Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Medical Care in Thailand

My Intimate Journey with Cancer

Part 2

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

It was a long trip from Japan to Thailand, but fortunately most things went well.

We flew international from Fukuoka, Japan to Bangkok, Thailand then took a domestic flight in Bangkok to Chiang Mai, a town further north in the country.

Chiang Mai was our second home for many years previously, and it was good to get back.

After arriving in the Chiang Mai Airport, we took a tuk-tuk – one of those 3-wheeled transport vehicles so common in town - to our hotel.

It was now about 9pm, and we were beat from a long day of travel.

June 13th, our appointment at Chiang Mai Ram

The next morning, we took another tuk-tuk from our hotel in the center of the ancient walled town, to our 12:15pm appointment at the hospital. All of this had been pre-arranged by email when we were traveling in Japan. The hospital already had my name and patient ID number and I was in their system.

We checked in, nurses took my blood pressure, my weight, my oxygen levels and asked that I sit in the waiting room until I was called for my appointment.

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When it was my turn to go into the doctor’s office, an English-speaking Thai woman took us to see him.

The doctor also spoke English, and did my intake. He asked what I thought was going on with me and he took notes.

He then did a manual examination of both of my breasts, my armpits, neck and stomach. He asked me if I was feeling any pain, if I had lost my appetite or if I had lost weight.

Sitting back down at his desk, he said that of course, further tests needed to be done. He had already scheduled a mammogram for me and …

Oh, no, Doctor. This bump is as hard as a golf ball and I won’t be having THAT smashed. It would be way too painful, I said very matter of factly. I was not going to have this thing cracked and exploded, causing me even more problems, of that I was sure.

The Doc looked a bit taken aback at my refusal of the mammogram. Who does that? Who refuses a doctor's directives? But the Thai society is very polite and he mentioned that the mammogram had already been scheduled but… he would try and get me a sonogram later today if I had no objections.

That would be great, I told the kindly old doctor.

We shook his hand, thanked him for his time, and remained out in the waiting room to hear when we were to come back for the sonogram.

It wasn’t long before someone came and told us our appointment would be at 1:30 this afternoon.

Terrific.

Things were finally moving along and I couldn't wait to get resolution on this painful bump.

The sonogram

I was escorted through doors and down hallways until I got to the sonogram equipment. After I changed into a hospital gown, I was then laid on the table and prepped.

After doing the sonogram, the female doctor told me that the area in my breast looked suspicious so they wanted to also do a biopsy. None of this was a surprise, and we expected it. I was staying calm.

The appointment for the biopsy was made for later in the day at 5pm (I needed to be there a half-an-hour earlier) and so Billy and I went out to lunch.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Quick and Efficient

The scheduling of the procedures was quick and efficient

One of the things we like about our experiences with medical care outside the US is how expeditious and competently things move along.

There are no weeks to wait in between appointments, no “go to the office and receive your consultation date.” No “you need a referral before we can move forward.” No unnecessary delays, no contacting my insurance and waiting for approval to have something done.

You need something, they do it.

Think about it. I made arrangements via email for the hospital in Thailand while Billy and I were in Japan. Answers to these emails and the questions I had came in a matter of hours, not days or weeks.

We arrive at the hospital for our 12:15pm appointment, and even though a mammogram had been scheduled, it was replaced by a sonogram for less than an hour later.

This is a busy internationally JCI accredited hospital which is patient-focused. The difference between the service we receive overseas compared to what we have obtained back home in the States is pronounced.

Because the sonogram looked suspicious, a biopsy was also promptly arranged for that same afternoon.

I didn’t need permission from anyone, neither the insurance companies, nor a primary care physician. I didn’t need to fill out tons of paperwork and wait weeks in between my procedures for someone to stamp the papers, make phone calls, or carry the papers down the hall or across town for processing.

What is so hard about this?

It’s a person-focused medical system that is both economical and productive.

It's why we choose to utilize the options of Medical Tourism for our primary access to health care, and we have been doing so for decades now.

The biopsy

After a delicious Thai lunch, we walked back to the hospital for the biopsy.

I put on another hospital gown, was cleaned up, and given a local anesthetic.

Then the female doctor took several samples for the biopsy. One specimen was particularly deep and at a different angle – which caused me some pain. Apparently, there were two tumors – some new information to digest.

They placed a large Bandaid on my breast that I needed to keep dry (no swimming in the pool!) for 5 days, and then I went to pay my bill.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

The invoice

I go to the cashier’s desk, take a number and wait for it to be called.

So, at this point, I have had nurses take my vitals, a consultation with the doctor, a sonogram with all the prep, doctor and assistants and a biopsy taken with more prep, more doctors and more assistants.

The total of all of these medical procedures at this time was $306USD.

Since we have no international health insurance, I placed this out-of-pocket expenditure on my charge card, got receipts and a bunch of stamped papers that listed everything I had just paid for.

The emotional scenery is changing

Meanwhile, I am trying to keep a positive vision for all of this.

Already I am being placed down the cancer path – which may or may not be the case at this point - but the medical community is just so willing to go there. I felt a bit surprised and stunned, as this wasn't what I had envisioned.

At any rate, surgery will be needed to remove this mass, which is now the size of a lemon or so.. and it hurts.

My idea of cryoablation and a non-invasive procedure has gone to dust.

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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