Farmerslife

15 hours ago, fredscats said:

If they indicate a 3 day stay should suffice Id say they were not making plans to do any extensive cutting,will be 5 days

Think you are wasting time and money in Th,better off every which way  India

 

By the way extensive,not very positive comment on TURP alternative is being removed on Facebook..that being Rezum...a right con job

Where's your usual optimism? 

" ....... extensive cutting ......"  

Jeez, I want them to reduce the size of my prostate, not disembowel me.???? Being eviscerated ain't on my list of things to do on turning 70.

If both the doctors that I have seen suggest a 3 day stay for after the operation should be adequate then I'll bow to their superior knowledge and anyway the more days in hospital the more expensive it becomes. 

  As for India? I know it works for you and that's great but it's a non-starter for me. I know next to nothing about the country and even less about its healthcare.

A 2 hour flight maybe, but by the time I had added on journeys at either end, booking in, clearing immigration etc I am looking at a good 6 hours or more. The prospect of doing this after an operation when I might need the toilet every 20 minutes, or perhaps with a catheter in place, fills me with dread. It just isn't practical for me.  

1 hour ago, fredscats said:

Only concern is especially with cheaper quotes would be too timid with cutting tool,just do enough to get you bye,or cut out enough to stop you ever going again for repeat.

  Do not know if its a package you are buying or just the op,suppose you could manage at home,all you are doing is waiting for bleeding to stop

The three quotes I obtained were all for a 3 day stay. Thereafter any additional treatment, I imagine,  I would be expected to delve into my pocket again.

See attached

Thailand.pdf

Slight, fine boned, graceful, femine but never take that as a sign of weakness. My wife packs a mean haymaker, always best to keep a safe distance when she's riled and my girlfriend has a fearless quiet determination. She refuses to back down if she feels she is in the right, true strength of character.

There is no way fat and flabby trumps slender and elegant as far as I am concerned. If I had wanted the elephantine I would stayed in the West.

Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite
"Well, have you ever seen a girl for whom your soul you'd give?
For whom you'd fight for, die for, pray to God you'd lie for?
She's so fine, she's so fine, she's really sweet the finest girl
You ever want to meet"

Yes, I have! 

20 hours ago, fredscats said:

If you can divulge,the cost of TURP?  Think I was quoted around 420 xxxx,had mine done around 700 US  ,but 5 to 6 years ago in India,but the prices I see now are under that,many hospitals are carrying out this procedure

Alternate procedures are a total waste of time,the guy above must have come out with a bill of at least 200000,probably more,its not the sort of place you come out of with a bulging wallet,even tho you entered with one,but private hospitals are down to 75000 for that procedure,pretty soon massage parlours will be doing it...prostate massage with a steaming pipe    120 baht

I was quoted an eye-watering 187,000 baht by one hospital in Bangkok and 155,000 by another, who have TURPs on special offer (I kid you not!) until the end of June.
And there was me thinking special offers were the stuff of supermarkets and high street stores. Medical treatment as a commodity is something I really need to get my head around. Just shows how much of my life has been spent being cradled by the good old NHS.
My hospital in Saraburi have estimated somewhere between 70,000 and 80,000 baht. That is one hell of a big difference but, in reality, price is a minor concern, it is confidence in the surgeon and her/his team's ability that is paramount.
 I've a lot to think about and currently it's all about as clear as mud. I reckon I have got one shot at this and I want to get it right. Perhaps, matters will start to resolve themselves over the coming months.

11 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Read that first line as .....thank you for your castrating options.....

Ouch!

Castration is a different can of worms, my friend.

I fail to see how anyone can claim to be neutral in this. If you fail to condemn the unprovoked war unleashed by Putin's Russia on its peaceful neighbour then you are effectively condoning it.

There is no room for prevarication here, no amount hedging one's bets, no constant dribble of mealy-mouthed words can ever hide the fact that there is only one aggressor who instigated this war. 

People will not forget Thailand’s tacit approval in this shameful chase for tourist revenue and, if the idea is that extra numbers of Russian tourists will somehow compensate for lost business from elsewhere, it would be laughable were it not so tragic. Just how many Russians do they imagine will be taking holidays abroad over the coming years with their economy in ruins?  

It is a very straightforward choice. Stand with the angels of Ukraine or you deserve to perish with Putin and his coterie of the grotesque.  

Send it to me.

I'll look after it for you. ????

1 hour ago, fredscats said:

Over 95% success rate after TURP,but anyway wary of coming back into Thailand or Id have been and done,once restrictions hopefully finish I can get on with it. Whilst there I'm getting knee looked at  MRI first

 

MRI Scan Cost in Bangalore

Thanks for all the information. My medicines are kicking in now so I've a bit of time to reflect on everything.

  When the catheter was removed after 7 weeks, I guess the bladder and urinary tract were very sore and inflamed, it certainly felt that way. For the first few days I was peeing in small amounts pretty much every hour but now 12 days on and things are much easier. My nocturnal visits to the toilet are down to an acceptable (to me) 3. The soreness has gone and I am peeing in semi-reasonable amounts.

After I have sorted out my visa extension I intend to see my urologist in Bangkok and get a second opinion as to what would be best for me.

I still think it will be necessary for me to have the TURP but I want her opinion on whether I would be better off doing now or deferring it for a while.

Good luck with your cataracts and your dodgy knee. As a former postie, dodgy knees kind of went with the job although I found mine improved enormously in Thailand's hotter climate.  

21 hours ago, fredscats said:

Nothing to it,2 hours away,expertise/professionalism second to none. id do a walk in straight off street,no letting them know you are international price will be upped for sure,..consultants always there,about 200/300 baht for consult,then there and then.

Barrage for hours blood testing brilliance in action,whatever evil found in blood will be managed by other consultant whilst there,all in price

  Set at ease in instance,engage a helper,few rps a day to your beck and call

 

 As for eye,if they do it one at a time I have to consider,but anyway Im having one consult at one leading eye hospital in morning to see everything OK then other later where the speciality op is performed,sort of second opinion

You have an irrepressible confidence, optimism and cheerfulness. Perhaps, I could use your services as a coach? 

My current medication of Prostgutt and Duodart has started to kick in and has got me peeing again, albeit weakly.  My biggest fear is a return of the acute water retention and being catheterised for another 6 or 7 weeks. 

I don't think there's much doubt that I will have to face up to the operation at some point but I am hoping I've got a bit of time to decide. 

Thanks for your advice and encouragement.   

1 hour ago, fredscats said:

FYI did a search for TURP over there,surprised at pricing now,thought would be sky high,500 pounds and under for most if not all middle of the road hospitals, under 1000 for international ones,all good stuff

  3 of us going over when covid restrictions end supposedly July,one for vein stripping in leg,85 pound quote,one other dry run probably leading to TURP ,I'm going for latest eye laser op,not done at Ruthin,last time I looked anyway, probably around 400 pounds with timely offers,Ruthin 000s of 0000s no doubt

 Google the hospital,plus the doctors reputation and comments lots have 4 to 5 stars if you so wish. 

   Feel like your legs have been pushed out from under on day two after after leaving hospital,first day full of fizz at getting out, need resting for few days ,but its well worth it,believe me,best thing I ever did.  Good luck

Thanks very much. You've given me an alternative to consider, for sure.
I don't know if I have the courage for it though? I have never visited India (and that's a regret of mine) so to be operated on in a foreign country where I have no experience, no knowledge and no support network is somewhat daunting. That said, I've got a bit of time to mull this over before I reach a conclusion.
Best wishes with your laser eye operation,  I really hope that goes well for you.

N

13 minutes ago, Excel said:

Of course totally irrelevant to the subject matter of the thread unless the thread title has been changed to "blowing ones own trumpet" ????

Neither irrelevant nor blowing one's own trumpet.

I had commented that xylophone didn't appear to be enjoying much luck with his prostate and its treatment and he merely pointed out how life had compensated him in a great many other areas. 

2 hours ago, xylophone said:

LOL, as far as the prostate and waterworks go, you could say that!!!!

 

Still, here I am in my 75th year and still active and lucid, apart from the waterworks which I'm dealing with at the moment, and I've had a great life, what with a good standard of football, working in the Sahara desert and Nigeria, and being a director of American Express, and Chief Manager Investments of a major bank, not to mention the huge amount of travelling and adventure, so I can't complain.

 

Had an MRI done at the hospital yesterday and going back this afternoon to discuss the findings with the Professor, as I am going down the route of installing the "InterStim" device (similar to a pacemaker) to help stimulate the nerves in the bladder, so I will see what the good Professor says.

 

If there is no other solution, then I will probably go ahead with this, although I am getting used to using the catheter twice a day and it is no big deal as far as I'm concerned at the moment, so we'll see what the outcome is.

And good luck with your decision regarding the TURP.

Active and lucid. A roof over your head and food on the table.

I mentioned fortitude in an early post, your prostate seems to have tested your resolve to the extreme. I really hope that this InterStim device will be able to bring you the answer to your difficulties.

4 minutes ago, xylophone said:

My experience with being in a shared ward, albeit small, was not pleasant at all.

 

As I recall there were about six beds in this "private ward" and in the bed on the right hand side of me was an old guy who had been constipated for six weeks, and although he was "out of it" most of the time, there were regular cries of pain in the day and night, where he would empty his bowels (obviously a painful experience) and the stench was unbelievable.

 

The nurses would often come in and try and tend to him, but it was quite a regular occurrence and I rarely got any sleep, eventually asking for a couple of sleeping tablets to help me.

 

The guy on the left hand side would also scream out in the night, so not much sleep as far as I was concerned.

 

Oh, and a guy in the bed opposite died of heart failure, and unfortunately he was the quietest one of the lot, before he died that is!

 

My second stay in hospital in Thailand was in a private room and it was spacious, complete with a fridge, and a TV to watch, and I was able to plug in my computer and keep myself occupied on that. I would never go back to a shared ward, or whatever one wants to call it, again.

 

Food for thought perhaps.
 

Jeez! You really don't have much luck, do you? 

Admittedly, on the ICU ward I was in after the biopsy the bed next to me was occupied by a poor unfortunate soul with dementia who was constantly shouting and crying out but after a couple of hours the nursing staff trundled her off the ward to a private room and there was an audible sigh of relief from the rest of us. 

14 minutes ago, xylophone said:

What is BNP, pray tell??

BNP Cuisine, Bangkok.  - You should try them.

5 minutes ago, fredscats said:

The torment of BNP without doubt takes over your life,best thing ever TURP.

However if and when Id plump for a ward,not that its cheaper,but life goes on around you,unlike a semi/private room where ceiling staring comes the norm,wear shorts,the  tube from catheter to bag takes shorter route than wearing long (supplied) pjs,keep yourself regular,no straining

If large prostate,that will be some cutting back,may keep you more than 3 days Rember couple of surgeons coming to me back in room straight after op stating how life must have been so uncomfortable,it was huge

Interesting point about being on a ward. Shared discomfort, perhaps? ???? 

Wearing shorts is sound advice

Cheers

Next time - don't take the wife. ????

24 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Seems like you posted a few minutes before I posted my views, and as you say in general a TURP is safe, however in another medical journal I noticed that 48% of men encountered retrograde ejaculation after a TURP, which is something that my urologist never told me about.

 

There is something which is worthwhile remembering, and that is that a urologist/doctor will recommend a procedure with which he/she is familiar and can carry out, whereas the new procedures are only carried out by a few urologists at the moment, so they are not that well-known and are unlikely to be recommended.

 

I used to have an old saying about prostate/urinary problems, inasmuch as if you walked into the wrong room when looking for a urologist, and came across an orthopaedic surgeon, then that surgeon would recommend an orthopaedic procedure, irrespective of the fact you had prostate problems – – they specialise in what they know, and I know that because two good friends of mine in NZ are doctors (one also a surgeon) and my son is a doctor working in a major London Hospital.
 

Sadly, retrograde ejaculation is not something I am unfamiliar with following on from my treatment for bladder cancer a few years back.
Prostate cancer is now a concern of mine, although a biopsy three weeks ago thankfully showed that the tumour on my prostate was benign.

As for alternatives, I accept your point about a surgeon recommending something they are familiar with but I'd rather go with a tried and tested method than be a part of someone's learning curve on a comparatively new procedure. 

Good luck to you, it sounds as if you have really gone through the mill on this.

Regards

xylophone and fredscats, thank you both for responding to my posts. 

You both have had very different experiences following on from your TURP procedures. 

I am only too well aware of the risks and possible side effects and, if I am to be honest, they frighten the hell out of me. The internet is awash with all sorts of horror stories but the actual medical outcome statistics tell a different story. Overall success rates are pretty high.

Both the urologists I have seen have stated that, if medication is not able to help me, they recommend a TURP. They have a great deal of knowledge and experience between them to call on and I accept their advice. I have largely discounted alternative procedures for a variety of reasons, suitability, efficacy, availability, cost etc.  

Once again thank you both for your openness and honesty.

11 minutes ago, fredscats said:

Best thing ever did TURP,asked for laser,no idea what is thrown up the backside for the op,accepted 40 minute procedure,but one and half hours it went on for,came to fine and dandy,its a gift really is,no more pi.ssing when you do not want to,and  pis.sing when you want to,everything OK. Should have been done years before

I glad for you. It sounds very encouraging.  May I ask where you had the operation performed? Was it here in Thailand? Any surgeon you can recommend? 

27 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I can sympathise with you FL as I have been battling with the water retention problem and the catheter use now for over a year and more, and it has gotten to the point where I am seeking the possibility of a spinal implant, not as bad as it sounds! (I hope).

 

I found that the water retention would often give me a UTI (infection) and at first I thought it was me and my hygiene/cleanliness not being up to scratch, however the good doctor Charuspong, said that provided I washed my hands vigourously with soap and water prior to handling the catheter and so on, and that I stored it correctly/hygienically, everything should be okay, whereas the urine remaining in the bladder was the real problem.

 

Luckily enough I happened upon an old antibiotic called fosfomycin (sold as Monural here) and it comes in a packet of 3 g which one dissolves in water and swallows it immediately, and that's it, and it works extremely well.

 

Just to back that up I have also started taking a tablet called Hiprex, which is a urinary antiseptic that fights bacteria in the urine and bladder and you can take it on a daily basis and from having a UTI every two or three weeks initially, I haven't had one for a few months now.
 

Once again thank you for all the information. 

I think a year of water retention and constant catheter usage would send me over the edge. I hugely sympathise with you. Fortitude! 

The information on the retained water causing urinary infections is interesting because this episode of mine started with urinary tract infection. I will see if I can get hold of the Monural you mention.

Without wishing to pry, how many years ago did you have the TURP done and how long did it benefit you before your current problems arose?