Sheryl

This sounds like it might be balanitis, which is most often due to a fungal infection. Antibiotics such as you are taking for the prostatitis can worsen fungal infections by disrupting normal skin flora. It might help to apply an antifungal cream to the outside of the glans. Any pharmacist can suggest one, look for something that contains clotrimazole or simliar.

"besides that" = besides the fact that it is large enough to be pressing on your windpipe and affecting your breathing? That is reason enough to remove it.

It is unlikely extremely unlikely to go back to normal by itself. In fact it may grow even bigger. Since it is already affecting your sleep and breathing then it is not important to get the Afirma Gene test because anyway it has to be removed. And you will get the definite biopsy result once they have removed it. Even if it turns out to be benign, the surgery will ntoi have been unnecessary because even benign nodules need to be removed if they are large enough to cause symptoms.

Actually many drug stores ni longer sell Aspent and (wrongly) tell people it has to be gotten from a hospital. In any case it is nto clear if OP wants low dose aspirin (of which Aspent is one brand) or regular dose (325 mg) of which the brand names are different. Both low and regular dose can be sold over the counter but because the requirement for record keeping is being enforced some pharcmacies don't want to bother. https://bangkokdrugstore.com/?s=aspirin sells both low dose and regular dose

"they advised that their main Health cover is with AIS" What is important for you is not who they mainly use but who your policy is with. Did you not receive a policy document??

As explained, usually a very long course of antibiotic is needed for prostatitis. Levofloxacin penetrates prostate tissue better than the other antibiotics you mention Whatever you do, do nto prematurely stop antibiotics based on not seeing a result quickly, unless advised to do so by a urologist. A repeat culture may be recommended after a few weeks Exactly what symptoms are troubling you? You say "No urethritis, no burning when peeing, no discharge, no visible symptoms". Is it just difficulty urinating? If so doxazosin sometimes works better than tamsulosin but discuss with Dr. Umaporn first. Since Dr. Umaporn was able to identify a casuative organism I wonder why you are planning to go to yet another doctor If it were me I'd be inclined to follow through with her first. It is possible your trouble peeing is due to the bladder neck issue (maybe some new scarring) which would need totall y different measures but clear up the infection first

P.S. in terms of apartment go to Agoda.com and filter for service apartment What will be available will depend on your dates. I have stayed at Dazzle Residence (Soi 7) in the past, nice apartments, but it looks like within the next week they have only 2 bedroom units available which of course cost more. The hospital guest relations or international office might also have a list of apartments

That is a problem as it seems you are from Cambodia or other ASEAN country and entered under bilateral agreement. Those stays cannot be extended except for medical extension, but you can only get a medical extension if you are unable to travel (for example, if you have had the surgery already but not yet fit to travel home). In that case the hospital can help arrange extension for you.But if you are just waiting for the operation, you cannot get extension, you would have to go back to Cambodia and then come again. If you have to do that I recommend you try to get a tourist visa after going back as that will allow you to stay up to 90 days (you get 60 days on arrival and can extend another 30 days). In addition, on tourist visa you can leave and return within that time period by getting a re-entry permit. There is no reason to think the remaining lobe of the thyroid would not function after surgery. What does sometimes happen is that if the biopsy of the removed lobe indicates the cancer has spread beyond it, they may have to go back and take out more. In your case, if it were me and if Dr. Jun and the surgeon concur with a lobectomy, I would go ahead and do that in hopes of saving the other lobe of the thyroid. This can help avoid or minimize the need to take hormones. Even if you do need to take hormone the amount you'd need and the amount of hormone flunctuation would be less than with a complete removal of the thyroid. Endoscopic surgery gives a better cosmetic result (smaller scar) is easier on the patient, easier recovery, usual less time in hospital. However it usually costs more. Regarding repeat biopsy what id Dr. Jun suggest? and did you ask about possibility of getting Afirma Gene test?

I am not specifically recommending it, I have no personal experience with it. But you asked where in Bangkok you could start TRT, this is a place which specializes in it and which many TV members use. Other option would be to see a doctor at a hospital. Third option, which some do but which I do not recommend unless you are sure you have a detailed understanding of TRT (indications, risks, dosing etc etc) is to DIY by going to labs for the relevant tests and then buying the drugs over the counter.

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/doctors/Chanida-Kanchanalarp https://www.bnhhospital.com/search-doctor/entry/3924 (same doctor, different hospitals. She trained in Germany and I think speaks German). https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/doctors/Saowaros-Patarapak

The link you provide seems to be training in pelvic floor exercises, useful for incontinence but hard to see what that would have to do with prostatitis unless there is oemthing nto shown on the website. Bacterial prostatitis takes very long courses of antibiotic to treat.4-6 weeks is not unusual. So that you don't feel better after 11 days in itself does nto mean you need a different treatment. That said, antibiotic resistance is common. Did your culture report show antibiotic sensitivities?

It is available but not all pharmacies carry it. Are your trying to get low dose (to prevent blood clotting) or regular dose?

How did you come to Thailand? A tourist visa, or visa exempt? Did you enter by air or by land border?

Sometimes. Urethral swab is more sensitive but it may show in a regular culture. So if you are negative (both for chlamydia and anything else; remember, chlamydia is not the only thing that can cause either a UTI or prostatitis) then you might want ti get an antigen test using urethral swab. Actually the most accurate test is NAAT (similiar to a PCR) as it can detect minute quantities of the pathogen but that was nto on the list of the lab you plan to go to.

This thread seems to have degenerated into a debate about one specific insurer when it was originally on the subject of insurance vs self-insurance. On both the original topic and the direction it has taken, I think pretty much all that can be said, has been said and it is just going in circles and getting acrimonious. in addition there is already a separate thread specifically about WRLife https://aseannow.com/topic/1268153-wrlife-medical-insurance-experiences/ This thread therefore closed.

Since you already have urine culture pending may as wait for that first.

A number of unhelpful and/or flaming posts have been removed along with some duplicative posts.

Agree but the number of reported visits and cost per visit deem consistent with a root canal. Sounds like a major communication problem with the dentist. ? Language barrier? One wonders if OP has been given vlear idea if what the crown itself will cost as that will be much more than the visits to date have cost.

Education and experience. If what you are after are details of my education and experience I am not going to post that. This is a social media chat board . These are not proessional consultations. Same applies to other forums...DIY, IT, photography etc etc.

It is an open forum and all members are free to give advise and many do so. Up to the poster to decide what if any advice to take. Those who regularly read the Health Forum have a sense for how knowledgable(or not) various posters are. I am the one responding in this particular thread because, in the title, the OP specifically addressed his question to me. If you read the full thread you will note that I have advised the OP to see a urologist, provided names of suggested doctors to see, and stated that I think it is a mistake to try to self-treat/ self prescribe. Nonetheless he wanted my personal opinion -- opinion not professional advise -- on what lab tests make sense and I offered it.

As above.

It is totally unclear who actually underwrites these policies. Not one person with a policy from them has bern able to state who their underwriter is. Certainly their premium strucure relative to the benefits would not stand up to an actuarial analysis.

Yes but you could hold off on#3 until you have results of #1 and #2. If #2 is positive no need for #3. IF #2 negative but #1 positive then #3 would be useful only if treatment of organism found in #1 fails to produce relief. Make sure your urine culture includes sensitivity. And note that if it turns out you do have a UTI, it will probably have occurred due to incomplete emptying of the bladder secondary to an enlarged prostate and once the immediate infection is resolved you will still need to see a doctor for that (DRE, PSA, maybe ultrasound maybe not depending on results of these first two).

The problem is not that smiles here are"fake". It is that smiles in this culture have a much, much wider range of meaning than in the West. Including being a mechanism for controlling/concealing socially unacceptable emotions and simply easing interpersonal interactions. Only sometimes does it denote friendliness or happiness. It can just as easily mean a mask to cover boredom, anger, unhappiness or even rage and grief. Sort of like wearing clothing. Within Asian culture this is seen as proper and correct not hypocritical.

Yes, claims are being met now. But the likelihood of that remaining the case given what seems to be an actuarially unsound business model and comparatively low capital reserves is another matter entirely. The likelihood of it remaining so at the current premium level is even less.