Go Home And Die

[strawberry]

can anyone give advice.

My Thai brother in law went to the local hospital (gov.) Pretty sick had to be carried

They kept him in for a couple of days told him he had AIDS (no blood tests were given). Gave him a packet of panadol and told him to come back when he needed more. The family then carried him to a private hospital in Tha Pan Hin. Kept him in for a couple of days gave him pain killer injections and sent him home, once again no blood tests were given but AIDS was diagnosed.

My wife asks me if we can take him to the Christian Hospital at Manorom. Next day we hire a car and go down. They test him and right enough he has AIDS and the sickness is fungal meningitis. They start to treat him but he not expected to live until the morning. I'm even talking to the doctor about transporting his body back to the village. Anyhow he lives and I agree to hang in with him financially. He is getting free medication each month ( the cocktail ) but gets sick and goes back to the hospital. Now my problem is I'm getting stuck with the hospital bill. Can't see the poor guy die. My financial situation is good but not that good. Considering that I have a wife and 3 kids to support and trying to stash enough money away to eventually build a house for my family. On top of that I've had to pay out a fair bit of money toward my own health needs lately.

This past 12 months my BIL has cost me over a 100,000 baht and if it wasn't for me having committed myself to building a house wouldn't be a big deal.

This is not an apeal for money its an apeal for information about what is the Thai government responsibility concerning their citizens who suffer from this dammed

disease. He is ex-army and applied to the army hospital for assistance, all they have done is to award him 2500 baht per year other than that they don;t want to know him

Regards Joe Strawberry

[Basher]

tragic story

Get a bank loan mate and pay it off slowly

Bash

[Nam Kao]

Joe, the guy is done. All the $$ you can pump into him wont save him.

Easy for me to say not having to live it....

nam

[Bluecat]

Joe, the guy is done. All the $$ you can pump into him wont save him.

Easy for me to say not having to live it....

nam

Nam Kao is unfortunately probably right.

As much as I do not like it more than he or you do,...

[taxexile]

whatever you spend on him will be money well spent, be it 100b or 10000b

its nothing to do with saving him.

it will make his last few days/weeks or whatever just a little more comfortable at an impossible time and i'm sure that the inner satisfaction that you will get from having offered help to a dying man will be something that will remain with you for ever. i dont mean that in any religious sense either.

[Nam Kao]

When I get that point (as we all will) the only thing i'll ask is to chamber one

or help me up to the 8th floor

I would not ask for $$$ if I was a lost cause

I'll probably die in an accident of some sort long before that in LOS

Car/motorcy/etc

[Digger]

Without specifics about his condition its impossible to suggest a course of action. Fom what you have said, he has survived a year on the government offered medication but you presumably are paying for in patient hospital care?

Is the guy under a HIV/AIDS specialist doctor firstly?

If not, get him to one and then ask him/her for a full diagnosis - shell out for viral load and CD4 tests (about 8,000 baht) unless you have recent ones. Also get full blood work testing done. A specialist will then be able to determine, what is causing the illness. If its an AIDS related illness, they can tell you what the liklihood of recovery is. It is fact that patients with CD4 levels of 5 (600+ being normal and 200 considered actual onset of AIDS proper) have made full recoveries from illnesses that would have killed them to the weakening of their immune system IF they receive specialist care and medicines (which are avilable in Thailand albeit at a cost, however until you know the problem, its impossible to determine the future costs).

I suspect based on the relatively small amount of research I have done on this subject that he is suffering from a AIDS related illness as opposed to rejection of the AIDS medicine. For that reason you need to try and find out more as to what is the problem and what options you have of fixing it, if at all. As others have said, in some scenarios, a bottomless pit of money is not going to mean the guy can recover in the short to medium term. Other ailments are completey treatable and will lead to a full recovery with signifigant improvements in his immune system, which come about through the anti-viral medicines.

If you have any further info pls feel free to either post it here or via a PM. Truly these days there have been some incredible recoveries with the right care and attention.

Hope this helps

[Guest IT Manager]

Digger is essentially correct, but the long and the short is, that if he is that far along, it's very unlikely that the cocktail GPOvir will do much, unless it is supported in the home.

Sad fact of life, the thai government has no responsibility...for anything, about anything.

Make a big sign and put it somewhere obvious "Thai rak Thai kills Thai people, daily"

It won't help but you will feel better and be telling the truth.

[strawberry]

Many thanks for the replies. Good advice all round.

As Basher said its a sad story and its a very wide sad story covering many people with many different illnesses. The word around the the village is the the 30 baht scheme doesn't work that is unless its something small. My information from my private hospital is that since the 30 baht scheme started more outpatients are being treated. My Misses needed a hysterectomy so I get her booked into our private hospital with farang doctor. One evening she says she could get it done for 30 baht at Pichit hospital. I'm flabergasted as my doc tells me its going to cost 20,000. I hurt her feelings but next morning she says ''Joe I don't want to die'' That arvo we go down the village and talk with an wise older lady and she says that you don't go on the 30 baht scheme if its something serious. I've been here in this village for about 8 years and for 6 of those years I used the local government hospitalafter the 30 baht scheme was introduce it became obvious that they didn't want me there there. Many of the villagers have started to go the hour and a half car trip to my private hospital, often with me going with them.

Basher I will be going to the bank for a loan but not until my wife gets papers w2hich I understand will be later this year.

Nam Kao, mate I don't know how old you are but I'm coming into my 70 year and very much aware that I'm on the down hill run and believe me I'm doing everything I can to apply the brakes. My thing at the moment is going to Bangers to visit my chinese herbal doctor.

Digger- good input, B in L goes to the Missionary hospital and his doctor is a good looking Scottish lady very compassionate and I believe she knows what she is doin. Its deffinately an AIDS related disease. This hospital is specialising in AIDS now and seems people from far off come to it. He is far a long with the disease at least 7 years untreated until the fungal meningitis raised its ugly head last year. Since he was put on the cocktail it appears he has recovered from this and the doctor said he would.

Many thanks to all of you for your input made me feel heaps better'

regards Joe Strawberry

[bodypaul]

fingers crossed for him

[Suzy]

Unfortunately with AIDS, as you know, the immune system is incapable of fighting the many additional diseases that attack. Before attempting to control the AIDS virus other conditions should be cleared up first - like the fungal meningitis. Then attack the AIDS. Yes, full testing is needed and opt for blood tests for kidneys, liver and other organs. AIDS medications have some disastrous side effects and your doctor needs an overall picture of how the body is working. A lot will depend on age and don't expect the white cell blood count (CD4) to return to normal quickly. It will improve over the years with some peaks and troughs, but on average will increase. Getting the VL down is imperative, ideally to a non-detectable amount. This can only be done with the correct combination of drugs. Opt for a cocktail - a mix of three or four drugs taken twice daily. There are several schools of thought throughout the medical profession as to what and how many to take. Some doctors even prefer a rest period with no medication taken, even though the VL count will increase. Get a good doctor who specialises only in HIV/AIDS and go along with what you are told and given. Think positive and, like many of us, you'll get by.

[whiteshadow]

Many thanks for the replies. Good advice all round.

As Basher said its a sad story and its a very wide sad story covering many people with many different illnesses. The word around the the village is the the 30 baht scheme doesn't work that is unless its something small. My information from my private hospital is that since the 30 baht scheme started more outpatients are being treated. My Misses needed a hysterectomy so I get her booked into our private hospital with farang doctor. One evening she says she could get it done for 30 baht at Pichit hospital. I'm flabergasted as my doc tells me its going to cost 20,000. I hurt her feelings but next morning she says ''Joe I don't want to die'' That arvo we go down the village and talk with an wise older lady and she says that you don't go on the 30 baht scheme if its something serious. I've been here in this village for about 8 years and for 6 of those years I used the local government hospitalafter the 30 baht scheme was introduce it became obvious that they didn't want me there there. Many of the villagers have started to go the hour and a half car trip to my private hospital, often with me going with them.

Basher I will be going to the bank for a loan but not until my wife gets papers w2hich I understand will be later this year.

Nam Kao, mate I don't know how old you are but I'm coming into my 70 year and very much aware that I'm on the down hill run and believe me I'm doing everything I can to apply the brakes. My thing at the moment is going to Bangers to visit my chinese herbal doctor.

Digger- good input, B in L goes to the Missionary hospital and his doctor is a good looking Scottish lady very compassionate and I believe she knows what she is doin. Its deffinately an AIDS related disease. This hospital is specialising in AIDS now and seems people from far off come to it. He is far a long with the disease at least 7 years untreated until the fungal meningitis raised its ugly head last year. Since he was put on the cocktail it appears he has recovered from this and the doctor said he would.

Many thanks to all of you for your input made me feel heaps better'

regards Joe Strawberry

For not so many weeks ago a family member in Thailand died of aids, i tryed to send money and medication here from my country. .but what could i do nothing.. you are in the same situation what can you do.. nothing.. it is not nice to know that all what you can do is nothing when you want to help other people.. but that is what we can do sit and watch.. and do nothing.

[Pepe']

The prognosis of this patient does not sound good. As others have said better to make him comfortable as he passes if possible.