Annual Health Checkup
Being an expat in my early 60s living in Thailand I have been listening to my, far more sensible friends, who have annual checkups with the hospitals here to monitor their health. I even have friends that come from our home country for a holiday every year in the winter and one of their disciplined tasks, is to report to the hospital for a well man MOT (a hospital checkup). They say that should get a checkup every year from 40 years old! So this year as many of my vital organs are showing signs of wear and I am starting to feel my age (plus 10 years!) just getting up every day to go to work is getting tough, common sense took over, and I researched the options. Now, I am not lucky enough to have a top of the range Mercedes Benz, but if I did I wouldn’t take it to the garage round the corner behind the industrial estate to have it repaired.
I would take it to a main dealer because I trust and know that they are the experts in this field. So I decided to put my health into the capable hands of the best in town – Bumrungrad. I read the options online and decided that the Comprehensive Advance was probably the best choice for me and made the appointment. Fast for 12 hours before was their advice – that was tough enough! I reported at 10:40am on Saturday and was surprised to find that the registration department was very busy – must be for other things as well I thought. I thought wrong! All of the men and women in that department were there to report for the same procedure – obviously common sense prevails.
I was checked in, given a wristband, with my name and age on it, and off I went. A detailed questionnaire about my past health and all the necessary info. Then off with a nurse for blood pressure, weight, height, heart rate, temperature:
• A physical examination • Vital signs, BMI • Complete blood count • Fasting blood sugar • Lipid profile: Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglyceride • Kidney function: creatinine • Kidney function: BUNUric acid • Liver function: SGOT (AST) and SGPT • Urine exam • Stool exam with occult blood • Chest X-ray • Electrocardiogram: they wired me up, put my heart under stress whilst walking on a tilted treadmill, and I was given the good news – your heart is ok.
I didn’t know what half of these were and had to use the internet to find out what was what and I have probably missed several important tests out but I was kept on the go whilst I was there for the 4-5 hours. I was taken from one department to the next and was worn out by the time I was introduced to the doctor who went through the results and discussed the areas for concern. Prostrate slightly enlarged, fatty liver, blood sugars slightly high (especially as I am diabetic), keep an eye on your cholesterol, overweight – need to lose 10kgs! Do more exercise, watch your diet. The 25 page detailed report arrived in my inbox 3 days later. I shall report next year at the end of February – from now on it will be my birthday present to myself.
For more information, visit: http://www.bumrungrad.com/en/health-check-up-bangkokthailand/check-up-packages
