Are You Worried About Your Health

[kevvy]

I have friends who live in small villages and they are worried about if they get sick and have to get to a hospital quick and there is not the service there for them . How many other people are feeling

the same as my friends . I live in a large town and sometimes I see an ambulance trying to get to the hospital but cannot as the traffic is so bad and alot of drivers do not make way for the

ambulance .

Edited October 9, 2012 by metisdead
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[wamberal]

Welcome to the Third World. Some advantages, quite a few disadvantages - the thing is, the advantages are mostly for the young, the disadvantages usually affect the old, the poor, and the sick.

[phuturatica]

Stop worrying and start living. What if this and what if that?

You're definitely not in the right country if you're worrying about this kind of stuff.

[besth]

Quite a while ago I was at one of those never ending traffic lights and an ambulance was not far behind. Nobody even tried to move out of the way. Sad for whoever was inside, scary that it can happen like that.

[Eff1n2ret]

What a strange topic title. I'm sure I'm not the only late-60s person to have pondered more than once on the Buddhist mantra "You get old, you get sick and you die". Faced with such inevitability, but also with the uncertainties of how and when, there seems little point in worrying about it.

[crazykopite]

You are born and you die and in between you try and enjoy life I have done that for some 60 years and hope to do it for another 20 years or so do I worry about getting ill NO WAY Life is to short enjoy today worry about tomorrow when it comes !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NancyL]

It's good to worry about things like this from time-to-time when you're young, if it motivates you to plan ahead -- buying health insurance, having a Final Will and Advanced Health Care directive, taking care of yourself and thinking twice before you eat high fat food or binge drink, getting an annual physical exam, setting aside savings for hospitalization or disability, etc, etc.

I'm involved with Lanna Care Net in Chiang Mai and most of our clients are people who thought they'd "get old, get sick and die" in fairly short order. Doesn't work that way for the majority of older people. They often have a succession of illnesses, lose their ability to care for themselves gradually, perhaps lose their ability to manage money, etc. Life for those people can be very nasty here without the social services safety net available in western countries.

So, if you plan to stay here through old age, then it's up to you to construct your own safety net when you're young and able to do it.

[lovelomsak]

I could careless about my health in the live or die situation. I do my best to lead a healthy lifestyle and in no way do it to prolong life only to make my life better well here. I have had a full life and ask for nothing more. I would rather die than be an old man in a nursng home paying all my money to unknown people to keep me alive so they have a paying job. I could be seriously injured today or get a disease that could kill me, I willnot let myself become a human experiment to see how long science can prolong my life.

I apologize to Nancy L having this post so close to hers. It wasnot intented to be directed to her.

Edited October 9, 2012 by lovelomsak

[GuestHouse]

I understand the oldies are focussed on dying, inevitable for us all but statistically a lot closer for the older you are.

Thing is death is only the end, there are worse things, some might argue living in fear is one (though they perhaps assume we none of us can scale our response to life's challenges).

My personal opinion is living a life of severe ill health is something to be feared more than death.

Ill health is not caused by traffic jams stopping ambulances getting though, nor by distance from a hospital. It is almost entirely caused by life style impacts on health.

Excess in eating excessive consumption of alcohol and any amount of smoking.

Keep an eye on controllong Your body weight, blood sugar levels. blood preesure and quit smoking - and you'll reduce your risk to vast majority of ill health issues. You are less likely to need that ambulance or that hospital.

Moderation in all things, including moderation!

(That's not intended as a go at the Mods ;-) )

Edited October 9, 2012 by GuestHouse

[chiangmaikelly]

I understand the oldies are focussed on dying, inevitable for us all but statistically a lot closer for the older you are.

Thing is death is only the end, there are worse things, some might argue living in fear is one (though they perhaps assume we none of us can scale our response to life's challenges).

My personal opinion is living a life of severe ill health is something to be feared more than death.

Ill health is not caused by traffic jams stopping ambulances getting though, nor by distance from a hospital. It is almost entirely caused by life style impacts on health.

Excess in eating excessive consumption of alcohol and any amount of smoking.

Keep an eye on controllong Your body weight, blood sugar levels. blood preesure and quit smoking - and you'll reduce your risk to vast majority of ill health issues. You are less likely to need that ambulance or that hospital.

Moderation in all things, including moderation!

(That's not intended as a go at the Mods ;-) )

"The Oldies?" How quaint.

Both stroke and heart attack are time sensitive and may be genetic . People in the military that were exposed to agent orange also may have problems. Best bet is to live close to care.

"It is almost entirely caused by life style impacts on health." Were that true some would all live forever.

[CharlieH]

Its all about quality not quantity, as some one else said above, I dont want to be kept going by meds or this or that, no thanks, if I cant live reasonably normally and with dignity then count me out I would rather go.

I live about 20 minutes drive from the nearest Hospital and if things are that bad I need to be rushed there, then there is a reasonable chance I am not going to make it anyway, so let it be.

As said by others, take reasonable care, take things in moderation, and barring any unfortunate accidents or nasty critters you should be just fine for the most part. If you worry too much or ponder on it too long then perhaps you should be evaluating whether or not you should even be here. ( no disrespect intended).

[Semper]

enjoy today worry about tomorrow when it comes !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, that's the Thai way of thinking.

[GuestHouse]

"It is almost entirely caused by life style impacts on health." Were that true some would all live forever.

You've truncated what I said in order to make a point about something I was not referring to.

What I said was, "Ill health is not caused by traffic jams stopping ambulances getting though, nor by distance from a hospital. It is almost entirely caused by life style impacts on health".

Old age will kill us all ( if we are lucky), not all of us live lives in sickness to old age, life style choices have a huge impact on our health but of course there us a time dependent component in this so if time is short maybe distance to rhe hospital might attter ( though perhaps only offering a short reprieve).

Nevertheless, unless you have one foot in the grave the first line of defense against ill health is to address those life style choices which have a proven impact on health and life expectancy.

Edited October 9, 2012 by GuestHouse

[RomanGladiator]

Nevertheless, unless you have one foot in the grave the first line of defense against ill health is to address those life style choices which have a proven impact on health and life expectancy.

Smoking. Drinking. Obesity. Poor diet. Lack of exercise. Stress.

Boredom also leads to stress.

[NeverSure]

Ambulance, traffic jams, proximity to hospital become very important if you have an accident where urgent care could save your life and even make you whole again.

I actually revolt at blanket statements which put it all on lifestyle and make no account for genetics, prior injuries, exposure to chemicals we aren't even aware of, and so on. Many people who have taken very good care of their bodies have dropped dead of a heart attack in their 50's just as other members of their family may have done.

Edited October 9, 2012 by NeverSure

[NancyL]

I could careless about my health in the live or die situation. I do my best to lead a healthy lifestyle and in no way do it to prolong life only to make my life better well here. I have had a full life and ask for nothing more. I would rather die than be an old man in a nursng home paying all my money to unknown people to keep me alive so they have a paying job. I could be seriously injured today or get a disease that could kill me, I willnot let myself become a human experiment to see how long science can prolong my life.

I apologize to Nancy L having this post so close to hers. It wasnot intented to be directed to her.

Thank you for pointing out that you weren't directly replying to my post. However, I am replying to yours. Your viewpoint is perfectly valid and it's up to you to make sure it's enforced when the time comes. You should have an Advanced Health Care Directive and make sure the people close to you understand your wishes. Otherwise, you may end up on life support in a Thai hospital and not be in a position to do anything about it. Remember, when people are in the condition that they need life support, they also aren't in the condition to protest it being used.

Advanced Health Care Directives (aka Living Wills) are legal here, but they won't stop life support once it's started, even if the document is in place. It has to be in the hands of the people who will be making this decision for you, so they can show it to the hospital at the time they discuss putting you on life support.

Edited October 9, 2012 by NancyL

[Naam]

Nevertheless, unless you have one foot in the grave the first line of defense against ill health is to address those life style choices which have a proven impact on health and life expectancy.

Smoking. Drinking. Obesity. Poor diet. Lack of exercise. Stress.

Boredom also leads to stress.

fighting in the arena may reduce your life span

[Naam]

I could careless about my health in the live or die situation. I do my best to lead a healthy lifestyle and in no way do it to prolong life only to make my life better well here. I have had a full life and ask for nothing more. I would rather die than be an old man in a nursng home paying all my money to unknown people to keep me alive so they have a paying job. I could be seriously injured today or get a disease that could kill me, I willnot let myself become a human experiment to see how long science can prolong my life.

I apologize to Nancy L having this post so close to hers. It wasnot intented to be directed to her.

Thank you for pointing out that you weren't directly replying to my post. However, I am replying to yours. Your viewpoint is perfectly valid and it's up to you to make sure it's enforced when the time comes. You should have an Advanced Health Care Directive and make sure the people close to you understand your wishes. Otherwise, you may end up on life support in a Thai hospital and not be in a position to do anything about it. Remember, when people are in the condition that they need life support, they also aren't in the condition to protest it being used.

Advanced Health Care Directives (aka Living Wills) are legal here, but they won't stop life support once it's started, even if the document is in place. It has to be in the hands of the people who will be making this decision for you, so they can show it to the hospital at the time they discuss putting you on life support.

in Thailand (in other countries too), documents are superfluous if there is no money flowing.

[geriatrickid]

Stop worrying and start living. What if this and what if that?

You're definitely not in the right country if you're worrying about this kind of stuff.

That's fine until you or a loved one is in need of critical care. There are time constraints to critical care treatment and it makes the difference between life and death, a fully recovery or becoming a vegetable. Many TVF members are at risk for a cardiovascular and circulatory crisis. If I had a family history of heart disease, I'd want to be within 30 minutes of a critical care facility. You do realize that strokes can be successfully managed and the damage prevented if medical treatment is given within the first 30 to 60 minutes. What about a kid that suffers a snake bite? You don't want to know how many people show up at the hospital when it is too late. One of the biggest problems in rural health care is that lack of accessibility to ER care and it shows in the complications such as infections and amputations.

Thailand is a country without a competent and professional EMT service. Drop to the ground in a midsized western developed asian town and chances are you will survive. Drop to the ground in Bangkok and people will come stare and point. In a country where most males have done military service, the typical Thai response is ineffective. If it happens in Singapore or South Korea or Germany, chances are that a passerby knows CPR and basic first aid. I respect the choice of being prudent.

[cmsally]

I'm surprised that this discussion hasn't thrown up the issue of dementia. What would you do if mentally incapable of looking after yourself. Its not a case of life support and hospital but a degradation into a state where you you can't take care of even the simplest of tasks. And I doubt you will be aware of it if it strikes. That in my opinion is one that should be considered.

[GuestHouse]

I'm surprised that this discussion hasn't thrown up the issue of dementia. What would you do if mentally incapable of looking after yourself. Its not a case of life support and hospital but a degradation into a state where you you can't take care of even the simplest of tasks. And I doubt you will be aware of it if it strikes. That in my opinion is one that should be considered.

I've discussed this before as being what I regard as Thailand'd imported welfare disaster in the making.

But its not a subject the Oldies like seeing discussed here on TV.

[jacktrip]

if you live in a rural poor area, you die young. simple as that.

[RomanGladiator]

I'm surprised that this discussion hasn't thrown up the issue of dementia. What would you do if mentally incapable of looking after yourself. Its not a case of life support and hospital but a degradation into a state where you you can't take care of even the simplest of tasks. And I doubt you will be aware of it if it strikes. That in my opinion is one that should be considered.

Do you mean Alzheimers Disease (spelling)?

If so, are there any documented cases of farangs in Thailand who have suffered from this? It MUST have happened, and surely it WILL happen more often as the number of farangs in Thailand increases.

Edited October 9, 2012 by RomanGladiator

[RomanGladiator]

if you live in a rural poor area, you die young. simple as that.

Why did you post that?

[vtjforyou]

Pesticide will kill you even before you know it...

[chiangmaikelly]

I'm surprised that this discussion hasn't thrown up the issue of dementia. What would you do if mentally incapable of looking after yourself. Its not a case of life support and hospital but a degradation into a state where you you can't take care of even the simplest of tasks. And I doubt you will be aware of it if it strikes. That in my opinion is one that should be considered.

I've discussed this before as being what I regard as Thailand'd imported welfare disaster in the making.

But its not a subject the Oldies like seeing discussed here on TV.

The word not the subject freaks me out.

[cmsally]

I'm surprised that this discussion hasn't thrown up the issue of dementia. What would you do if mentally incapable of looking after yourself. Its not a case of life support and hospital but a degradation into a state where you you can't take care of even the simplest of tasks. And I doubt you will be aware of it if it strikes. That in my opinion is one that should be considered.

Do you mean Alzheimers Disease (spelling)?

If so, are there any documented cases of farangs in Thailand who have suffered from this? It MUST have happened, and surely it WILL happen more often as the number of farangs in Thailand increases.

http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/dementia-statistics/

If you reach 85 it looks as though you have approx 1 in 5 chance of getting it and then likelihood increases from there.

Then of course you can get it younger.

When you look at the number of retirees here there will likely be a large number that develop it.

[uptheos]

Smoking. Drinking. Obesity. Poor diet. Lack of exercise. Stress.

Boredom also leads to stress.

Sounds like you're talking about a lot of guys here.

[Quickmill]

I'm not living in rural area ,but of course I'm worry about my health, this refrain me to buy a motorbike to fight the terrible Bangkok traffic jam

[Dancealot]

My (Thai) Ex wife went to the hospital for small things like stomach ache. At that time i thought that was normal for thai's.... For me if i have something very bad with my body i will go. But if it' s something small i try to repair it myself in Thailand. Some pharmacists here are chemists and doctors and they will help you with small problems. In Thailand i always go talk to the pharmacist first with a small problem. When i have a big problem i know i have to PAY.