Health & Wealth Update

[farangconnection]

Health.

Hi lads, lasses, old farts, young wanabee's, <deleted>,b@nkers,h@nkers,t@nker drivers, friends, enemies, don't know's,don't care's alike, thought I'd give you all an update.

After two bouts of Chemo Therapy at the Regional Cancer Center in Ubon, I feel a whole heap better. My head and face still look like a cross between the topography of the Moon and Mars though, but there are still 10 more to go, and at 45,000 a shot, it had better even out soon. Still, I get 1,000 a night from my insurance company. I should be fully recovered in about 6 months, which is better than can be said about a lot of my customers.

Any Ubonites that wish to visit me , my next visit is September2-5th, and at two weekly intervals after. Normaly it's wed-sat.

The Cancer center is off the Yasothon road, right at the diversion, about 1 mile over the by-pass.

Wealth

Can't you lot read.

[nakachalet]

farangconnection

sorry to hear of your present conditions.... but i am mighty glad for you and yours that the coming months are looking much brighter....

keep up the good fight mate....

my prayer is with you

cheers

[cdnvic]

Glad to hear you're on the mend. We're all wishing you the best!

[Thaddeus]

Good luck with all of that Martin

[mac.wheeler]

Nice to see you still have your sense of humour Martin.

Best of luck.

[SHYTALK]

Sorry to hear about your ill health, and such expensive treatment.

All you can do is "go for it".

All the best.

[Dave the Dude]

Hurry up and get better. Then return to being the BFG, otherwise the Father Xmas suit will look too baggy this year

Edited August 26, 2009 by Dave the Dude

[torrenova]

Glad you're so upbeat. Best of luck.

I bet a few of us should be checking the insurance stuff if Bt45k for tens of doses is required. Shocking prices.

[binnsy]

Martin how are the nurse's treating you? Looking after you needs i trust

[farangconnection]

Martin how are the nurse's treating you? Looking after you needs i trust

Almost...........I have to finish it myself though.

You do mean the food, don't you?

[citizen33]

Martin how are the nurse's treating you? Looking after you needs i trust

Almost...........I have to finish it myself though.

Good to see Martin's humour holding up and that a clear treatment route has been identified. Although nobody would have wished this on Martin, I wonder whether he would be prepared to share with us what he will now know about which hospitals provide the best option for somebody with a serious condition in Isaan. My perception has been that, despite an instinctive preference for private hospitals (not least from the Americans amongst us), the two best hospitals in Isaan for complex conditions are the NE regional public hospitals in Khon Kaen and Ubon. Of course, foreigners like us still pay in public hospitals and can still get hospital hotel services that a non-paying Thai patient might not receive. From what Martin says he has indeed ended up being referred to the cancer centre at the regional hospital in Ubon. Is that correct? And what is Martin's experience of the regional hospital as opposed to say the private hospitals he attended in Surin and Korat? I will understand if Martin doesn't feel up to giving an immediate answer but I'm sure it would be helpful to others.

You do mean the food, don't you?

[farangconnection]

The funny thing is, although I do not agree with it on principle, I find that as a Farang, using a private hospital, you do get preferential treatment. No waiting. In the Ubon Cancer Care Unit, it is Government run, full to the brim, and sometimes it takes 6 or 7 hours just to check in. In fact the first time I waited all afternoon,had to check in a hotel until next morning, then waited till 14.00 for my room. So that was a full 24 hrs waiting. The service is not very good either, but they must be under lots of pressure.The rooms are nice enough for 800 a night, although I do provide my own matrass.

In the Korat/BKK hospital, I was tucked up in bed, after 1 1/2 hrs of getting there. In Surin, I can be in bed in about 15minutes, if my room is available. ( I have one of two special rooms with a super soft couch)

So, in answer to your question, private hospitals are far better, and not that more expensive. And of course in Surin Raumphet, you get the added bonus of food served direct from the Farang Connection.

[nakachalet]

hi farangconnection

just curious.... is that rated 5 or 6 star.... lol

get well soon .... there are other thais waiting for that nice room .... lol

[citizen33]

The funny thing is, although I do not agree with it on principle, I find that as a Farang, using a private hospital, you do get preferential treatment. No waiting. In the Ubon Cancer Care Unit, it is Government run, full to the brim, and sometimes it takes 6 or 7 hours just to check in. In fact the first time I waited all afternoon,had to check in a hotel until next morning, then waited till 14.00 for my room. So that was a full 24 hrs waiting. The service is not very good either, but they must be under lots of pressure.The rooms are nice enough for 800 a night, although I do provide my own matrass.

In the Korat/BKK hospital, I was tucked up in bed, after 1 1/2 hrs of getting there. In Surin, I can be in bed in about 15minutes, if my room is available. ( I have one of two special rooms with a super soft couch)

So, in answer to your question, private hospitals are far better, and not that more expensive. And of course in Surin Raumphet, you get the added bonus of food served direct from the Farang Connection.

Thanks for the answer. It seems that hospital hotel services are clearly better in the private hospitals, and surveys in the USA have shown that this is what most patients have in mind when they rate hospitals as good or less good. However, there is also the issue of treating the condition. Is it fair to say that the private hospitals that gave a good patient experience, did not have the clinical facilities or expertise to provide the high-quality treatment offered by the regional cancer unit?

[farangconnection]

The funny thing is, although I do not agree with it on principle, I find that as a Farang, using a private hospital, you do get preferential treatment. No waiting. In the Ubon Cancer Care Unit, it is Government run, full to the brim, and sometimes it takes 6 or 7 hours just to check in. In fact the first time I waited all afternoon,had to check in a hotel until next morning, then waited till 14.00 for my room. So that was a full 24 hrs waiting. The service is not very good either, but they must be under lots of pressure.The rooms are nice enough for 800 a night, although I do provide my own matrass.

In the Korat/BKK hospital, I was tucked up in bed, after 1 1/2 hrs of getting there. In Surin, I can be in bed in about 15minutes, if my room is available. ( I have one of two special rooms with a super soft couch)

So, in answer to your question, private hospitals are far better, and not that more expensive. And of course in Surin Raumphet, you get the added bonus of food served direct from the Farang Connection.

Thanks for the answer. It seems that hospital hotel services are clearly better in the private hospitals, and surveys in the USA have shown that this is what most patients have in mind when they rate hospitals as good or less good. However, there is also the issue of treating the condition. Is it fair to say that the private hospitals that gave a good patient experience, did not have the clinical facilities or expertise to provide the high-quality treatment offered by the regional cancer unit?

Korat did, Surin Raumphet did not. I do believe though that the Government hospital in Surin has Chemo facilities. I chose Ubon because it only specialises in Cancer, and Korat was too expensive.

[troy]

Glad to hear you're on the mend mate.

[UbonTaz]

Martin,

If you need anything while you are in Ubon just give a holler. Will help how we can.

[phibunmike]

Glad you're so upbeat. Best of luck.

I bet a few of us should be checking the insurance stuff if Bt45k for tens of doses is required. Shocking prices.

On that point, which category of insurance covers the 45k chemo sessions - looking at the Thai Visa medical package benefits here, is it covered under "major medical benefit" ?

Cheers,

Mike

[phibunmike]

Glad to hear you're on the mend mate.

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Gosh !

[farangconnection]

Glad you're so upbeat. Best of luck.

I bet a few of us should be checking the insurance stuff if Bt45k for tens of doses is required. Shocking prices.

On that point, which category of insurance covers the 45k chemo sessions - looking at the Thai Visa medical package benefits here, is it covered under "major medical benefit" ?

Cheers,

Mike

I'm afaraid my good customers at the Farang Connection are paying. my thai insurance came up with 1000 baht a day while i'm in hospital. so come on down. i'm typing this in ubon cancer center as we speak.

[Bpraim1]

Well Well you old fart.

I was just come'n on here to get an update on you.

As I have not seen your name in the Obituaries.

45k a shot. I guess I'll play that number next 2-3 and see if I can't make yah some funds.

Sorry I'm tied up in Srisaket from the 2-5 or tomorrow and the next day, But will stop in to see yah on the next go around.

Cheers mate, an hurry back to the connection.

[writeshack]

Martin, we've never met but I've been around Thailand a long time and I've heard a lot about you. Always thought I'd like to say hello in person some day. I still intend to, so do your bit, mate, and get well.

[phibunmike]

On that point, which category of insurance covers the 45k chemo sessions - looking at the Thai Visa medical package benefits here, is it covered under "major medical benefit" ?

Cheers,

Mike

I'm afaraid my good customers at the Farang Connection are paying. my thai insurance came up with 1000 baht a day while i'm in hospital. so come on down. i'm typing this in ubon cancer center as we speak.

I would visit, Martin, but I am in Malaysia at the moment. How long do you expect to stay in Ubon this time?

Best wishes,

Mike

[thedoctor]

you dont know me either but best wishes and get well soon

you seem like a popular guy on here

regards michael

[jazzbo]

From the Woody Allen classic Annie Hall

FADE IN:

Abrupt medium close-up of Alvy Singer doing a comedy monologue. He is wearing a crumbled sports jacket and tieless shirt; the background is stark.

ALVY

There's an old joke. Uh, two elderly women are at a Catskills mountain

resort, and one of 'em says: "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible."

The other one says, "Yeah, I know, and such ... small portions." Well, that's

essentially how I feel about life. Full of loneliness and misery and suffering

and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly.

[farangconnection]

Had two visiters yesterday, Trond & Darwin. Trond, bless his cotton socks, brought me a really useful present. A bloody comb. Obviously to flatten out the bumps on my head. Cheers lads.

[Dave the Dude]

Had two visiters yesterday, Trond & Darwin. Trond, bless his cotton socks, brought me a really useful present. A bloody comb. Obviously to flatten out the bumps on my head. Cheers lads.

Do you need any greaseproof paper. You will be able to play a tune with it then

Keep smiling matey

Dave

[JanAndersLarsson]

Hello Martin !

We met at Kap Cheung this year in april I think. Exchanged some jokes about Sweden. Your wife as a true thai told my wife about your problems. Might be my wife knew some cure or some magician you should visit. My sister in law here in Thailand is an expert of the evil eye.

I hope you will have many more years. My brother in law in Sweden had the same problem a couple of years ago. He feels OK now. Maybe the new flue will catch him. Or maybe it will catch me. You never know.

Edited September 5, 2009 by JanAndersLarsson

[bergen]

Had two visiters yesterday, Trond & Darwin. Trond, bless his cotton socks, brought me a really useful present. A bloody comb. Obviously to flatten out the bumps on my head. Cheers lads.

I didn't want you to leave Ubon without looking your best!!

It was good to see you Martin - Cheers!

[farangconnection]

Update 16th October.

Health: Wel, I had my M.R.I. on Tuesday, and there was some pretty positive news. The tumor is 5-6cm long at the bottom of my oesophogus, but that is all. There are no surrounding sattilite tumors that normally come with this strain of cancer. Nearly all of my skin tumors have cleared up now, and I am only half way through the course.

Wealth: Nothing positive here. I'm skint. With the car theft last week taking away two sessions of chemo, we had to do a bit of borrowing. In fact my ex-wifey Nee, hocked all her gold to get the money for me. All mine has been in along while. Pubs not doing as well now. As we have to pay out nearly 7,000 just to open the doors every morning (I thought it was 5,000 in an earlier post, but I forgot our wages) an average of 9,000 a day like this month means we are making 200 baht each a day profit. Still profit is profit Isuppose, but when you have a 78,500 baht a month mortgage, and up to 130,000 amonth hospital charges, that doesn't go far.

Happiness: Ofcourse I'm still happy, nothing will change that. We have five good months to look foreward to.

Edited October 16, 2009 by farangconnection