Went to see the specialist at Mount Alvernia Hospital after school yesterday to check my lip. Remember when I said that the operation would cost a whopping $400-$500? Well I was wrong. See, the bloody thing is going to cost more like, I don't know, something in the $1200-$1500 range? When the doctor quoted the price, I totally freaked out inside. ONE THOUSAND @$!%# BUCKS AND THEN SOME TO REMOVE SOME SMALL FREAKING LUMP? By the way, the lump is called a 'cyst'. And there the guy was, telling me nonchalantly that the procedure would take him only ten minutes and that it was 'nothing to him'. Doctors sure do earn bucketloads of cash. If some ten minute procedure earns someone like him half of a person's monthly salary, I hesitate to think what some big op would. But then again, you can't fault him for his expertise, after all, he earned it by studying a ton. Besides, it's their lives people are entrusting doctors with, and it's like the specialist said, I can't leave the lump there for the rest of my life.

The doctor also went on to ask whether I would like to have the procedure done 'asleep or awake' i.e. under local or general anaesthetic. If I were really squeamish, I would've opted for general anaesthetic, but this time (and I really hope it has to be the only time), it wasn't a matter of having a big ego and tellling myself that I'm oh-so-brave-so-I'll-be-able-to-do-it-awake-and-brag-to-my-friends-later. It's just that there was a little problem with the money involved. Apparently, general anaesthetic is going to cost more. No, I'm not miserly. But a thousand bucks more is no joke, don't you think? Right, so maybe you didn't get my point. Doing the procedure under general anaesthetic costs about $1000 more. Ruddy brilliant, I say. Now I don't even have a choice. Local anaesthetic it is, then. I'll just enjoy the view while the doctor slits open my lip and digs out the crap. 'Aren't you scared it's going to hurt?' you say. Well, to hell with it. I'll just clench my fists (see, I can't grit my teeth since it's a lip operation) and bear with it. Ouch.

The operation's scheduled for this Friday at 3.30pm, meaning I've to register at 2.30 and be warded or something.