The Hell ride and the 'wonderful' care at the hospital ....

[WhamBam]

Following on from the accident with the m/c......

The rescue vehicle turned up to the accident scene very quickly. I was bundled inside and made to sit with my back to the cab. The driver took off at high speed, sirens blaring and launched me almost off the seat. That was the start of the pain in my (now known to be) broken collar bone. Accelerating fast, braking hard, cornering like a rally driver, I was tossed around like a rag doll. The agony was, agony.

I asked for him to slow down several times. The assistant in the back also asked the driver to slow down. All to no avail. I gritted my teeth and emitted as few howls of pain as I could. A sense of relief washed over me when we finally arrived at the hospital.

At the hospital, I was bundled into a wheelchair by the impatient driver - he must be on peace rates for pay. The hospital staff simply stood and looked on. So helpful.

I was taken straight to A&E. My thoughts were on some pain relief. An injection or two, or at least a pill of some sort. No chance of that. Though I agree there may be good reason for that.

The staff stood around watching me. I was the only patient in there but the doctor decided to take his time. Eventually he came over, gave me a brief examination and sent me for X-ray. While waiting, I found a friendly white face and asked him what hospital I was at. In X-ray they put me through agony trying to get me to move my arm around for 4 or 5 X-rays when I could not even lift my arm. Thankful when that painful experience was over, I was wheeled back to A&E.

Getting on and off the wheelchair onto the trolley bed was slow and painful. The bed did not lower.

On the bed they tried to remove my shirt. Confused at my refusal to let them pull my shirt around my back and over my arm, they did not know what to do. The doctor was sat behind his desk and was no help. Even the nurse who spoke good English was of little help. It took a while to get them to understand to cut the shirt off my back. One staff member smiled at the rest as he brought the scissors over, as if to say, 'I know. I understand.'

With my shirt off, I was left on the trolley in bad pain. I managed, eventually to get the g/f on the phone. She left work immediately and set off for the hospital.

Eventually, the doctor got up from behind his desk and came over to me, examined me some more and went back to sit behind his desk.

I lay on the trolley in agony. Unable to find a comfortable position. I waited and waited. Nothing was happening. I called out and asked for painkillers. Nothing happened. In pain and my leg bleeding quite badly, I called out several more times for a painkiller. Eventually the English speaking nurse came over and asked what was the problem.

Nothing happened. No painkiller. I wanted to get out of there.

After several more requests for a painkiller, one was finally injected into me. Glorious relief !! I faded into almost oblivion until the staff began scrubbing my leg to clean it. That soon woke me up!! Once they had finished I drifted off again.

I woke to find the g/f standing besides me. With an degree in medicine she knows a lot about health care. She got things moving.

When it was time to go, two staff grabbed my right arm - the side with the broken collar bone - and tried to lift me off the trolley. They could not understand why I screamed in agony as they pulled on that arm.

Eventually I escaped the hospital. CD of the X-rays, Tramadol painkillers and doctors note in hand & the bill paid. We got on a minibus and we arrived in Pattaya. I have to say that the minibus driver took great care with his driving on seeing me with my arm in a sling and the darkening bruises spreading down my chest.

No-one mentioned how severe the break was. They simply put my arm in a sling and left it at that.

Here in the UK the orthopedic surgeon insists the collar bone should have been operated on immediately and a splint applied. Too late for that now. Yes, different places, doctors and surgeons with different ideas on what to do.

I heard later that even the Thai people avoid that particular hospital in Chonburi if they can.

Ah well, such is life. I am alive. I could have been run over after the accident. My helmet could have failed and left me brain damaged or similar.

The m/c is hardly damaged at all.

And the g/f gave me all the love, care and attention she could in the circumstances. Tended to and cleaned my leg every day, travelling a round trip of 160 kms to do so after work.

If I ever have an accident like that again in that area, I'd insist on a different hospital where the staff would at least care. The doctor too. Especially as there are 3 hospitals there.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Bad luck there mate.

Collarbones are tricky, many hospitals don't operate in the western world.

Hurts for a long time too.

Expect 3 months plus or pain, and another 3 if it doesn't heal properly (that's usually when they operate).

[WitawatWatawit]

It's all very hit and miss, isn't it? Just recently, I had an angioplasty in Bangkok, which means you can't move your right leg for 12 hours to allow the incision in the artery to heal. After a few hours, my back began to hrt like hell, so I called a nurse and said I wanted a muscle relaxant. Unable to understand the Thai words for back and pain, she simply walked out. Hour later, different nurse, same brick wall treatment. Another hour, ditto. I was so frsutrated, I even contemplated tipping the contents of my Comfort 100 over the guy next to me to get some attention. I had had an angioplasty 8 years before, different hospital, and the nurses were excellent and got a doctor immediately to fix my back.

Sorry, WB, hijacking your thread. But believe me, I sympathise with you.

[MrTee]

Hope you heal up ok..

Sounds like a nightmare.

You never mentioned which hospital..

[Crazy chef 1]

WB this must been traumatic for you....hospitals and medic care are as mentioned above a hit and miss.different at the big private ones where the final bill will be also "big" and even unnecessary treatments will be done...i just had a case like this from a major private one and ended up with a bill about 300 000thb...hope you getting better soon.

[Rooo]

Moved to Expat Life.

[smokie36]

Never heard of an emergency collarbone operation before.

[NancyL]

WhamBam,

How did everything work out with your visa extension and travel arrangements back to the home country? I remember you asking about those in the visa forum?

[WhamBam]

Never heard of an emergency collarbone operation before.

Seems there is a special shaped 'plate' for want of a better word that they lay over to hold it in place.

They can also fuse the break together.

Both options are available if the break is bad enough.

[smokie36]

Never heard of an emergency collarbone operation before.

Seems there is a special shaped 'plate' for want of a better word that they lay over to hold it in place.

They can also fuse the break together.

Both options are available if the break is bad enough.

Its called a hook plate.

[WhamBam]

WhamBam,

How did everything work out with your visa extension and travel arrangements back to the home country? I remember you asking about those in the visa forum?

Hi, Nancy.

It turned out to be difficult. I was unable to ride a m/c to get to immigration. Plus I would have needed the letter / form filling in from the hospital that dealt with me and that was a 90 minute bus ride away. With that level of discomfort, and the difficulties of getting about except by car/ taxi / minibus, I opted to look at changing the flight. But they were all fully booked on one leg of the flight or the other. You have to laugh, but that is the way it works out sometimes.

As my booked flight was 1 week away and my next visit to the hospital where they originally treated me was on the same date, I decided to take the flight. Especially after the treatment on the day at the hospital.

A case of 6 and two threes. Plus I knew that once back in the UK I knew I'd get to the local hospital immediately.

If it had been easier to get around and about, to immigration and to one of the local hospitals I'd have done that. Yet with the leg injury as well, I made the decision to let the g/f tend to my wounds - she being qualified to do so - rather than struggle to a hospital to get the dressings changed every day too.

Yet, the immigration extension was a good option to have and well worth noting in case of future needs. Also to have the information at hand for the future.

[WhamBam]

Hope you heal up ok..

Sounds like a nightmare.

You never mentioned which hospital..

Due to the rules here on TV and the Thai rules regarding defamation I declined to name the hospital directly. All I will say is - think of a teaching hospital and you should get the idea

[WhamBam]

WB this must been traumatic for you....hospitals and medic care are as mentioned above a hit and miss.different at the big private ones where the final bill will be also "big" and even unnecessary treatments will be done...i just had a case like this from a major private one and ended up with a bill about 300 000thb...hope you getting better soon.

It was traumatic.

I am pleased the bill was small

Believe it or not it came to less than 2,000 Baht. Good job the g/f had money so we could combine our funds. There were no ATM's visible at the hospital even on asking.

Yes, hit and miss at hospitals and people will say you get what you pay for, but I had no say in which hospital they took me to. Not that I would have known which are the best and worst in Chonburi as it is off my patch.

Ouch at that cost of yours. That sounds more painful than a broken bone

[Crazy chef 1]

WB this must been traumatic for you....hospitals and medic care are as mentioned above a hit and miss.different at the big private ones where the final bill will be also "big" and even unnecessary treatments will be done...i just had a case like this from a major private one and ended up with a bill about 300 000thb...hope you getting better soon.

It was traumatic.

I am pleased the bill was small

Believe it or not it came to less than 2,000 Baht. Good job the g/f had money so we could combine our funds. There were no ATM's visible at the hospital even on asking.

Yes, hit and miss at hospitals and people will say you get what you pay for, but I had no say in which hospital they took me to. Not that I would have known which are the best and worst in Chonburi as it is off my patch.

Ouch at that cost of yours. That sounds more painful than a broken bone

don't know about the pain(except to pay the bill) ...it was juniors birth....

[captspectre]

It's all very hit and miss, isn't it? Just recently, I had an angioplasty in Bangkok, which means you can't move your right leg for 12 hours to allow the incision in the artery to heal. After a few hours, my back began to hrt like hell, so I called a nurse and said I wanted a muscle relaxant. Unable to understand the Thai words for back and pain, she simply walked out. Hour later, different nurse, same brick wall treatment. Another hour, ditto. I was so frsutrated, I even contemplated tipping the contents of my Comfort 100 over the guy next to me to get some attention. I had had an angioplasty 8 years before, different hospital, and the nurses were excellent and got a doctor immediately to fix my back.

Sorry, WB, hijacking your thread. But believe me, I sympathise with you.

when you people have abad experience at the "hospital" WHY don't you name it? is that a big secret? if you named the hospital it would prpbably save someone else ging through the same thing!

[maidee]

so what was the name of this delighted place so we can avoid ?

[mickjn]

so what was the name of this delighted place so we can avoid ?

I would like you know also,thank you

[umbanda]

Deal with hospitals and doctors in any country is a matter of luck.

I had hard to believe experiences in the US and Brazil....and I am alive just because I always ask for second opinions...

In Thailand I found not good trained people at a military hospital in Lampang, and a expensive bill for a public hospital. Later, a very good experience with a doctor at a private hospital in Chiang Rai...Small bill..but my AIA basic insurance paid in full.

Yes..Thai Medical Insurance...the one I got at 69. Nothing special..but works!

Edited January 29, 2015 by umbanda

[gamini]

You do not appear to have travel insurance which I think is plain stupid especially if you're going to ride a motorcycle. Such insurance is very cheap. For example, Here in Thailand you can get international travel insurance for two weeks for as little as Bt 1000.
If you had had it, a private hospital could have sent an ambulance to the hospital you were in and taken you to their hospital you would have got good treatment.

[WitawatWatawit]

Name them? Sure, but these are individual experiences and probably couldn't be verified in court, should the hospital sue for defamation. Also, as individual experiences, they might be unique to the individual and the staff member concerned, and therefore in no way indicative of the general standard of the hospital. You get bad apples in every situation, hence my "hit and miss" comment.

In fact, my overall experience of the Thai medical system after 26 years is positive - I regard Thai nurses as efficient as any in this world, and generally with a higher standard of care and concern. I'd marry the lot of them, if I could.

[Saan]

It's all very hit and miss, isn't it? Just recently, I had an angioplasty in Bangkok, which means you can't move your right leg for 12 hours to allow the incision in the artery to heal. After a few hours, my back began to hrt like hell, so I called a nurse and said I wanted a muscle relaxant. Unable to understand the Thai words for back and pain, she simply walked out. Hour later, different nurse, same brick wall treatment. Another hour, ditto. I was so frsutrated, I even contemplated tipping the contents of my Comfort 100 over the guy next to me to get some attention. I had had an angioplasty 8 years before, different hospital, and the nurses were excellent and got a doctor immediately to fix my back.

Sorry, WB, hijacking your thread. But believe me, I sympathise with you.

Many Western hospitals now perform an angioplasty through a wrist. Much easier and negates the worry about bleeding which can happen when done through the artery in the groin.

[crickets]

You should of flashed some money around or a atm card. That gets there attention and im sure some pain killers would of come soon after. Money gets 99.9% of things here very quickly.

[krisb]

Bloody motorbikes.

[circusman]

OH spare me the DRAMA.

[Keesters]

Get well soon. Fell of my m/c once and broke collar bone. Nice lady in nearby shop phoned for ambulance. Won't say name if hospital but it has same initials as a British Petroleum. Like you the nurse grabbed the broken collar bone arm to 'help' me get up from the kerb where I was sitting. Screams were heard a km away.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Keesters

[WitawatWatawit]

OH spare me the DRAMA.

Nope. Misery loves company.

[maccraw]

To Wham Bham

I really was moved by this account thanks for telling it

Does anyone know how a copy of the post could be put forward to someone

of a sufficient standing/authority to at least remind doctors and others at

this hospital that they are “to do no harm” and to actually treat people with

some care,regardless of nationality?

[krisb]

OH spare me the DRAMA.

Spare you the drama.

I like it.

[CapeCobra]

What a bunch of pussies!

Manchester City's German goalkeeper, Bert Trautmann, broke his neck in the FA Cup final of 1956.

He was clearly in pain but he shrugged off the life-threatening injury and went on to make some spectacular saves as his side beat Birmingham City 3-1.

The doctor didn't think of giving you a pain killer injection? Maybe, he thought it to be unnecessary. The nurse viciously pulled your arm? Why did you not indicate where the pain was?

You are some drama queens.

[WhamBam]

What a bunch of pussies!

Manchester City's German goalkeeper, Bert Trautmann, broke his neck in the FA Cup final of 1956.

He was clearly in pain but he shrugged off the life-threatening injury and went on to make some spectacular saves as his side beat Birmingham City 3-1.

The doctor didn't think of giving you a pain killer injection? Maybe, he thought it to be unnecessary. The nurse viciously pulled your arm? Why did you not indicate where the pain was?

You are some drama queens.

IMHO, the goalkeeper was a fool and could easily have been paralysed.

It should have been patently obvious the bad arm was the one in the sling, the one with the bruising spreading down my chest and grazes on it. The arm folded across my chest. Not exactly an observant or caring nurse.

Drama queens? Let me break your collar bone and yank your arm. See if you like it