NewGuy

I’ve been diagnosed as having congestive heart failure. After a number of visits to my cardiologist I can’t get hime to predict my life span but was told that I am in Group C or 3 and that 70% make it 5 years from initial diagnosis. That last part seems positive. i asked about a pacemaker, perhaps with a defibrillator option. He sent me to a colleague but I could not get any information from him (first you need test to see if you cold handle the operation/device - 50,000 Baht. Not to sure on the last part, he was not terribly forthcoming). Please may I have a recommendation for a terrific cardiological surgeon in Bangkok. If the advice seems reasonable I will have tests/operations in the big city. It might be wise to go to Bangkok Hospital so that they could bring up my long medical history on their computers. Thanks all, thanks Sheryl.

So, much has happened. I went to com888 in View Tally 5D. They were very easy to deal with. I spoke to the only lawyer there (a British guy) and the conversation was concise and informative. I went home to think about my choices and just a day or two later, after I printed out names & addresses of bank accounts here, my wife, my daughter and best friend in Canada who will be executors or my Toronto will, I returned. I got a living will (which looked like the government one mentioned above) for 3,000 Baht and a Thai-only will where the legal firm will get my body back from the Thai Police in Bangkok, get two Thai bank accounts, in my name, to my wive, and the positive balance of a different Thai bank’s credit card, the account which holds double my credit card limits - if you've got one you know what I mean, and a small account. She just would not be able to do this stuff on her own, in her home country at least. The legal firm will do all this for 6,000 Baht. I’ve had friends retrieve a friends’ remain from the Bangkok boys in brown. It was a horrible experience for them. I still have to deal with health issues but a great relief has cone my way over financial ones.

PB&J

It looks as though they are in View Talay 5D. We’ll Bolt there tomorrow.

View Talay, good, but what number? I went the wrong one before.

What is the street address for Thai888? What building, on which street, office number etc?

What is the address for Thai888?

The Thai 888 site looks great. Thanks.

Thank you Guavaman. Using one of these forms will save a lot of agro. Would you choose form 1 or form 2? Perhaps, it would be good for me to go to the lawyer’s office on Soi 13 Post Office. They would confirm the required Thai entries and provide two witnesses. My wife would be the primary signatory (after me, of course). If anyone has suggestions, serious or dark humour, please contribute. All this medical terminology has me at a bit of a loss. Thanks.

Thank you Sheryl! Can you recommend a Thai legal firm in Pattaya?

I’ve just been told, in Pattaya, that I need to have a living will. The advice was prompted by my current medical situation.. sure, I have Googled but I’d like your experience. How did you indicate that extreme measures are unwanted? What are extreme measures? What must be in a living will.? What should be avoided? Should the document be in Thai as well as my native language?. Do you have a recommended translator for the job. Both serious detail and humour are welcomed. cheers

William Holden, the early years.

Here is my update. I went to Med Park and had a consultation with Dr. Panipa Piyachapturrwat. She was easy to speak with, open, her English was fine and her approach was to listen to me and answer fully and completely. She reviewed the documentation from my earlier procedure. Almost immediately I felt she was competent and what I needed. She agreed to my comment that laser was the way to go. They had to get a laser in. Two weeks later I arrived at 8 a.m. and was processed, drugged, operated on and woke up in my room about 2 pm. I was told that the operation was a complete success. The anesthesiologist had great English and came by twice a day. Boy, did I sleep heavily. Among the drugs used was Fentanyl, powerful stuff. By 2 p.m. the day after the operation I was discharged and felt fine except for light pain/irritation in my stomach. There was one unexpected event - they did not have an arrangement with my insurer, Allianz Ayudiah, previously known as Bupa and then Aetna. I paid 230,000 on my SCB credit card on my first visit and the balance of the 380,000 total bill when I was leaving. I went to Allianz here in Pattaya two days later, signed some forms, gave them the hospital documentation they needed and was told, if all was well, they would deposit the refund into my bank (I had brought the bank book). What a difference between my two procedures, 30 hrs versus almost 5 days, staff the second time really well trained, friendly and polite, and confidence building medical professionals. Glad to be rid of the stent too. I also received recommendations for a Dr. Parit at Bangkok Hospital Bangkok branch. He only has consultation hours early on the weekend and I was happy with Dr. Panipa.

I used the “capacity to do ERCP with mechanical lithotripsy” phrase on each call, sometimes spelling it out. I will try to get a consultation with a MedPark doctor next week and then start the insurance outpatient procedures. MedPark will tell me when I should have the procedure, I guess. Thank you so much.

As you requested Sheryl, I called the four hospitals mentioned. 1. Bangkok Hospital (Bangkok Branch):023 103 000 I was told by the operator that they do have the ERCP capacity and recommended Dr. Aron Siripon 2. MedPark: 020 233 333 Their operator said they have the ERCP capacity and recommended Dr. Santi Kulpatcharapang as well as Dr. Panipa Piyachapturrwat. That last name due to my old ears is probaby mispelled. 3. Bumrungrad: 020 668 888 Their operator said they’ve the equipment and recommends Dr. Yubstan Satpawat, Dr. Tarrat Mekarowkamor, and Dr. Tessatol Kerbbsiricharat. 4. Samitivej (Sukhumvit Branch): 020 222 222 Their operator said equipment available, recommended Dr. Rewat Boonanuwat, Dr. Pathipat Deuboronponykase, and Dr. Suppawat Jiraphairont. Everything very professionally done. Bangkok Hospital’s computer system could bring up 18 years of data from Pattaya, I haven’t gone to Bumrungrad for 6 years and haven’t been to either of the remaining hospitals. i hope this helps. Thanks.

Five minutes in I was muttering “Newsome, Newsome”. Later I added Michigan’s Wismer (sp?) for v.p.

Outstanding, comprehensive advice, helpful and spirit lifting.

Thank you Sheryl. A lot to take in as I’m going half-speed. To clarify. I we went to the hospital this past Friday, they went down my throat on Sunday, I was released Tuesday (yesterday late) and posted that same evening. I have had the stent for 4 days now. I will make those calls this morning and update this thread. How urgent is my situation? Should I get the operation in the next six weeks or so? If it is safe for me to get it only on my return from Toronto 8 weeks hence; the trip is a nice-to-do, not essential. Cheers

No, I didn’t have any gallbladder removal.)

Hernia of course. I was given two week supply of GraCEvit(Sitafloxacin) 50 mg and Ursolin cap 250 mg. big ps, i was supposed tofly to Canada for 2 months; I’ll try to change that to 7 weeks and stay home for a while.

In a Chonburi province hospital (I don’t want to bring revenge my way), I spoke to a doctor about me waking up every 5-8 days with a very painful sensation at the top of my stomach. My stomach felt rigid. After a few hours the pain went away but it shook me up for a day or so.. This happened 5 or 6 times before I went to the hospital. There was a lot of probing, scanning, with a preliminary diagnosis that i had a bile duct stone. After an MRI and two days wait they operated on me. A tube with tools was put down my throat. Result: some small stones were removed/excreted but the large one which was causing the problem was too hard to break. A plastic stent was put around the stone; the stent is expected to last 2 months, the tube was removed. The surgeon told me he’d had cases where they did the procedure one or two additional times. If those didn’t work there would either be an incision in the stomach; there could also be micro surgery. He said the latter options weren’t for me given the state of my heart. 79 years old, afib controlled by drugs, diabetes and lots more. When my heart guy was giving me a post op ekg he whacked me on the chest. My heart had stopped for 3 seconds. in addition, one of the doctors was quite jovial grabbing the flesh down the middle of my stomach. - he said hiatus heria and laughed. Back home.just now I feel shaky and my wife is pulling, lifting, half carrying around. The insurance bill of 370,000 was just approved. Please Sheryl and others experienced let me have your thoughts. Cheers

I posted two excellent health articles from the New York Times but they have not been displayed. Are these links a no go? If so, let me know and I’ll just post general advice that the articles are available if you look for them. Thanks.

This is the lead article. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/well/live/ckm-syndrome-heart-disease-risk.html

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001184?utm_campaign=sciencenews22-23&utm_source=science-news&utm_medium=phd-link&utm_content=phd-10-09-23 Boy, am I in for a challenge! Stay healthy!

treetops, I understand the Amphur. Where in City Hall do they make id cards?