First up is the executive physical. Height, weight, blood pressure, vision, color blindness check, EKG, blood draw to test just about everything, then on to change into a gown for the rest of the physical. Time for the stool and urine sample. Here’s a pro tip - you can get the stool sample kit a day in advance so you don’t have to deliver on demand. The very first time I did a physical here, I managed to squeeze something out, but it wasn’t easy. Then there’s the chest x-ray and ultrasound of your internal organs. Done? Not yet. Time for continental breakfast and maybe you’ll peruse the Bangkok Post while you wait for the doctor. Right. In about 30 minutes, the physician reviews all of your test results with you, right there, and does an additional physical, you know, lymph node check, stethoscope and prostate check if you’re a guy. They also review/compare all of your past years of health data to look at trends. And then, they ask if there’s any other concerns you have. And I did. I always like to visit my dermatologist here (I had an appt to see him on the same day) and wanted to get my shoulder checked out. Oh, Sports Medicine is on the 20th floor. I’ll let them know you’re coming. That’s right. I had a concern. They sent me to a specialist right after my physical. Turned out to be the same doctor who had done an operation on my hand two years ago. He did some basic movement/resistance tests, then suggested I had a torn rotator cuff. He requested an MRI that was approved after a few days, saw the tear and now I’m scheduled for inpatient (two days in hospital) surgery. They used my health check up to satisfy the pre-op lab work, chest x-ray and EKG and then gave me an additional HIV test.
I also got a root canal done on a molar that was super sensitive before. The procedure was painless and it’s all better now. I am going to get a crown replaced at another facility in Bangkok, Bumrungrad has increased their dental prices and I didn’t find their dental center to be as modern as their surgical facilities.
Gwyne is at Bumrungrad every day as well. We both got a clean bill of health with our physicals, but wanted to follow on with some specialists. She has always had trouble sleeping and had an appointment with the neuro science department for later on in the week, but wanted to see if she could get it moved up as she’s leaving a few ticks on the clock sooner than me. Their response? Is today at 12:00 okay? Why yes, yes it is. We met with the doctor, Gwyne explained her sleep woes and the doctor recommended a sleep study. Everything at the hospital is booked up for two weeks, but we can do it at your hotel - would tonight be okay? We can send a nurse to your room to hook you up to the sensors. Scheduling a sleep study in Alabama has about six months wait time. But at Bumrungrad, they’ll do it tonight. At our hotel. Stop it. Turns out Gwyne wakes herself up 33 times an hour and just got a CPAP. I won’t be hearing that train a comin’ in the future
Gwyne likes to say, “Everything isn’t a contest, you know.” My response is typically, “That explains why you’re losing so much.” But on this trip, she beat me. In about 18 days, she weighed in with 35 appointments at Bumrungrad, I only managed to get 19 appointments under my belt. As we age, it’s just a good practice to get things checked out. And in the US, it just seems to be harder. It takes such a long time to see a specialist and then the results aren’t shared with other specialists you may see. At Bumrungrad, when we were talking to the neuro science doctor, she pulled up Gwyne’s physical immediately and looked at her as a whole person, not just bits and bobs. She saw and reviewed all of the specialist appointments that Gwyne had been to and her upcoming schedule. My orthopedic physician immediately looked at all of my health records prior to evaluating my shoulder. That’s just not the way it is in the US and that’s why we - and people from all over the world - keep on coming back to Bumrungrad for the excellent integrated medical care. And the hospital food. We come back for that too.
