xylophone

I did post this before but here it is again for those who may not have seen it..........it is a really good video on prostate surgery and options.

Despite an increasing age (55% of patients are older than 70), the associated morbidity of TURP maintained at a low level (<1%) with a mortality rate of 0-0.25%. The major late complications are urethral strictures (2.2-9.8%) and bladder neck contractures (0.3-9.2%). The retreatment rate range is 3-14.5% after five years. Conclusions: TURP still represents the gold standard for managing benign prostatic hyperplasia with decreasing complication rates. Technological alternatives such as bipolar and laser treatments may further minimize the risks of this technically difficult procedure.

That was a "mis-stated" part of the original report which is covered in this........... Why You Shouldn't Trust Anyone Who Claims over 80 Percent of America's Drugs Come From China A misleading statistic has made the rounds. But it’s based on a misreading of a government report https://reason.com/2020/04/06/why-you-shouldnt-trust-anyone-who-claims-80-percent-of-americas-drugs-come-from-china/

Why You Shouldn't Trust Anyone Who Claims over 80 Percent of America's Drugs Come From China A misleading statistic has made the rounds. But it’s based on a misreading of a government report https://reason.com/2020/04/06/why-you-shouldnt-trust-anyone-who-claims-80-percent-of-americas-drugs-come-from-china/ The answer is that over half of the active pharmaceutical ingredients used to make “American drugs” are made in China and India, with more coming from China. The fact is that most finished prescription drugs sold in U.S. pharmacies are manufactured in facilities located all over the world, but very few in China.Mar 5, 2563 BE https://medium.com › pharmacychecker › which-u-s-medi.

That's good to know, but from all of the research I've done I would go with the Urolift procedure, IF it was my prostate playing up!

Thanks for your good wishes, however I don't think it has anything to do with my TURP procedure of many years ago, because it was over 10 years ago and I was peeing fine until about a month or so ago, and I don't know what has caused this, and nor does the urologist, however I think it's a different situation with regards to what you are experiencing now. The meds like doxazosin and others will relax the prostate and bladder muscles, however the overriding situation is that your prostate is enlarging, and the meds probably won't stop that, just ease the situation with it, until it becomes basically unmanageable. As I said earlier, if my situation was purely about the prostate enlarging, and thereby restricting the urine flow, then my first option would be the Urolift, even if it meant going to the likes of Dubai (or Australia, or the USA) to have it done, and the universally tried and trusted procedure of the TURP would be the next option (again). In the main the TURP operation works for the vast majority of men, with just a few experiencing some side-effects, and retrograde ejaculation is probably the main one (in a small percentage of men I may add), however it doesn't stop the "enjoyment" of sex, it just means that the semen flows back into the bladder rather than out of the end of the penis, which doesn't feel any different, but is less messy!! As for me, well I'm searching for ways and means to get the bladder working again, but it's a long hard road at the moment. I would be happy if it was just a prostate problem, but it doesn't seem to be.

I noticed that BritManToo has mentioned doxazosin as a treatment, and it can work, mainly because it relaxes the muscles in the prostate and bladder, thereby allowing urine to flow more easily, but for many people it is only a temporary measure. If the prostate has become so large that it blocks the prostatic urethra, thereby restricting urine flow, then surgery is perhaps the only remedy, and because we live in Thailand, the TURP (or the equivalent by greenlight laser) is the only option we have, although as I said previously I would opt for the Urolift if it was here – – – but having said that, I have found out that it is available in Dubai and Singapore, if one could get there. I was thinking of going, but the problem I seem to have now is that I cannot pass any water whatsoever so I'm having to self catheter three times a day, and have been doing this for about a month, despite having ultrasound and a cystoscopy, and nothing showed up, although I was rather hoping it was the prostate growing again so that I could get it fixed, but apparently it's not. The urologist called it neurogenic bladder, which for some reason means that the nerves in the bladder wall and signals from the brain are not coordinating to allow the bladder to empty, so I have got more research to do, because the urologist here doesn't know what has caused it! Doesn't give me much hope. If you can see a good urologist, he will be able to recommend a course of action and will know whether more/other meds will do the trick, or if an operation is necessary (only just seen your post re the meds).

The TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) is the most commonly found procedure here in Thailand, which can alleviate problems associated with BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia) and it is considered the gold standard in the urology world. Most largish hospitals here will be able to carry out a TURP. I've had one in Australia although it wasn't without its "problems", and I have been experiencing problems again so have looked at two new procedures, the steam treatment called Rezum and another one called Urolift (which is my preferred option) both of which are relatively quick and painless and don't involve surgery per se. BUT not available in Thailand.

Totally agree with that statement as it was a total waste of money, equipment and lives, this after the death of Osama bin Laden. Yes, a lot of American military hardware has been left behind, and I would suppose a lot of it is not worth salvaging, but on that point, the military leaders (you know the high up leadership) had they been worth their mettle would have ensured that either the equipment got back one way or another, or it was blown up. Throughout all of this, the military leadership has been dreadful, and I can't blame any president for the fact that they've got some pretty dumb people in charge of the military and it is they who should be held responsible. The old saying that the term "military intelligence" is an oxymoron was never more true.

Be careful if parking outside, as parking on the red marked road will get you chained up! Saw a car yesterday with a chain wrapped around the wheel and door............easy money for cash starved BIB!

Yes, you make good points, but overall they were wars that the US shouldn't have been in, and the "suppressing communism" was as much an ideological thing as anything, and sure enough, Afghanistan was a terrorist base, but then again so was Pakistan! The overall picture, on which I think we both agree, is that it was totally mishandled and inept war, and one which you quite rightly state should have ended once bin Laden wasn't there, and trying to build a nation in a country such as Afghanistan with its mediaeval customs, warlords and whatever else you want to name, was always going to be a nonsense. However it seemed to benefit many in the American military, many advisers and hangers on, not to mention the Afghanistan hierarchy, and so it went on – – such a shame. This is an interesting article from the NZ Herald: – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/billions-spent-on-afghan-army-ultimately-benefited-taliban/QWWDYHJG7ACSYTGV7GFHAPVPHY/

Well he was on a hiding to nothing wasn't he, because the wind down in the military was agreed before his tenure (in February 2020, President Trump and NATO allies agreed to formulate a deal with the Taliban, allowing for a formal withdrawal of US combat forces from Afghanistan. Under the terms of the agreement, the Taliban promised "not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control." The deal, titled the "Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan", saw US and NATO forces withdrawing in earnest and set the deadline for a complete withdrawal of US forces by 1 May 2021) so although it is happening on his watch, that is not the whole story. For years there have been stories of huge corruption in Afghanistan, where the US and allies pumped hundreds of billions of dollars into the war effort, and for the most, the US government, military and other advisers turned a blind eye to it. One has to ask how the US and others spent 20 years and hundreds of billions of dollars "training" the Afghan military to be a fighting force to protect the country, only to see it crumple like a house of cards. It asks a couple of questions: – just how effective was the training, and irrespective of any training, did the Afghans have the courage and mettle to be able to fight for their country. If you add into that the corruption which ensured a great deal of the military, police force and others were unpaid, due to their own corruption, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It was yet another war that America (and its allies) had had no business being in, but the lessons of Vietnam were seemingly not learned. This was a complete failing of the American military and its advisers, which is such a shame because it sacrificed so many young American lives (not to mention the many Afghan citizens who died over the 20 year period) on poor principles, bad advice, corruption and total ineptitude,

Far fewer "working girls" around at the moment BUT have seen some absolute stunners accompanying farangs around Patong. Maybe girls from "online" and Bkk who have managed to sneak in??

Don't let facts get in the way of a good story about your hero, because he was nothing more than an unintelligent liar, who made so many mistakes and also touted hydroxychloroquine, as well as bleach and UV light as potential cures. If you want to read some facts. They are here...... Fact check: The vaccine for COVID-19 has been nearly 20 years in the making https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/01/21/fact-check-covid-19-vaccine-nearly-20-years-making/3873247001/ What accelerated the vaccine process was manufacturing.

Dear Hugh Lao, I am informed that the large wart on the end of your nose actually enhances your appearance so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Indeed you may wish to try and grow it larger and then apply for a starring part as a witch in Macbeth, because I'm sure you would fit in very well, standing round the cauldron stirring in all of the special unproven ingredients your little heart desires. No charge for the "medical advice". Dr Xylo.

Give it a go........you might end up with a nice shiny coat and a wet nose!!

On the subject of Montclair, I have just noticed on their new labelling/packaging that they now openly state that it is a fruit wine by including the following sentence, "Montclair is wine from South Africa, blended with orchard fruits". Now that's a turn up for the book, because for a while they omitted any mention of fruit or fruit wine, so perhaps someone has had a word in their ear about the legality of the correct labelling of wine and fruit wine?

OOPS........in too much of a hurry!! Mataro.

A PS. to my reply as to this abbreviation @Puccini, GSM..................in Australia the Mourvedre grape is often referred to as Matara.

A guy I know here has been married six times, and is now living with seventh "would-be" wife, if she could get a divorce from the Italian guy she married a few years back, but that seems impossible to do at the moment, so wife number seven will have to wait. He is all but useless around the house, and I remember him telling me that he was going to cook a curry one night, with the cook-in curry sauce he had bought, and when I asked how it went, he said it was a bit sweet?? Turns out that he had added mango chutney in the cooking of it, this because he knew no better! He also needs someone to moan/shout at on a regular basis, and it's often embarrassing when he has a go at his very lovely and fairly timid girlfriend, for nothing in particular. He is completely lost when on his own.

Well I'm not going to offer the same old tried and tested excuse, "I came for the temples and the culture" however I didn't really come for the women, but came here to get away from the commercial rat race I was in, and to help cure a precancerous condition in my throat, mainly caused by stress and reflux. The idea that I could spend the rest of my life in a warm country without ever having to work again was very tempting, and of course I enjoyed the nightlife when I was a young man, so I did jump back into that eventually, this after spending five years living with a lovely lady and her daughter – – but that's another story. You make a good point about how the OP's friend chooses to live, because it's completely in his hands as to what sort of life he lives and what sort of apartment he lives in, or indeed as you quite rightly said, that he could rent a house out in the burbs for very little money. I suspect the main reason is that he is not comfortable with his own company, and I know many guys who are like this, many who have to have a woman in their lives, no matter what, because they are incapable of living on their own, anything from not being able to prepare a meal, or to hating being on their own, comes to mind. The problem is they would be like this wherever they went if they didn't change their ways, or if they were of that particular ilk. Luckily enough I prefer my own company and can always find something to interest me, and if the long stay indoors gives me "cabin fever", I just jump in the car and go for a drive, or pop down to the local supermarket on my motorbike, and of course I do have a few chosen friends whom I liaise with from time to time, but they are not a necessary part of my life. There are people who will be unhappy no matter where they go, and the subject in question could be one of those?

Yes the 7-11s were closed!

Tried to get on to TV Chaos but it won't let me onto the site as it says that I have to be invited on?? Tried to log in but cannot.....any suggestions?? Thanks.

You beat me to it sm007 as I was just about to post the same thing, because the property market had been dead here long before Covid took hold, and there were regular reports of thousands of unsold/uninhabited condos in Bangkok alone. Nearer to home in Phuket, many of the property booths had disappeared and I knew a couple of the managers who said that times were extremely tough, hence getting rid of the booths and the staff. Then of course there were friends of mine who were trying to sell condos and villas, and who had no luck, although one of my friends did, when he/they bought a penthouse condo overlooking the sea for 18 million baht a few years back and then just two years later wanted to sell it and couldn't, and were advised to drop the price, which they did, several times, and in the end because they were desperate to get rid of it, they settled for 11 million baht – – that's a huge loss in two years. The other side of the coin is the fact that there are a lot of places on the market here where the asking price has stayed high, irrespective of the glut of places and the market conditions, notwithstanding Covid et al. With rents so low and the Visa situation so tricky, why would anyone want to spend good money in a place like this?

Looking for some of the Hale and Pace episodes, but the only two I've found have zero or just one leacher so no real chance of downloading........any ideas??