Observations on India for medical treatment

[al007]

Observations on India  for medical treatment

 

I share below some of my very recent personal experiences

 

I have annual medicals each year at my local hospital, and my PSA had reached 13.2 from 3.0 over three years

 

I have just returned from having Holep Prostate surgery in Fortis Hospital in Delhi, I am 71 yrs old

 

I chose India because my research showed they had modern microsurgery techniques only available in a couple of Bangkok hospitals at 25% of the cost, I am self insured.

 

Was this the right decision, if it had only been surgery, maybe yes, and note I only say maybe

 

However I was booked to have prostate surgery, and a colonoscopy under general anaesthetic, at a top hospital at the same time on the evening I arrived, this did not happen, (despite the fact I had very carefully documented everything in writing including my exceedingly low pain threshold)I was given the prostate surgery under spinal anaesthetic, and suffered great pain as it was administered, in my leg and felt like a large current was being sent down my leg and out of my toe, most of the hospital must have heard me howling in agony

 

The agreed colonoscopy was three days late also not under general anaesthetic, and extremely painful

 

The trauma, begins when it is discovered I have two different lots of cancer, one in the prostate the other being in the lower intestine and trying to plan and agree a course of action becomes very difficult. I consider myself fortunate to have discovered these as they are both at relatively  early stages, however one is fast spreading

 

My Urologist in Khon Kaen kept saying to me over some two years  up to me on what I do, when I told him I had exercised my right under the unto you rules he was a little upset

He added he was aware of Holep keyhole surgery, and could hire the machine from Bangkok, when I asked if he was experienced he said no but he would like to be, another reason I chose India

 

I was discharged  three days after surgery and given a certificate, fit to fly, which I was not

 

We went to Goa to recuperate, and also visited RG Stone International Hospital for more tests and opinions

 

We stayed at The Taj Vivanta, Panjim, which was the very best most loving 5 star hotel I have stayed in, and yes I have stayed in the Mandarin Oriental in Honk Kong in a previous life, because of my numerous taxis to doctors every one there knew I was not well and they all reacted accordingly

 

Whilst in India I had Blood tests, ECD, MRI scan, CT Scan, two colonoscopies, creatinine plus plus

 

The costs were generally 50% lower than the independent scan and diagnostic clinics in thailand

 

India has like Thailand independent diagnostic centres

 

RG Stone wanted me to have a confirmatory colonoscopy, their own unit was undergoing refurbishment so they sent me to a small hospital, do not worry he is very good and not expensive, just my sort of place I think, remember we do not always get it right

 

I had taken all the normal awful bowel purging medications, and arrive at the old Portuguese clinic in magnificent tropical gardens 

 

I am greeted by the man doing the procedure, dressed  in a gardeners apron and wellington boots, I am promised it will be painless and local anaesthetic.

 

I am told to take off my trousers and underpants, I ask about my shirt and told no

 

I am put onto the stone table with help from his two male minders, and the pain begins

 

Next I think they pump water into me, and my stomach becomes like a large ballon and I am screaming in pain, then the two large male minders (as big as any I have seen outside night clubs) begin pushing and almost standing on my stomach, what do you want to stop I shout,and scream it all continues

 

It was like a human slaughter house

 

When they are finished he asks if I have another shirt, I reply you told me not to take it off

 

I can not get off the table and have almost passed out

 

I was covered in Sh** with blood pouring from my bottom, I have an old sheet around me, I am sent to the bathroom some 100yards away through a couple of buildings, with only my tiny wife helping me, leaving a trail of blood and sh**, I can hardly walk

I get to the toilet and tap and try to clean up, as yet more water shoots out of my bowels, like a fire hydrant

 

When I ask about the blood he says he had to cut for the biopsy

 

For the next three days I doubled my dose of antibiotics I was still on from the prostate surgery

 

I go and pay the equivalent of about thai batt 1400, ever heard the expression you get what you pay for I remind myself !!

 

It crosses my mind the "gardner" who performed the colonoscopy probably uses the washing from his stone table to fertile the plants, hence they were so beautiful

 

During my time in India; despite the total and unconditional loving care of my Thai wife, I was getting close to giving up and very very down, ( I even checked out how much valium to finish it, and in any case it probably does not work as you are likely to throw it all up and wake up), and full of pain my arms and my hands were black and blue from all the needles, and today I have still not fully recovered from the prostate surgery, to say the least, I have a urologists appointment on Wednesday.

 

There are a couple of hurdles by way of cancers, and also will my heart hold up to be overcome, but I am back in the right place.

 

I arrived in India walking and reasonably fit, by the time I left I was in a wheelchair my blood pressure up, my ankles badly swollen and generally very weak, I also picked up a bad cough and cold

 

I have to say the support I have received from Thai visa has been life saving, and one particular member especially so, this sort of love and help is so generous very greatly appreciated

 

We are so happy to be back in Thailand, and my Issan wife especially as she again has her papaya salad and sticky rice.

 

If I was ever in any doubt as to where my home is, I now know it is Thailand without any doubt, I have been here 9 yrs, and please God, whoever or what ever you might be,  a few more !

 

I would also say that whilst some of the doctors in northern Thailand, may be technically a little behind many countries, I doubt if you will find such caring and loving nurses as Issan has, India they do not care anything like as well, I did not say they were uncaring.

 

I share my experiences so it may help others, I am seeing more doctors in Bangkok before returning to Khon Kaen, and will continue to post my experiences

 

In the meantime I am dosing on Redoxon Zinc for my cough and cold, and by comparison to some of the Indian potions I was given, its like a 20yrs old malt whiskey

 

I have to keep smiling and remember wife number one, of four, always shouted booze, women or me; are going to kill you, I always told her she was wrong!

 

Thank you especially to one very special person, which is not my wife, but my wife also deserves great praise

 

[lopburi3]

OMG - is about all I can say.  Hope things come together for you better now.

[al007]

44 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

OMG - is about all I can say.  Hope things come together for you better now.

 

Thank you, kind of you and appreciated, I am grateful to be back in Thailand, I am grateful for many things, the point of my post is to let people know, what might happen in India, I am not saying poor me

 

I chose to go

 

I live with consequences

 

But the best news is we identified the cancer at an earliest stage

 

I am grateful for what I have in my life especially my loving wife

[manfredtillmann]

i don't really know how to take this in, it just seems like some Edgar Allan Poe horror story. man, that must have been soooo bad for you - and your girl.

i wish you the very best and no repeats.

be good

mft

[Scotwight]

Thanks for writing about it.  You should send your post to CNN and BBC and any other media outlets who might be interested.  Sanjay Gupta at CNN.

[al007]

2 hours ago, Scotwight said:

Thanks for writing about it.  You should send your post to CNN and BBC and any other media outlets who might be interested.  Sanjay Gupta at CNN.

 

Slowly slowly, have just been gouged today by the Surgeon In Dehli for US 500 to arrange copies and some of my pathology slides

 

By doing this in due course I will give the unabridged version, and not to just TV, in the above notes I wrote I did my best to stay light, there are many many more things much worse.

 

I am not after revenge just exposing the truth

 

When I asked the doctor about the Aston Martin involved in a crash in Delhi, and reported in the Delhi Times the answer was very simple, it was another man with the same name!!

 

I wanted to ring a bell with TV members thinking of this route

 

I love Thailand we all know it has a few imperfections, but India well, and well again, doctors and introducers all moving cash around amongst themselves , in US dollar bills

 

I was off my intravenous antibiotics, and put onto bowel flussing liquid, probably akin to toilet cleaner in taste and it does the same job

 

So after 48 hrs I enquired why I had not been given anything intravenously, sine I thought a couple of days after an operation, I should still be getting antibiotics, needless to say when I had to insist the nurses log was examined, things began to happen

 

The patient was not visited once by the doctor, whilst recovering in bed

 

I am only scratching the surface

 

However at present there are more urgent matters to be dealt with, in getting well

 

MEDICAL CARE IN INDIA NEEDS TO CARRY A HEALTH WARNING