Sheryl

Yes, free for Thais. Any government hospital can do it. PrIvate hospitals can also do it but of course that costs. While there is at least 1 Gyn clinic in Pattaya I am doubtful it does implants. I would recommend any woman considering implants to have first used either progestin only pill or injectable to make sure it suits as it is a bit of a hassle to remove the implants. (The medication in progestin-only pills and in the injection are same as in the implant).

It remains the best advice to go to Rutnin. Failing that you could try a trip to A&E at BPH. Not the Eye Center -- A&E.

As it sounds like more than a single floater and occurred suddenly I suggest you go directly to Rutnin in Bangkok. It is a dedicated eye hospital. Out of curiousity did you actually go to A&E at BPH or just call? The people who field phone calls are usually just clerks without medical training and making appointments is about all they do.

For the kind of non-specific feeling well OP describes this is an excellent suggestion. Dr. Morgan is one of the few doctors in Thailand who provide GP-like services and she can do some additional tests/exams, rule out some problems and then help direct you to the most appropriate specialist if needed.

Moved to health forum. Retinal detachment is an emergency. However from what you say, you might just have age-related floaters. These are common and usually require no treatment (and as annoying as they seem, your brain will soon learn to ignore them). New onset of floaters does warrant a retinal exam but it is not as super urgent as classic signs of detachment would be (flashes of light, reduction in visual field, blurred vision). If any of the former occur, go straight to an emergency room of a large hospital.

Everyone doe not have h. pylori. But it is common, current estimate is 35 - 40% of the world's population. https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(23)05687-1/fulltext Prevalence is higher in developing countries due to poorer hygiene conditions. Can be as high as 95% there. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6632043/ HP infection can vary by severity. When they test for it, either by biopsy or breath test, the results give an indication of the bacterial count (often just shown as plus signs). The higher the count the more likely to be symptomatic. Prevention is basic hygiene and safe water. Especially important is hand washing before food preparation and before eating. Treatment has already been discussed in this thread and OP is already on treatment. It is strongly recommended to repeat test for HP after completing treatment as there is sometimes resistance and re-treatment may be necessary.

Then they may have filed a TM30. Only way to find out is to ask them. If they did not, ask them to do so. And print out screenshot.

Insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes are not the same thing, though Insulin resistance can eventually lead to T2D. All over the world, obese people are more likely to develop T2D. However it is possible for people of perfectly normal weight to also develop it if they have a genetic pre-disposition.

Yes, it is a risk factor for gastric cancer.

H. Pylori is adapted to be able to live in stomach acid, unfortunately. A unique feature of it. Eradication of HP requires temporary use of acid suppressjng drugs (usually a PPI) along antibiotic combination. In OP's case he was on PPI anyway for an esophageal condition.

Treatment of H. Pylori requires triple or quadruple therapy. Omeorazole (or similar) plus 2-3 antibiotics.

Yes, you could get re-infected via food she prepares.

An inappropriate post has been removed

More or less as above except not sole cause of ulcers. It is, however, the most common cause. Easily spread through contaminated food. Many people acquire it in childhood, it can be present a long time before causing obvious symptoms, and indeed in many peopke remains asymptomatic, reason unclear.

With the exception of blood gases (mainly done in an ICU), virtually all blood tests are taken from veins or by peripheral fingerstick. Definitely not from an artery. It is not that drinking water "thins" the blood. It is that dehydration will make the blood more concentrated, sometimes skewing lab results.

I would reconsider going there for other than really simple, clearcut issues. Where ard uou located? It is usually worth a bit extra travel to attend a higher level hospital.

It means the manufacturer no longer supplies this drug to Thai distributors. . Typically a financial decision based on low sales. If a hospital still has unexpired product in stock their doctors may continue to prescribe it but once they run out (or it expires) the hospital will not be readily able to get more.

Yes, you should first rest and relax if you just had a steep walk or other physical or mental exertion.

Moved to health forum. It is illegal to buy this over the counter. Only hospitals and clinics. It is also now off market in Thailand. But some hospitals may still have stock.

The "instructions", unless given specifically by the doctor ordering the test, tend to be boilerplate and err on the side of excessive restriction. I cannot offhand think of a single test that would preclude drinking plain water. Taking not even water for 12 hours (which may be much more by the time the blood is drawn) risks dehydration, especially in this hot weather. Which may in fact skew some test results.

There is no need for any type of fasting before a CBC, if that is all that is being tested. Lab appointment slips here tend to say the same thing regardless of test. And hospital staff (not doctors) may tend to just reflexively say no food etc without stopping to check what test and what is really needed. If in doubt ask the doctor ordering the test, not the lab staff or clerks issuing the appointment.

Bickering/flaming posts have been removed. Please keep it civil and constructive.

Please show some respect for the deceased, his partner and his family who may be reading this. Some insensitive posts have been removed.

Please keep it civil.

Nor can one, even if near thd border, be assurred of being stable enough to cross it. And of course a foriegner is not "covered" in Mexico; they have to pay for care. Certainly it costs less than in US but it is not free. And for best quality care/complex treatments would need to travel quite some distance from the border.