Sheryl

4 hours ago, connda said:

@Sheryl
Hey Sheryl.  Do you have a web link to the seller who is sell Puritan's Pride 10mg 120 tabs for 500 THB.
I've looked and the best I can find is ฿850.  Thanks!
 

Actually after I placed my order I got a message they no longer had it. Puritan Pride seems hard to source now, if you found it at all, I'd order it. (and if it comes, please post the link!)

4 hours ago, nana kid said:

My advise from personal experience                      a slow growth Cancer can explode into necessary Prostatectomy in a short time.

Also do whatever you can to keep the prostate because without it you will be incontinent  ie on diapers for the rest

of your life. The Urinary Sphincter is in the Prostate.   Get rid of the Cancer ASAP no matter what the size

The sphincter is not in the prostate. However, the prostate surrounds it so there is a risk of damage to it (and to nerves) during prostate surgery.  Short term incontinence is common initially, and may take a few months to resolve, but only a small minority of men have long term incontinence.

Risk is less with robotic surgery than TURP, provided the operators are sufficiently experienced.

15 minutes ago, jimn said:

Whilst @Sherylis 100% correct it all depends on you. I am prescribed from my UK doctor 200 paracetamol and Codeine 500/30mg. I regularly bring 7 months supply into Thailand, I have been doing this for over 10 years. Not once have I been questioned on entry. I carry my monthly prescription with me. Customs at Suvarnabhumi airport very rarely scan or even rarer search anyone's luggage. When they do its normally a Thai person and they are looking for designer goods.

Obviously if not checked (usually the case), no issue but OP may not want to risk that. At best, the meds would be altogether confiscated.

Yes. No problem for foreigners, even tourists, being accepted at either place. 

Language something of a barrier  though so I would advise to have a Thai speaker along.

15 minutes ago, john donson said:

does every old man not get prostate cancer in the end , but rarely dies from it

 

one thing goes, your erection...  so is it worth it...

No, not all men get prostate cancer.

And while some prostate cancers are slow growing, some are aggressive. 

Prostate cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in men in many western countries. 

Recognizing that some prostate cancers are very slow growing, prostate cancer scoring systems nowadays speak on terms of "clinically significant" prostate cancer i.e. cancers requiring treatment. 

On 4/3/2024 at 1:49 AM, garet said:

"Also note that for the physicsl presence test you'd not have to use the exact tax year. Any 12 month period can be used."

Any 12 month period starting when? In 2020 and 2021 I didn't go to the US at all, But I was there for 30 consecutive days in 2022, and in 2023 I was there for 30 days from mid April to mid May, and 15 more days in August

You could use August 2022 through August 2023 arranging dates so that just 35 days in US.

Or you could use  late April  2023 through April 2024.

The period you use does not have to be the exact  tax year.

I suggest you download  IRS Publication 54 which explains all this

5 minutes ago, CanadaSam said:

Sheryl, VERY grateful for your joining in, so far, I have only had a full abdomen ultrasound which shows nothing conclusive.

 

I suspect ulcers because of severe pain, especially after heavy meals.

 

The hernia I am more sure about, because when I bend over to put on socks, or bend a certain way in the shower to scrub my back, there is a definate protusion that pops out, and an excrutiating pain which, if I stay absolutely still for about 5 minutes, then it goes back in and the pain subsides somewhat.

 

The doctors have told me (at both Queen Sirikit and Bangkok Pattaya Hospital) that my ulcers are probably due to gerd, and excess alcohol, although I stopped whiskey a couple years ago and now am only on beer.

 

I wanted to go for MRI but doctors feel that may also not be required, to go for endoscopy / gastroscopy.

 

I am seriously looking for a hospital where they have the expertise and equipment to do the endoscopy and simultaneously fix my tummy problems, and a friend doctor in Canada said they can do it with cauterization for the ulcers and possibly also resolve the hernia, as well as fundoplication to fix the gerd, otherwise another laparascopy operation can do the hernia(s).

 

My difficulty is, I don't know which hospital I should go to, obviously, I would not like to pay astronomical rates, as I am self-financing this.

 

Once again, thanks to Sheryl, and everybody else, who helped with their valuable advice and suggestions.  Sorry for the lengthy post!

 

Just to add, most of the hospitals I am contacting are replying with the answer that they only do endoscopy to look at things, and don't do any procedures simultaneously to fix things, especially cauterization, it seems to be unheard of, in Thailand hospitals, oddly!

 

 

You did not previously mention this hernia which -- if you have one --  is likely unrelated to your gastric issues. A hiatal hernia, which can cause GERD, does not produce the sort of bulge you mention.

Where exactly is this bulge located?

Endoscopy (with testing for H. Pylori) is  standard approach for diagnosis and management of gastric ulcers/gastritis. And treatment is usually medicsl (medications) not surgery. Endoscopy can also confirm GERD and indicate  if it is damaging the esophageal lining which would then be a factor in treatment decisions. 

Fundiplication is done only for severe GERD that does not respond to other measures. It can be combined with hernia repair only in the case of hiatal hernia which does not seem to be what you describe having...though ebdoscopy woukd confurm. 

If you are comfortable with your GI specialist at Queen Sirkit I  would proceed with the endoscopy they recommended. No doctor is likely to commit to fundiplication or other treatment without endoscopy findings. 

Meanwhile please clarify re this "bulge" as if you hafe an inguinal or umbilical hernia would need to see a general surgeon for that. 

For future reference where was the GI doctir based and her name? 

GERD is one thing, ulcers are another.

Are you referring to gastric ulcers or esophageal ulceration? 

2 hours ago, James26 said:

The record says they don't have your original record, and they recommend you go back to the hospital where your original hernia was repaired. It also shows your mesh has failed because they can manually palpate a soft mass, which confirms this.
As another responder posted, mesh repairs can and do fail, although the incidence is low. Maybe you have been doing some heavy lifting. A hernia mesh is often considered a permanent device that can remain in place without replacement. However, if a hernia returns to the same area, the mesh may need to be replaced or a new one placed. It is not that difficult a procedure today. It can be done by either open repair or laparoscopic repair. 
I also had a repair 16 years ago, but it's still okay. However, I just got the other side fixed one week ago at my local government hospital using a laparoscopic technique. Excellent service and great price.
Just get it fixed, mate—no big deal.

2 hours ago, James26 said:

The record says they don't have your original record, and they recommend you go back to the hospital where your original hernia was repaired. It also shows your mesh has failed because they can manually palpate a soft mass, which confirms this.
As another responder posted, mesh repairs can and do fail, although the incidence is low. Maybe you have been doing some heavy lifting. A hernia mesh is often considered a permanent device that can remain in place without replacement. However, if a hernia returns to the same area, the mesh may need to be replaced or a new one placed. It is not that difficult a procedure today. It can be done by either open repair or laparoscopic repair. 
I also had a repair 16 years ago, but it's still okay. However, I just got the other side fixed one week ago at my local government hospital using a laparoscopic technique. Excellent service and great price.
Just get it fixed, mate—no big deal.

Thanks for this.

So the problem is that the hernia has recurred. 

Continue to recommend OP go to KKU. 

1 hour ago, Asquith Production said:

Sheryl. They did a procedure on Tuesday were they put an I.V in my left arm then injected something which made me feel very warm. I was on a movable bed and then entered some sort of  scanner. Is this some sort of X Ray? It was expensive 8250 baht

Not an Xray,  it was either MRI or CT with contrast media. 

1 hour ago, Ben Zioner said:

As OP mentioned, his Australian Doctor wants to enucleate his prostate to prevent urinary retention during the cancer radiotherapy. 

Yes I know. That is HoLEPS. Not Rezum or Aquablation. 

1 hour ago, paul1804 said:

BNH is a very good government hospital on Silom Rd, I believe there is one of Thailands leading Uroligists practicing there, another option is Bangkok Christian hospital, a private hospital also on Silom road and a lot less expensive that Bumrungrad. Saint Louis Hospital is also worth considering if you are on a budget.

BNH is a private hospital and on Convent Rd (between Silom and Sathorn). 

Bangkok Christian and St. Louis, while excellent hosp8tals, do not offer the full  range of relevant treatments.  Cannot do HoLEPS and robotic surgery for example.

14 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

I did some research on this and they say post-surgery complications like chronic pain are very common

Not very common. But it happens. About 11% incidence.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17693290/

18 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I assume the referral letter gives a breakdown of what, who, when and any problems that may of occurred at the time of the original operation. After all it was 16+ years ago.

 I doubt your problems have anything to do with details of the surgery beyond that it was a hernia repair with mesh. More likely the referral says something like "had a hernia repair with mesh in (year) and complains of persistant pain, referred for possible mesh removal" but it would be good to check. Can you show it to a Thai speaker?

Off topic and bickering posts have been removed

Form 2555 is submitted with, not instead of, a 1040.

As for number of days in the US; limit is only if you use physical presence test. If you qualify on grounds of  bona fide foreign residence there is no limit to number of days you could have been in the US.

Also note that for the physicsl presence test you yd not have to use the exact tax year. Any 12 month period can be used.

If I understand correctly your issue is what you submit in place of a W2. 

You complete a substitute W2 form yourself https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4852#:~:text=Form 4852 serves as a,2 or Form 1099-R.

@defwill29 there are 2 options: a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon. The latter will cost more. The former will tell you if he/she thinks it needs a plastic surgeon (i.e. if they are not able themselves to remove without scarring) so I suggest you start with Prof. Siri  as others have recommended

https://sriphat.med.cmu.ac.th/en/doctor/detail/122

I believe he also has his own clinic at

119 Moonmuang Road, A Muang,

Chiang Mai 50200. Tel: 053 357085

but double check as that info is old

Much will depend on how deep it is and whether it is actually a cyst or a lipoma

@Keeps suggest you also try Prof. Siri unless the cyst is very large in which case might need a general surgeon.

Flaming/bickering posts have been removed