big elevator going to the 4th floor. We were seated and waited for the next instructions. The staff nurse then called numbers from ascending order and collected our documents excluding the receipt. After a few minutes, they called by batches of 20 to proceed to rooftop for the collection of the sputum.

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-At the rooftop, we were seated and called one by one and asked to sign somewhat like an attendance sheet, one signature every day for 3 days. The staff nurse checked checked the file at the computer and scan the label at the sterile sputum container which are specifically assigned to each applicant. The nurse then gave me back my passport and a piece of paper then asked me to proceed to the collection area. At the collection area, I rinsed my mouth with the purified water. Another nurse asked me my full name and escorted me to a vacant seat where I will be seated during the sputum collection. She also instructed me what to do and what not to do. I tried to cough but it was hard since I don't have a cough. I tried and tried until I was able to collect enough then she asked me to come back tomorrow early and gave me back my passport and the appointment slip. My throat was beginning to sore from forcing myself to cough several times.

SECOND DAY
-It was the same process except that during that time it rained so we had the sputum collection at the 4th floor Sputum Collection Area between the Female restroom and the Reception. There were sealed cubicles inside. When It was my turn, I was seated inside the cubicle facing the posted instruction. I am not sure why they prefer the fresh air but maybe it cost more to use the cubicles because when I was done and gave her the collected sputum, she pushed a button near the door maybe to disinfect the cubicle for the next user;while at the rooftop they don't need to do that. And so, I was told to come back again early tomorrow.

THIRD DAY
-There were few people that day compared to the first two days. We were back to doing the sputum collection at the rooftop. After giving the nurse the collected sputum, she instructed me to come back tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. for the pulmonary evaluation.

FOURTH DAY
-I was at St. Luke's at 5:00 a.m. although my appointment was still at 8:30 a.m. I was already worried what my initial result would be. I got inside around 7:00 a.m. and the guard stamp my appointment slip "Pulmonary Evaluation (2nd Flr)". I was number 1 but the nurse arranged us so that those who had undergo tb treatment and those who already waited 2 months are called first, my number became no. 13. Oh my! I was scared and thinking. Isn't 13 is an unlucky number. I was praying all the time until it was my turn. When inside the doctor's cubicle, I smiled and greeted her and she did the same. She asked me if I have family/relatives with previous tb and I said "No one doc, only me". She asked me if I have felt any symptoms like backache,cough for 2 weeks, or coughing out blood,I replied, "None doc". She asked me questions such as when I was treated, what medications I took, the dosage and if I have a medical certificate. I showed her my medical but she asked me to go back to my doctor and asked her to add few details that are missing. She also added I can just send them the revised medical certificate through a courier. She explained to me what she saw in the x-ray. Thank God, the result of the sputum smears are all negative. I guess not all no.13 are unlucky. She just told me to wait for the 2 months just to be sure I don't need another treatment and I am really healthy to go to America.

-I gave the papers from the doctor to the staff nurse, then he explained to me what day should I call. He said the sputum culture will end on November 30 but I will have to start calling them on or after December 5. He also told me to give the PDS no. when calling the clinic. Regarding the expiration of my medical exam, he said I should be able to leave the country before March 5,2012 or I will have to do the medical exam plus the 2 months sputum culture again. So I guess I will just have to pray for them not to call me before Nov.30. Please help me God...

Before ending this post, I would like to share some tips regarding the sputum culture.
1. Do not eat your breakfast before the sputum collection. It will be a waste of time and effort for you to be coughing out and if they see food particles in the specimen they will not accept it. They will ask you to come back. Only water is allowed.

2. For those who wants to brush their teeth inside the clinic or those who traveled from afar, they may brush their teeth at the restrooms. Do NOT use any mouthwash before the test, as these contain anti-bacterial substances that can affect the outcome of the test. So too is the case with antibiotics, so if you have taken any recently, inform your doctor about it.

3. Do not wear any lipstick or lip gloss, for females.

4. You should be able to provide 5-10 ml of the sample sputum.

5. Keep the container closed until you are ready to spit into it to avoid contamination from the mouth or saliva of the individual. .

6. Bring a handkerchief or tissue with you during the collection because you will be asked to cover your mouth when coughing.

7. For you to be able to collect sputum fast even if you don't have a cough, I suggest you cough continuously. Do not swallow the sputum,expel it only when you feel like spitting out.

8.If St.Luke's will call you before the two months is over, it means you are positive and will be needing treatment for 6 months.

Let's all hope and pray for the best. God is always has reason for everything. We may not know it yet but I believe we will all be able to reach our destination in His time...

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LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-08 11:15:00

Link of Pretty Ladies in FB?

Hi! Anyone here who knows the link to a group of women in facebook known as pretty ladies? I tried searching Pretty Ladies (VJ)and Pretty Ladies but I can't seem to locate it. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you and Godbless!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-04 19:11:00

What happens if we don't make it to interview?

cancel your previous appointment and then make another appointment by visiting the Embassy’s Visa Information and Appointment Service website or by calling them. You have one year after notification of the visa interview appointment schedule from the NVC to pursue a visa or the visa application and any approved visa petition for the applicant will be cancelled.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-07-25 10:45:00

DS 230 part 1-forged signature

Thank you for the reply. We will call them by Monday. My husband got the email on a friday night. He kept calling them but they won't answer. It is really frustrating!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-07-31 06:40:00

DS 230 part 1-forged signature

Hi everyone! I am new to VJ. I have been reading since me and husband filed the IR-CR1 visa last November 2010. We are going nutty already! We hired an attorney to aid us in the processing but their office are the ones responsible for the so much delays. Every time they require something, they wait for one month to ask for the next thing. We already called the attorney himself and complained about this because we have been assigned to his different legal assistants. Anyway, when I asked them a copy of all the documents (scan copy) that they will submit to the NVC, I noticed that DS-230 part 1 just below #35 where the applicant should sign has a signature similar to mine but i am 100% sure I did not sign it plus the handwriting is really different including the date. My husband agreed that it is not my handwriting. I told him I don't remember them sending me something recently that I should sign. Just wondering why would they do that, they should know that it is punishable by law. My questions are:
1. What would happen to me if I did not find out and went to the interview? Will I really get in trouble even the attorney is responsible for it?
2. How can we solve this without causing so much delays?

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Thank you for your help!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-07-31 06:30:00

Visa Interview Experience (IR-1 / CR-1)

Congrats!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-08-12 04:44:00

iam sorry if they lost your papers i know its so hard dealing with those ppl sometime......................i'll tell you what i did maybe it may help you..............i send both the AOS and DS-230 documents together but in separate packages with a label clearly mark AOS and with the NVC# ............then I put the NVC# on the bottom of every page in both the documents............iam lucky they didnt lose ours.............good luck!!

Thank you for the suggestion :yes:

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-08-12 10:54:00

Thank you all for taking the time to reply to my post. According to my husband, the NVC operator was even rude when asked about what do they mean with our "missing documents" because we already sent it all to them. It makes me even cry if I knew or read someone here has been granted a visa. It makes me envious that they can already be with their partner and just the thought of taking all the visa process is stressful which means they would have peace of mind already and last reason is that it is also a mixture of joy that at least most cases are successful. We will just stay positive always to keep our sanity fro, being lonely of being miles away. Goodluck! :blush:

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-08-12 10:32:00

Thank you for the reply. We had no problem with the first part of the NVC process. They sent us the case number even before they sent the invoice for AOS and IV fees. The letter now says, we have to submit again the missing documents and wait again for another 20 working days... :bonk: Well, we don't have other choice but to wait and wait... Goodluck to us!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-08-12 10:09:00

#######! :angry: Excuse me for my language. But how in the hell they would be missing documents when we submitted all that is in the checklist including the I-864, tax returns and w2's both of my sponsor and co-sponsor? Me and my hubby are almost losing our minds! Hubby called NVC and without even looking the operator said "Oh we don't have that document, just send us a new one". Wow! Another delay. Omg...my hubby is having countless sleepless nights waiting for me to be there. It is not easy being across the miles away from the love of your life. Even though we chat in skype/yahoo, call each other on the phone, and send SMS daily, none of those communication methods, however, can compensate for the lack of physical contact and being with your partner.

:help:

Edited by LarryandChristine, 12 August 2011 - 09:45 AM.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-08-12 09:45:00

Yay! Case completed yesterday, Today, got my Interview Date!

Congrats & Goodluck in your journey!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-08-12 09:29:00

Interview Date for Oct

Woohoo!

We just wanted to share that we got our interview date for next month.When you seek God's way, you get God's results. Thank you Lord for the blessing! Any one here who will be also doing her medical next week in Manila? :yes:

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-09-15 06:42:00

MEDICAL Exam Manila

I just had my medical last Sept 19. Some of the women I met there have no appointment date yet but they were allowed to have the medical exam. At the receiving counter they will be asked to sign a form that they are submitting themselves to medical exam prior to having an appointment date.But of course,they should already have the MNL case number.

Edited by LarryandChristine, 27 September 2011 - 08:44 PM.

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-09-27 20:42:00

Interview tomorrow, final thoughts and prayers

Goodluck!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-11 23:55:00

Visa approved, what a relief

Congrats!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-12 10:53:00

visa in hand finally!!!!

Congrats!

LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-17 00:45:00

Travel Agents, Travel Agency & Tour Operators in Ermita, Manila

Hi VJers! I would just like to share some travel agents, travel agency and tour operators located along Ermita, Manila. Hope it helps. :yes:

Global Travel Manila, #A-(9a) Midtown Arcade, M. Adriatico St.,, Ermita Manila

Amity Travel Corp. , Ground Level VIP Bldg., 1150 Roxas Blvd., Ermita Manila

Stars Travel Inc., Ermita - Julio Nakpil, Julio Nakpil St., Ermita Manila

Satellite Travel, Inc., Manila, Ground Level Ramona Apartment Bldg., 1555 M. Adriatico St.,, Ermita Manila

Broadway Travel Inc., Ermita, Suite B & E, Royal Bay Terrace Condominium Bldg., 465-475 United Nations Ave. cor. Cortada Ave., Ermita Manila

Swagman Travel Inc., Manila, 411 A. Flores St., Ermita Manila

E T Dizon Travel Corp., Ermita, G-8 Bel-Air Apt., 1020 Roxas Boulevard near corner T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita Manila

Southeast Travel Corp., Manila, 451 Pedro Gil St., cor. M.H. Del Pilar, Ermita Manila

Rejoice Travel Agencies, Ermita, J. Bocobo St, Ermita Manila

Continental Travel & Tours, Ermita, Ground Level, Plaza Towers 1175 L. Guerrero St., Ermita Manila

Treasure Travel & Tours, 483 Pedro Gil St., Ermita Manila

Aqua Travel and Tours, 1966 Jorge Bocobo St., Malate Manila

Filipino Travel Center, Ground Level Ramona Appt. Bldg.,, 1555 M. Adriatico St.,Ermita Manila

Rajah Travel Corporation, G/F Plywood Industries Bldg., A. Mabini cor. T. M. Kalaw Sts., Ermita Manila

Cherub's Travel and Tours, Rm. 201 Zandueta Bldg., 1157 Ma. Orosa St., Ermita Manila

Regent Travel Corporation, 1415 Gen. Luna St, Ermita Manila

Winlink Travel Services, G/F CDC Bldg., 1195 M. Orosa St., Ermita Manila

Great Sights Travel & Tours, Unit 19 P-A Padre Faura Center 472 P. Faura St.,, Ermita Manila

Pan Pacific Travel Corp., Suite 2Ab, 2/F Pacific Place Apartelle Suites, 539 Arquiza St.,, Ermita Manila

Philippine Travel Bureau, Unit C, The Jade Vine Executive House, 1035 J. Bocobo St. cor., U.N. Ave., Ermita Manila

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LarryandChristine

Female

Philippines

2011-10-20 22:13:00