Wednesday morning I awoke still feverish and with a worsening cough from deep within my chest. Realizing that rest and plenty of fluids were proving insufficient to overcome this illness, I went to Bangkok Hospital to see a doctor.
Two hours, a chest x-ray, and a battery of blood work later, the doctor said that there looked to be a small infection in my left lung and that while she didn’t think it was pneumonia it would be best if I checked into the hospital right there and then so they could start an IV antibiotic.
I explained that right there and then wasn’t going to work. For one thing, I had Tawn’s car with me, which he would need. For another, I didn’t have my computer or any reading material with me and at the very least I would need to let my manager know that I was going to be out for a few days. She didn’t seem to keen on that idea but she finally relented and gave me an oral antibiotic and instructions to return Thursday morning to check on the progress.
As she only prescribed me two pills and they are taken twice a day, I assume her intention is to check me into the hospital Thursday morning.
I’m not opposed to checking into the hospital if that’s the best course of action. I am concerned, though, that her decision may be based both on taking the most aggressive course of treatment as well as a realization that my local insurance provider will pay for inpatient treatment but not outpatient treatment, so they stand to earn more by having me check in.
We’ll see how this plays out, but maybe I’ll be writing some entries soon about my first time staying in a hospital.
On an interesting note, the amount I paid for today’s chest xray, the blood work, prescriptions and doctor’s visit (none of which was covered by insurance since it was outpatient) was only US$57. I think in the US my co-payment would have been higher than that.
christao408 
get well soon
I guess US$57 does sound quite reasonable. On the otherhand, that could pay for a very nice meal too! I wonder how long is your stay? Also I’m concerned how modern the hospital is as well? Get better soon!
@CurryPuffy – Bangkok Hospital is a cutting-edge medical institution that has a large business in medical tourism. They are very familiar handling expat patients and the care I’ve received there over the last four years for outpatient items has been very good. I’m not at all worried about the competence of the medical care. More I’m questioning whether hospitalization is necessary in order to treat the infection.@YNOTswim – Thank you Tony.
$57!?!? Wow. I think I was charged more than that just for my crappy meals from my one-night stay. I wonder how much the hospital actually profits from your $57 for all of that work.Hope you feel better soon… without a stay in the hospital.
You said, “We’ll see how this plays out, but maybe I’ll be writing some entries soon about my first time staying in a hospital.” I have written one already: http://choyshinglin.xanga.com/698476140/the-first-time-i-was-hospitalized/
Feel better.
Yikes! I hope that infection can be easily treated. Take care.
Yeah no kidding the co-pay alone would’ve been more than that.The dreadful patient/hospital/insurance triangle.
I will be anxious to see if you end up staying at home or going into the hospital, but at least you will be back at the hospital today since that sneaky doctor only gave you a days worth of antibiotics…lol. Take care…Ruth Ann
Hopefully you can treat this as an outpatient. I had pneumonia some years ago and I think my lung was in worse shape than yours and I was an outpatient. Get well soon.
hopefully it is nothing major! maybe you need a second opinion on how serious this is?
Oh noes! I hope you feel better soon 😦
I want to say glad it’s not some kind of flu, but I don’t know if infection is any better.I hope you get better soon.
Hope you get better soon!
I don’t trust doctors much anymore- so many people are just after insurance money, it makes me incredibly sad.
Keep us updated ok? The lung thing right now is no joke. =/Prayers and wishes to get well soon.
That’s right, I read about these Special hospitals and there’s another in BKK which is quite well known too.Resting at home sounds better since you don’t have to deal with other complexities in a public space. Just want to make sure this small infection will be eradicated in no time. BTW, the weather in L.A. was a cool 40F this morning.
I hope that you get well soon Chris and that it is nothing too serious.Hugs
I love how one of your first thoughts is that you needed a computer. Something I’d probably be thinking.Hope you get better and your stay at the hospital is short! 🙂
Take care. Don’t mess with this. Lung infections can be very dangerous! Get better really soon!
Lungs are serious – you got to have air… I’d go back and make sure that you take care of the infection. Get well soon.
What the heck does ” a little bit of infection in the left lung mean??” If there is infection, there is pneumonia. Period. No little bit or a lot of it!! Hedging around is like saying you are a little pregnant. You should have called Tawn, have him take a taxi and come there to be with you, and bring you your computer. Chris, I am mad that the doctor was not forceful enough to hold you back, and am mad at you, for delaying IV abx treatment. I am hoping that by now you have started your treatment. Wish I had your tel #, I could have called you and told you a thing or two. I have been thinking of you all day yesterday and today. I just now saw this post. Arrrgh! I am angry. On a happy note, I am glad you didn’t spend too much money on your outpatient work.
@ZSA_MD – Thanks for your kind thoughts. I realize that, hindsight being what it is, checking in the previous day would have been for the best. Thailand has a reputation of being very liberal with its prescribing of antibiotics. You can’t go to the doctor for a paper cut without being given an antibiotic. So I wanted to have Tawn there to communicate with the doctor in Thai and to advocate for me, to make sure that it wasn’t just a “go for the gusto” course of action but an appropriate response.In any case, I’m through my first 24 hours in the hospital and seem to be responding positively to treatment. Thanks for your concerns.