tomcat

*ahem*...and some are even slightly older than that.

B6,500 gets me a morning at Samitivej once a year and a visit with Dr. Visit, a nice young man who trained in New York. Despite my pathetic whimpering, he refuses to administer the digital prostate exam, although he says that if I took the B8,000 package, he might consider it.

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Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd....

Mister Fixit

Aw, c'mon Tommers. It's only 1,500 baht or $30 or so extra. Surely it's worth that tiddly bit more to get a 'nice young man' to wiggle his finger up your butt once a year?

Or do you prefer to pay even more to have a somewhat less qualified 'nice young man' from Boystown, Pattaya to wiggle something rather larger up your butt rather more often?

__________________
We would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the Cross of the moment
And see our illusions die

tomcat

You're very persuasive....

...for an inbred boor.

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Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd....

tonyd

Sorry Zehner - Check up at Bangkok Hospital? And, BUPA Emerald covers it? Hmmm.

Only 2 insurance companies in Thailand pay anything for annual check ups. BUPA Platinum 1 pays 500 baht, BUPA Platinum 2 pays 700 baht and BUPA Platinum 3 pays 1,000 baht. None of the BUPA Personal plans, Emerald included, pay anything for a check up without a mediical complaint

1,000 baht might be almost adequate for a check up at government owned Chulalongkorn
Hospital.

NZI-InterGlobal's Comprehensive Plan pays up to 17,000 baht per year and their Plus Plan pays up to 23,800 baht per year.

Insurance companies call these Wellness Benefits.

How much a checkup costs depends upon how detailed of a checkup you want and what areas of your body you are most concerned about checking.

pauleddy

A pretty good checkup is about 6000-7000b.

You know that it's good because it will include an abdo ultrasound (tumours, liver, kidney stones, gall bladder etc.).

It will also incl an ecg for the heart, which is 'enough' for most people with no known cardiac probs. Some places do a stress test but ask more.

A CXR (chest x-ray) is very basic and normal in this checkup. you should have one, as many things can be shown, incl lung problems, airways disease, cancer PLUS some heart problems (mainly cardiomegaly/cardiac failure--overlarge heart caused by back pressure on the main muscle due to circulation/narrowing arteries)

You will fast overnight so that blood tests for diabetes, blood fat, cholesterol and liver problems can be shown correctly. The test should also include 2 or 3 of the basic tumour (cancer) markers, like PSA and bowel. They are not 100% accurate but offer a good idea. Some are elevated if u smoke.

Some places include a dental checkup in the price.

I find Paolo (near Ari) and St Louis Hospital both give a good service in the "Gold" checkup, which is 6-7000b.

They are a bit cheaper than the likes of BNH. Basically, all of the tests are standard. The decor may be better at BNH, but the tests will give the same results.

Tony is correct, as usual. Very few insurers fund the check-up. my Bupa Platinum contributes about 500b, I think.

Some big firms have schemes which pay for your checkups.

Checkups make a good profit. The cost to the hospital of blood tests on site is a few hundred baht. Same the XRay. The machines are all in place, like the staff, so the variable costs are negligible. They can also drum up business if they find a problem, cos then they will charge to treat you further.

AFAIK, Chula does not do walk-in checkups. I have a fairly close working relationship with the hospital, and I know the place. There is a 'check-up' unit which checks people before operations, and may take group check-ups, but I don't think u can walk in like BNH or St Louis.

PEd

aging one

Think I will go there over BKK hospital. The results there even if just on the borderline indicate a trip to Mr. Happy. One of the strangest doctors I have ever met.

__________________
Too long in Exile, too long not singing my song.
Too long like a rolling stone, Too long in exile
Too long in Exile, baby you just arent my friend.
Too long in Exile my friend, Baby you can never go home again.

zehner

yup. i showed my BUPA card the first time i went in and haven't had to pay anything since. all the teachers in our school go once a year

__________________
Now, to pry into roots, to finger slime,
To stare, big-eyed Narcissus, into some spring
Is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme
To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.

Mister Fixit

About what? The trip to the hospital or the trip to Boystown? Or er, both ... or either.

__________________
We would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the Cross of the moment
And see our illusions die

tomcat

yes.

__________________
Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd....

tonyd

That has nothing to do with BUPA Emerald. Apparently your school made an arrangement with BUPA to include annual physicals in your group coverage. I haven't heard of any other group schemes doing that in Thailand, but I think it's an excellent idea. You must work for a pretty good school.

drdublin

Pay for the PSA. It removes the necessity of the gloved finger inserted into your nether regions. Then again if your into that sort of thing...

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1024

tomcat

My (straight) US doctor says the PSA on its own is a tad unreliable; an accompanying digital exam by a trained professional (as opposed to a Saturday night special) is better.....

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Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd....

pauleddy

Yes, PSA test can give false results, and is only a guide.

All adult men have some PSA in their blood.

The normal reading is less than 4 (ng/ml as far as I remember), but often, guys with much higher readings are found not to have cancer. Also, some guys with low readings DO have cancer. I think the reliability is poor. 7 out of 10 men with readings between 4-10 (over normal) will NOT have cancer. There are other tests, like ultrasound and finally a biopsy (taking a sample with a Saturday night needle!!) which is pretty reliable, but a bit painful.

Note that the PSA can increase with infection or irritation of the prostate. A Saturday night finger can LEAD to higher readings for a few hours or days!!

Many (in fact, most) males over 55-ish (sometimes younger, but rarely) will have some kind of prostate trouble. Often this is not cancer, but benign swelling. The main symptom is change in the way you pee. You may find that it is more difficult to get started, or it might come out in bursts or even dribbles. However, cancer can start to show in the same way, so any peeing problems in older men should be checked.

Some experts say that steady PSA increases year after year may point to high cancer risk.

The general advice is that men over 50 or 55 should have a PSA test every year or two. Every year is better.

Obviously, some men don't have tests and some do. Up to you.

Ejaculation (gay, straight or self-administered mode, it matters not) always raises PSA levels for about 24 hours. You shouldn't have a jump (or a J Arthur) today if you are having yr PSA checked tomorrow.

Prostate cancer can be a nasty way to die. The cancer often spreads to the base of the spine (or liver, like many cancers) --or sometimes to the hips/upper leg area. The base of spine pain can be very bad, and these patients usually need a lot of morphine and advanced terminal care (like a hospice) because they cannot walk without pain and then they find it very painful to lie down as well, so there is no happy medium.

One piece of cold comfort is that the cancer can take years to build up to fatal level. I read a recent study which showed that 'quite a few' old men who died of old age, other cancers, heart failure etc were found on post-mortem to have prostate cancer which was 'present but slow'. What happened was that old age took them before the prostate cancer did.

All in all, the prostate is a bit of a curse and a blessing. Women are 'lucky', but they have other bad stuff like ovary cancer, brittle bones etc. The PSA which is (99%) made by the gland is needed to 'boost' and liquify semen; some scientists believe that it also helps to "notify" the womb that sperm are arriving.

The other 'main' cancer blood test (marker) done at these check-up places is the CEA, which can indicate cancer in the digestive system, normally the colon/bowels. Again, the CEA can be a bit flaky. Sometimes it is raised in people who don't have cancer, and smoking always elevates it a bit. If the CEA is included in the menu of tests offered, then have it done. Blood is usually taken only once from your arm, and the blood is then 'divided up' into various amounts for each test. If you have changing bowel habits (diarrhoea that stays for days and weeks rather than from a curry) or black stools, or anything else wrong down there, then see someone about it. Actually, there are many problems which can affect the bowels but are NOT cancer, so don't immediately think you have cancer. Probably, you don't.

PEd

tomcat

All of the above is excellent advice...but to short-circuit the process, just ask your date for a gentle probe...you'll be glad you did.

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Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd....