What a way to start life in LOS.

[oneday]

Consider yourself lucky that the doctor or practitioner advised you to go to a hospital and didn't try to save face (by not admitting he didn't know what was wrong) and do something that would have made it far worse.

[ryro88]

No matter how bad it gets always remember there's someone somewhere a lot worse off than yourself. Good luck in your new venture in Thailand

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[nanapong]

Your luck can only get better from this point , get well and enjoy life you wont be sick forever.

I wouldn't call it luck going to live an uneventful life in Roi-et. I think i'd sooner be dead !!!

[Trentham]

Are you sure it was appendicitis ?

How many kidneys do you have ?

I still have both kidneys thanks.

Definitely appendicitis, which explained why the 'trots' and feeling so bad.

The kidneys and appendix are in totally different locations.

I'll have a nice scar to prove it.

Your not suggesting they'd slip out one of my kidneys for the black market are you?

If I didn't trust the medical treatment you can get in LOS, I wouldn't have moved here.

Medical treatment in Thailand can be good. However I have some stories.......................

I was being treated for reflux by BNH for 1 year with no results. I went home to Oz and it was found to be cancer of my pancreas. It was removed and fortunately I am still here three years later. Another 2 years and I might be in the clear.

Five years ago pain in my shoulder was diagnosed as a pinched nerve in my neck and I was stretched every day for a month on a machine at 2000 baht per day. Went home to Oz again and found that it was a damaged rotator cuff in my shoulder. I had been lifting heavy weights over my head.

Nine years ago I had severe headaches for 2 months. Bumrungrad diagnosed it as early onset Alzheimer's. They sold me heaps of very expensive drugs. It was obviously not Alzheimers as I am able to write this now 9 years later.

I had funny flashing lights in my eyes at one time. I went to Rutnin Eye Hospital and they could not diagnose what it was. Went to Bumrungrad and they told me it was acute angle glaucoma and did laser surgery. Last year a doctor in Oz told me I did not have it and the laser surgery had not been done properly even if I did have it. The Oz doc told me the flashing in my eyes was a very common and harmless thing called an ocular migraine.

A friend was diagnosed with macular degeneration of his eyes and was sold very expensive and ongoing treatment by a doctor in Nan. He finally listened to me and went back to Oz and had it checked - result - he does not have macular degeneration.

I have had some very good treatment here for other things and so have my friends. BUT you do have to be careful and alert to being sold treatment that you don't need or that your doctor is competent and has not bribed his professor to get a pass.

Good luck and get well soon.

[diyer]

Consider yourself lucky that the doctor or practitioner advised you to go to a hospital and didn't try to save face (by not admitting he didn't know what was wrong) and do something that would have made it far worse.

On the contrary Oneday.

I believe the practitioner correctly diagnosed the problem and didn't try to fob me off with medicines.

He wouldn't even charge me for his time.

[billbellamy]

??? Is this post for real? Why do you think you had appendicitis? What test where taken? What results lead to the diagnosis? This op needs more info?

[diyer]

Are you sure it was appendicitis ?

How many kidneys do you have ?

I still have both kidneys thanks.

Definitely appendicitis, which explained why the 'trots' and feeling so bad.

The kidneys and appendix are in totally different locations.

I'll have a nice scar to prove it.

Your not suggesting they'd slip out one of my kidneys for the black market are you?

If I didn't trust the medical treatment you can get in LOS, I wouldn't have moved here.

Medical treatment in Thailand can be good. However I have some stories.......................

I was being treated for reflux by BNH for 1 year with no results. I went home to Oz and it was found to be cancer of my pancreas. It was removed and fortunately I am still here three years later. Another 2 years and I might be in the clear.

Five years ago pain in my shoulder was diagnosed as a pinched nerve in my neck and I was stretched every day for a month on a machine at 2000 baht per day. Went home to Oz again and found that it was a damaged rotator cuff in my shoulder. I had been lifting heavy weights over my head.

Nine years ago I had severe headaches for 2 months. Bumrungrad diagnosed it as early onset Alzheimer's. They sold me heaps of very expensive drugs. It was obviously not Alzheimers as I am able to write this now 9 years later.

I had funny flashing lights in my eyes at one time. I went to Rutnin Eye Hospital and they could not diagnose what it was. Went to Bumrungrad and they told me it was acute angle glaucoma and did laser surgery. Last year a doctor in Oz told me I did not have it and the laser surgery had not been done properly even if I did have it. The Oz doc told me the flashing in my eyes was a very common and harmless thing called an ocular migraine.

A friend was diagnosed with macular degeneration of his eyes and was sold very expensive and ongoing treatment by a doctor in Nan. He finally listened to me and went back to Oz and had it checked - result - he does not have macular degeneration.

I have had some very good treatment here for other things and so have my friends. BUT you do have to be careful and alert to being sold treatment that you don't need or that your doctor is competent and has not bribed his professor to get a pass.

Good luck and get well soon.

I've heard some horror stories myself, but not from anyone I personally know.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It makes people aware that you can't always trust so called 'professionals'.

Always get a second opinion if your not fully confident with their advice.

Edited May 12, 2014 by diyer

[sadhukar]

Second everyones concern on whether it actually was appendicitis! I've had it last year and definitely if you wait 7 days until you remove it from the onset of symptoms you are a dead man. It also gives you ALOT of stomach pain

[diyer]

??? Is this post for real? Why do you think you had appendicitis? What test where taken? What results lead to the diagnosis? This op needs more info?

Of course it's for real.........want to see the stitches

I had a really bad cold for a week, then just as that subsided, I got the craps.

I couldn't call it diarrhoea, it was just coloured water.

My whole abdominal area became tender, with progressively worsening twisting pains in my lower right abdominal area.

To be honest I thought I'd got food poisoning and gastric enteritis.

I'd taken Imodium without any relief.

I also often felt like vomiting.

When I visited the practitioner, he physically examined my stomach and lower abdomen area.

Using two fingers he would press firmly in, then a sudden release.

In the centre and right hand side of my lower abdomen the pain was excruciating when he released the pressure.

At the hospital they conducted the same tests, same results.

They took blood, urine and stool samples for testing.

The urine had no infection and the stools were e coli free

Blood samples were normal although they found I had a high fever.

2 Senior doctors both suspected appendicitis but required a CT scan to confirm.

The CT scan confirmed their suspicions.

I had all the symptoms:

Symptoms of appendicitis

Appendicitis typically starts with a pain in the middle of your abdomen (tummy) that may come and go.

Within hours, the pain travels to your lower right-hand side, where the appendix is usually located, and becomes constant and severe.

Pressing on this area, coughing or walking, may all make the pain worse.

If you have appendicitis, you may also have other symptoms, including:

• feeling sick (nausea)
• being sick
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea
• a high temperature (fever) and a flushed face

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Appendicitis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

[twix38]

I also have a personal horror story from the Bumrungrad.

about 8 years ago I went there with difficulty swallowing and have acid reflux.

I am tempted to name the doctor,but will not. Anyway, he did an endoscopy - rushed and tried twice before getting it right - found nothing and gave me tablets to take. I asked if I needed any more checks or anything and he said no, jst take the tablets and all was ok. He was rushing me out and I didn't ask what the tablets were for but he told me I had something like bolus and the tablets would do the job.

On getting home I googled to find they were for anxiety and that Bolus was more a feeling than an actual problem.

I threw the tablets away in disgust and luckily I was due to fly back to UK a month later.

In UK I went to doctor who referred me for a Gastroscopy where I was diagnosed with Barratt's Epithelium and status of Low Grade Dysplasia.

Basically a pre-cancerous condition that needs regular daily PPI medication and check-ups/survalence with major intervention if it gets any worse before getting throat cancer.

I was livid at the treatment from Bumrungrad, telling me I did not need further treatment or any further tests and fobbing me off. It felt like they were rushed and playing the averages regarding further investigation, as likely 999 out of 1,000 don't have Barratts. I did!!!!!

Frankly after further general experience with Thai Hospitals I feel it can be hit or miss and depends on the Doctor. However, many Hospitals allow the cost factor i.e. income to dictate and there is little to no accountability that means anything when things go wrong. I chose to return to UK for anything that isn't an emergency or of minor importance. You just cannot rely on the quality and expertise being good enough with an ethos of patient care above money. Mostly it's ok, but when it isn't that could be catastrophic.

Edited May 12, 2014 by twix38

[oneday]

Consider yourself lucky that the doctor or practitioner advised you to go to a hospital and didn't try to save face (by not admitting he didn't know what was wrong) and do something that would have made it far worse.

On the contrary Oneday.

I believe the practitioner correctly diagnosed the problem and didn't try to fob me off with medicines.

He wouldn't even charge me for his time.

That's what I mean. Consider yourself lucky you didn't get a quack. My one and only experience with a clinic doctor in Thailand gave me anti-bionics for earwax plugging up my ear canal instead of wax softener. When he tried to get it out a few days later with an aluminum pesticide sprayer filled with water and couldn't get it out, he looked inside and said, "I can see your eardrum and it has a color which says it is no longer any good". He then proceeded to say as I left the office, "at least you have another ear".

At a hospital the specialist said it was indeed wax and it was removed properly and once again I had TWO ears working properly.

In Thailand it is the wild west when it comes to clinics, because I don't think there is any regulations on them or if there are they are not enforced or the standards are very low. Anyway, good on you for getting a good clinic doctor.

[Benmart]

Sorry to hear about your medical problem. The bright side is that you are safe and on the road to recovery.

Had it happened elsewheres, the outcome might not have the same.

I live one day at a time and count my blessings, good health being number one.

Good luck my friend and happy adventures ahead.

[Gandtee]

So, other than that, everything is ticketyboo, yes Get well soon.

[T_Dog]

diyer... Glad you are doing okay. One thing I would like to add to this thread that it is sometimes prudent to wait 24 hours before surgery to ensure that you do not have a gastrointestinal bug. Both my wife and I have been misdiagnosed at different times and headed off to surgery, but we elected to go home and wait. In both cases, fever decreased during the night. If it had gone up, we would have headed back to the hospital. I suppose it would have been safer to be admitted and have the staff watch the fever, but in both cases, the doctors were way too aggressive to put us under the knife. Gastrointestinal bugs happen all the time in Thailand with the poor sanitation of street food vendors and the heat foods and bacteria sit in.

[Benmart]

I also have a personal horror story from the Bumrungrad.

about 8 years ago I went there with difficulty swallowing and have acid reflux.

I am tempted to name the doctor,but will not. Anyway, he did an endoscopy - rushed and tried twice before getting it right - found nothing and gave me tablets to take. I asked if I needed any more checks or anything and he said no, jst take the tablets and all was ok. He was rushing me out and I didn't ask what the tablets were for but he told me I had something like bolus and the tablets would do the job.

On getting home I googled to find they were for anxiety and that Bolus was more a feeling than an actual problem.

I threw the tablets away in disgust and luckily I was due to fly back to UK a month later.

In UK I went to doctor who referred me for a Gastroscopy where I was diagnosed with Barratt's Epithelium and status of Low Grade Dysplasia.

Basically a pre-cancerous condition that needs regular daily PPI medication and check-ups/survalence with major intervention if it gets any worse before getting throat cancer.

I was livid at the treatment from Bumrungrad, telling me I did not need further treatment or any further tests and fobbing me off. It felt like they were rushed and playing the averages regarding further investigation, as likely 999 out of 1,000 don't have Barratts. I did!!!!!

Frankly after further general experience with Thai Hospitals I feel it can be hit or miss and depends on the Doctor. However, many Hospitals allow the cost factor i.e. income to dictate and there is little to no accountability that means anything when things go wrong. I chose to return to UK for anything that isn't an emergency or of minor importance. You just cannot rely on the quality and expertise being good enough with an ethos of patient care above money. Mostly it's ok, but when it isn't that could be catastrophic.

Misdiagnosis and malpractice happens outside of Thailand from my experience. Second opinions, legal recourse, shopping around and patient advocates are a weak link here in Thailand. Glad it all worked out for both. Edited May 12, 2014 by Benmart

[wandasloan]

Your not suggesting they'd slip out one of my kidneys for the black market are you?

If I didn't trust the medical treatment you can get in LOS, I wouldn't have moved here.

This happens very frequently in Thailand, well documented here by stories of actual Thai Visa members who had it happen to the sister of the cousin of the woman who sells orange's nephew's army buddy's wife.

Frequently

Please have a full recovery and may your stay get much better and long.

.

Edited May 12, 2014 by wandasloan

[diyer]

Sounds like I had good fortune on my side from some of your experiences.

The Abba ' money, money, money' song did come to mind and your in their hands, but I checked my symptoms with the NHS website and that also suggested appendicitis.

I do feel much better already, although it's early days.

[puukao]

Duuuuuuude, you are fine. lucky, actually. Able to retire in Thailand puts you in a better state-of-mind than billions of people on this planet. I have a 7 inch scar in my stomach from super anemia issues, and i was also lucky it was diagnosed. You are lucky to not just "see what happens" via trying to save money. Life can almost always get worse. I try to think of the hundreds, yes hundreds, of millions of young and old people who die in wars. then you have cancer, aids, suicides, etc......trust me, you have it good. enjoy Thailand.

[IsaanUSA]

Wow, crazy. Hope you feel better soon

[Thorgal]

Be grateful that you're OK, but start sharing your life with the Thais instead of a virtual mirror...

[Briggsy]

Do NOT trust the diagnoses of Thai doctors. They pull them out of a hat based on whatever pressure they are receiving from above from hospital managers to use the resources of the hospital to full effect. e.g. the operating theatre must be in use 16 hours a day, the MRI scanner 16 hours a day, every patient 400 Baht on medicines, etc.

[MJP]

Your luck can only get better from this point , get well and enjoy life you wont be sick forever.

I wouldn't call it luck going to live an uneventful life in Roi-et. I think i'd sooner be dead !!!

Great garden centres. World class garden centres and bizarrely cheap.

Don't knock 'til you've tried it.

Seedy garden centre filth. It's dirty but it feels so good.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Strangebrew]

First of you need to call in A/C guy get them to clean out A/C then when able get some lopermide to stop the runs till your body adjust to Thai food or you find the resturants Thai's eat at you will keep getting the runs. As far as Expats isn't the point of being here is to get away of old life? Most are drunks crooks or <deleted> and will try and screw you but there are some that are ok use your best judgement there. Respect the locals don't pat them on the head or use your feet to point at anything. If the King happens to be comming down the street your do your best to be lower than his eye level Period. Don't raise your voice to any Thai. Try and learn language. Always do three finger check or you might find out it is ladyboy you got.Bring toilet paper if out and about. Only carry enough cash you will need to spend ATM's all over Check ATM first to see if tampered with Don't trust any Russian mostly a crook. Avoid Tuk tuk cabs always say meter when useing never take flat rate it is never a deal. Have landlord write address of where you stay in Thai helps if taking taxi home chitfaced with hooker or two. Might want to have umbrella handy during rainy season rains start around 6 PM dailey for an hour or so Streets do flood. 7-11 hotdogs ok also AW rootbeer stand in Bangkok if you get the rootbeer float urge. Also weekly Massage a must Oh if gun not like it was when younger try Kamagra it will get willie stiff.

[T_Dog]

Do NOT trust the diagnoses of Thai doctors. They pull them out of a hat based on whatever pressure they are receiving from above from hospital managers to use the resources of the hospital to full effect. e.g. the operating theatre must be in use 16 hours a day, the MRI scanner 16 hours a day, every patient 400 Baht on medicines, etc.

I think you are right. When my wife was being seen, his diagnosis and calls to the surgeon were so sudden that it was the first tip-off. Having had several friends that did indeed have appendicitis, I questioned his diagnosis. That immediately made the doc very defensive and argumentative, with him asking what my medical background was. I caved for a while and we waited for the surgeon, but my gut feel told me to get out. Got the wife off the gurney and headed home. (That was a tough call and a difficult trip home.) Stomach flu can be a great excuse to get billed hours. We saw our regular family doctor the next day and he said we did the right thing. Medical care in Thailand in general is very good, but a cautious approach is needed.

[KonaRain]

I was at Hospital with my Dr.Lady Friend..they speak enough English but it helps to have a Thai speaker..They do clean very well..no bad bacteria.. mersa..they sure make a lot of noise, yes?

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[KonaRain]

T.Dog.. very informative..Aloha

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[STARGASA]

I had this in my thirties, luckily it only comes once, you`ll be ok.

[dotpoom]

Are you sure it was appendicitis ?

How many kidneys do you have ?

left. ............No,... not funny,..sorry.........couldn't resist it. Hope OP recovers quickly....

Edited May 13, 2014 by dotpoom

[craigt3365]

A comment regarding the Royalty has been removed from view. And a member is no long with us.

[Scarpolo]

See, one man loses a kidney, and thinks his appendix was removed,

and now another man, lost his member?

man, Thai medicine is brutal!

stem cells, his only hope!