Sheryl

I think you have been reading things that pertain to more extensive types of back surgery...and/ or surgery on cervical rather than lumbar spine. I have had this surgery. Recovery was quite easy. No restriction on driving unless taking opiate pain killers, which you are unlikely to need after discharge. No dressing changes or other wound care that I recall. It is a very tiny excision. Main movement restriction is on bending over more than x degrees (?45? 90? I forget) and sharply twisting the spine. Buy a "grabber" (reacher) stick beforehand, Lazada and Shopee both have them, and use that to pick things up from the ground or from a high place. Rare to need physical therapy unless you have muscle wasting etc already developed, and even then it's simple things you can do at home. Once you are allowed to bend completrey at the waist again, may need to do daily stretches ar first due to muscle tightening. There was advice not to lift heavy things but the limit was more than the 1-2 kg you have mentioned. I forget what it was exactly but it had minimal impact on my daily life. Unless there are complications (rare) or you are otherwise debilitated from other causes, no need at all for a nurse or cook. Might be good to have lady friend stay with you first 1-2 nights at home just in case you are still a bit woozy from the anesthesia and post op pain meds. I wasn't, but you could be. If your garden work is strenuous and involves heavy lifting or bending over, might need to hire someobe to help with that a few times a week. You will be given a hand out on post op care. Really not a big deal. Main thing I remember is using the "grabber" stick to avoid bending. Though this proscription is not as serious or prolonged as in fusion procedures. You are in the best possible hands.

It makes a huge difference Basicslly there are 2 potential issues: Whether moratorium period has been met, in case of a moratorium policy (as opposed to full medicsl underwng) or a full underwriting polucy which, at time of issue, included a moratorium clause. Meeting a moratorium requirement typically means requiring no treatment of any sort for a specific condition for X amount of time, coukd be anywhere from 6 months to several years. Whether you lied or witheld information at time of application. The index of suspicion for this varies depending on the type of condition in the claim and how long you've had the policy. Take out a new policy and claim for a heart condition, cancer, prostate issue, hernia etc (all conditions that typically develop over time) in the first year and any insurer will take a close look at your records. Have a policy for more than say 5 years with either no claims or just completly unrelated claims, and they will ususlly not bother. In my experience most (not all) of the people who post complaints about denied claims did in fact withold relevant information and then make a claim early in the policy. When told how to go about contesting the denial they don't follow through bc the facts don't support their case. Not everyone, but many. I get messages all the time along the lines of "I never got insurance becsuse I was healthy. Now I have x disease, how can I get coverage for it". The answer is simple: you can't. People with long held policies they haven't needed so far have not "gotten nothing" from their premiums. They have locked into a policy that will now promptly pay out with no issue as their claims record speaks for itself.

This is an AI summary of reports on domestic US heslth insurance. Not really relevant . Definitely not reflective ofvUK/EU issued internationsl expat policies. Private insurers are better regulated in counties.

BNH hospital is only place I have seen offering it here so fsr. They were also the first place in Thailand to do Rezum. This doctor: https://www.bnhhospital.com/search-doctor/entry/4100/

Thanks for the update. I was wondering. From thd dounds if it, all appropriate diagnostic procedures have been done. Any real serious problems would have been immediatly evident so don't be anxious. The biopsy results will tell whether you have gastritis and/or h. pylori infection, both very treatsble. Most importantly, you do not have colon tumor. The fecal impaction may have been csused by the immodium you took. Or you may have developed it gradually and thrn the immodium worsened it. Going forward, make sure to have a high fiber diet. Stewed prunes nightly are very helpful as well, Avsilable at supermarkets. Oatmeal also good.

People needing to do intermittent catheterization are usually suffering from urine retention, not incontinence

About 6000 baht or a tad less per injection. 2 injections needed.

Urinalysis is one thing, urine culture is another. Sounds like you want the latter. Call and adk if they can fo "culture and sensitivity".

I believe @Xylophone has to perform intermittent catheterizations maybe PM him for info on catheter type and source. You could also try contacting Coloplast Thailand. https://www.coloplast.co.th/ open in Chrome for translation. The website lists only ostomy supplies but there is a contact phone number, you could try calling and ask if they know local source for Coloplast Speedicath. As mentioned the only catheters I have so far seen sold here are either latex, silicon or PVC (nalaton). Any of these should work OK if you use smallest effective size French and ample water soluble lubricant.

Nelaton and foley are all I have seen. A hydrophilic catheter would likely have to be imported. The higher end private hospitals might have.

In Pattaya, that is Dr. Anna Jaruwan. But OP asks about Bangkok. Suggest Samitivej Sukhumvit, one of these doctors: https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/doctor/detail/paritas-sukriket https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/doctor/detail/patcharahatai-kraisak https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/doctor/detail/nopadon-noppakun

Yes. They have 2 locations.

And where is that chart from? For what type of cover in what country(ies)? Even in the US nobody pays that much. Please do not post extracts without source. . Usual cost for a 65 year old in Thailand (hospitaluzation cover) averages 2,000 - 4,000 USD annually depending on policy, deductible option etc. I have excellent cover and at age 73 am paying a bit over 5k annually.

.... " Is there a way to avoid the chance that you'll have paid hefty premiums only to have a claim denied. That would be my main concern.". Yes, there is. Get a policy based on "full medical underwriting" (as opposed to a moratorium policy), answer all questiond honestly and in full. You might end up with some exclusions buf if so, you will know in advance. Also, try to select an insurer with good payment record. "Have you never had one health issue in 67 years?" Having ever had a health issue does not automatically mean there is a pre-existing condition. A prior health issue that is now fully resolved and requiring no sort of ongoing treatment is not usually condidered a pre-existing condition. In addition, insurers vary in how they handle pre-existing conditions that are stable/well controlled....e.g blood pressure thst is normal on daily medication or elevated lipids ditto. This is where services of a good broker can be very helpful.

400 euros a month is high for age 67. More like 250 would be normal provided you; Look at internationally issued expat plans rather than Thai companies. These are more better regulated (assuming issued in a first world country) and at older ages rates usually less and cover higher. 2. Look at plans that cover only hospitalization ( including day procedures, chemo and dialysis). And if thrre is more thsn one tier of those analyze the difference. 3. Use a (Western based) broker specializing in expat policies. 4. Analyze various deductible options. Typically a lower end deductible will more than pay for itself. 5. Look at paying annually rather than monthly (often saves 10%).

Especially at older ages, needed medical care often relates to quality of life more (or instead of) quantity. Pain relief. Mobility. Eyesight. Etc.

50,000 a month???? Nobody has premiums that high.

Yes, you do. Please disregard those trying to discourage you from getting professional help. It is ususlly best to start with therapy and let the therapist recommend whether a medicatiom is also necessary and, if so, what type. Sometimes talk therapy alone will suffice. Sometimes not.

I couldn't tell you how much I have paid in my entire lifetime and anyway, not meaningful as for most of my life I had insurance paid all or in part by employer. I can tell you that, over the past 8 years (duration of current policy), I paid a total of about USD $29,000 in premiums and my policy paid out over $100,000 in coverage. Bad accident, and then several back surgeries etc -- I've been unlucky of late. I very much hope that in the coming 8 years, the balance will swing back in favor of the insurer. If it does, I will not view it as a "loss" but rather as good fortune. How much someone had paid out/gotten "back" to date is not, however, relevant. If you had asked me after the first year of my current policy, I would at that point have had no claims, and no reason to expect the sizeable claims that then followed. That s the whole point. We do not know what lies ahead. In any financially viable, non-subsidized insurance scheme, the majority of policy holders will pay in more than they receive in benefits while a minority will receive more than they paid in, in some cases dramatically more. That is how it works. And there is absolutely no way of knowing in advance which group you will end up being in. Insurance is not a form of pre-payment. It is a form of risk-sharing.

This year's premium for me is not due until August, typically the notice would be out around May. Last year, increase was 17.8%. I also have April France policy, but not "Comfort", it is the level below that (I forget the term, Basic or Essential?). And I have a $500 deductible. Premiums do increase with age, and more so at older ages. There are also inflationary increases. You might like to consider downgrading plan slightly, I know when i analyzed it the added cost of "Comfort" plan was not worth it. Also, a $500 deductible pretty much pays for itself.

Unhelpful post removed. Moved to Wellness subforum.

A 40% edge over placebos is not consistent with your claim that antidroressrnts are mere plsebos. Of course, effects are much less if the depresdion is only mild. Antidepressents are not recommended for "mild" depression.

Update: First of all this was a Cambodian woman applying in Phnom Penh. But worth noting in case Embassy in Thailand doing the same. Immediately on arrival she was told flatly that no tourist visas are being issued at this time. Only student visas and what sounds like short term businpess visas. They refused to even look at the documentatpion brought and asked no questions related to her application. It was suggestd she reapply in the future but no indication of when. The idea was probably once there is either guidance received on thev"extra scrutiny" to be applied for tourist visas, or if Cambodia gets dropped from the list after the supposed review to be done. (I don't think this list of 75 countries is based on any sort of data). No way to know if or when either might happen. But probably no time soon. Visa fee forfeited of course (despie no real application review or interview) and would entail a new visa fee to reaaply so hardly worth doing in the present context. If only they had notified applicants that tourist visa processing was on hold. We could have rescheduled the interview for a latrer time in hopes of not wasting the fee. I would recommend anyone who is a national of one of the listed countries not to bothet applying for a tourist visa until such a time as there are reliable reports of any being issued or the listing changes. My friend's application was submitted before the new policy was announced but earliest interview date was after. Bad luck leading to a waste of time anf money.

If a CT is done request copy on DVD. Even if results negative...good to have in case you need furzher care elsewhere.

I don't know the name of GI specialist at Suranaree (which is what you would need -- a GI specialist trained in endoscopy). It is a comparatively small place so I doubt there are many which may be why you were told a 2 month wait. No harm in asking about how to schedule a colonoscopy when you go Monday though. Sounds like they may do CT Monday?. If so, while less effective at spotting small cancers thsn colonoscopy, it can detect signs of larger ones.