simon43

In Koh Phangan, where I recently lived, many rental properties are offered at high rents - they are being leased by Russians from the Thai owners and then illegally offered as a sub-lease.

Just to update (I posted this information also in the health forum): I returned to the UK last Wednesday I applied to my local surgery as a new patient last Friday I was accepted as a new patient by Tuesday I had my first appointment with my GP on Wednesday who referred me to the urology unit at Royal Victoria Hospital, Blackpool I had my first appointment at the urology unit on Friday, with initial tests and medication That is pretty damn quick! Next will be possible MRI scan (if the scan data that I provided from Bumrungrad is not suitable), followed by biopsy. The weather is miserably cold, most people are obese, prices are obscenely high. Apart from that, Blackpool is lovely......

Good French name that.... presumably he is one of the French Arabs who ride their motorbikes around Patong, ignoring traffic rules etc.

... and to update my update, I just had a call from the hospital urology department, who have booked me in for initial consultation and investigation this Friday! I can't fault the speed and efficiency of their service ????

Update 15 Feb: I registered with a local doctor on Friday, was added to their system by Tuesday morning, saw a doctor today (Wednesday) and have been fast-track referred to the local urology centre for further diagnosis and treatment, (fast-track means 98% getting their first hospital appointment within 2 weeks).

In 21 years of living in Thailand, I have never drunk tap water ????. The authorities may say that it's safe to drink, but then they also talk a load of lying <deleted> as well.....

AFAIK, stinging nettle may be effective to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate (BPH), but has no proven effects on reducing, killing or slowing the growth of prostate cancer cells.

^^ Whose new rules? The language school or immigration?

My worst electric shock was as a teenager when I used to build valve amateur and pirate radio transmitters. I was zapped with about 2,400 volts off the anode of the transmitting valve. I literally flew through the air and landed in a crumpled heap on the floor of my bedroom!

Well, at least that wound looks well-cauterized....

Yes I agree - it is not a cure, but another step to prolong life if the prostate cancer has spread. I think the stats show that this syrgery prolongs life by on average 80 months. If one has prostate cancer that is wholly contained within the prostate, then a prostatectomy should give you at least 7 more years (stats tell me that 25% of patients have cancer reoccurrence after 7 years). Then zap it with radiation therapy and the stats suggest another 7 years, then chop your 2-veg off and another 9 years. If I go down this route, it seems that I might live longer than someone who never has cancer!! ????

Years ago I had an ED visa in Phuket to learn Mandarin Chinese, and I attended all my classes and study was going well. When I had to renew my ED visa, the IO said that he would test my language knowledge, but since he didn't know any Chinese he would test my Thai language knowledge instead!!

Which is why I don't understand why older men who require hormone reduction do not opt for orchiectomy (surgical removal of the testicles). This kills testosterone production stone dead, is a simple 30-minute local anaesthetic outpatient operation, and is a common procedure in developing countries where they can't afford Big Pharma hormone treatment.

Lao Kip!!

Your ears are the wrong shape....

I think doctors will not start cancer treatment unless they know that the growth is cancerous, and that needs a biopsy. I'm currently awaiting a biopsy in the UK, following my MRI at Bumrungrad which shows 2 small growths at Pirads 5 level.

I'm no doctor but I think an important point would be how fast your PSA value is increasing. My PSA was around 5 for maybe 7 years or so (slightly raised due to BPH), but I only visited the hospital when it jumped to 11.5 after I had no PSA tests for 2 years (stuck in Laos due to Covid). My MRI scan at Bumrungrad showed a Pirads level 5, but still wholly contained within my prostate. But time for further investigation and treatment,

The risk of being impotent and/or incontinent depends on if the surgery can spare the nerves outside your prostate. If the tumours are wholly within your prostate, then any ED or urinary incontinence should be temporary, but I guess it will also depend on your own health, whether overweight etc.

Concerning the NHS being on the brink of collapse, there is a huge difference between different departments, surgeries etc. In the case of cancer diagnosis and treatment, there are target times of 2 weeks from GP referral to hospital consultation, and then 4 weeks target time from that consultation to start of treatment or diagnostic procedures such as biopsy. Most NHS hospitals achieve those targets with about a 98% level. Now if you need a hip replacement, you might have to wait years..... but not for cancer.

If you do want to change your diet for a more healthy alternative, the worst thing you can do IMHO is to go 'all in', with a sudden change in your diet. Rather, make a small change by eating one type of 'healthy' food, but still also eating your favourite 'unhealthy' food in a smaller amount. Gradually move over several months from unhealthy to healthy diet.

Better not to have informed the UK state pension office of his death - just keep collecting his pension...

The train doesn't go anywhere near to Phuket. You would need to get off the train near to Surat Thani and then use a truck to drive for maybe 3 hours to reach Phuket.

As I mentioned a few posts back, my PSA number went from 11.5 to 14.5 late last year, but fell back to 10.5 last week after I started to take cannabis oil and various foods that trials have shown to reduce or kill or slow prostate cancer growth. So it will indeed be interesting as to what the biopsy reveals.

The cancer has yet to be positively diagnosed by biopsy. But the MRI scan at Bumrungrad gave a Pirads level 5 score on the 2 lumps found = 98% likely to be cancerous. Of course, there is always a slim chance that they are benign, in which case a prostatectomy would not be required, but something to resolve my BPH would be needed if they keep growing and obstructing urination more than now. @Simple1, good luck with your treatment! I have only just re-registered with the NHS, so can't comment on service. But the stats for The Christie re waiting times for cancer treatment are published online and most people receive their first consultation within 2 weeks of GP referral and treatment starts within 4 weeks after that. Meanwhile, I eat foods and medication that clinical tests show to reduce/slow prostate cancer cell growth. (Mebdenazole, cannabis oil, almonds, pomegranite juice, mint green tea, licorice root etc).

Because the price of hotels in other locations was very high. Since Blackpool is just 1 hour by train from The Christie, and since it is 'dead' in the winter, guest house rooms are low price - I'm paying about 18 pounds a night all in. Plus I can exercise/jog on the seafront promenade. I will not have to make many visits to The Christie, just consultation, surgery and post-surgery follow-up.