Would like some advice please UK treatment or not ?

[asean]

I have recently been diagnosed pos , I am  a UK citizen , but working in Thailand , I have been to a local doctor over here , and as yet have not started medication .

I may be going back to the UK in the near future and would welcome suggestion / advice on weather to have a check up there , I am a bit daunted of where to go who to see etc , or do I just stick to treatment here.

Would welcome views and comments please

[Matty the Damned]

Asean,

Welcome to the Forums! It's always a bittersweet thing to welcome a new member. I'm sorry you tested positive but I'm glad you found your way to us.

As I understand it the UK has a similar health system to what we have here in Australia. When you return to Blighty you should contact your local GUM (Genito-Urinary Medicine) Clinic for assessment. We have a number of British members here who should be able to point you in the right direction if you have difficulty finding a relevant service.

Also take the time to read our lessons for newly diagnosed people. You'll find the link in the upper left hand corner of the page.

Fond regards,

MtD

[chemistry001]

Asean,

Hi there, sorry to hear about your diagnosis, I'm not sure what the system is like in Thailand but what i would do is go to a clinic here in the UK and speak to the nurse's/doctors just for peace of mind next time your over here. There are (G.U.M) clinics with drop in centres in pretty much every town, so appointments may not be needed. I'm in London and go to the Harrison Dept at St Thomas. Being diagnosed in the last 3 weeks i can vouch for the staff at St Thomas, they treat you with respect and understanding.
What ever you do i wish you all the best

Paul

[penguin]

hello asean

good idea.

where would you be in the uk? in london?  lots to choose from, like  royal free, chelsea & westminster, mortimer market..let us know, someone can give you contact details if you want? You could call them and discuss beforehand, or just pitch up at walk-in. probably have á bit of a wait though.

Be a very good and helpful  idea to take a  copy of recent medical notes, any test results etc, list of any medications you currently taking, current dr's name, contact details...and proof you are uk citizen.

Kate

[asean]

Thank you , everyone that has replied , I must admit feeling at abit of a loss what to do.

 I am originally from the north of england , but I suppose it really dosn't matter where I go when I get back , I suppose I am just looking for reassurance of some sort .

again I appreciate any suggestions , especially about  "just turning up " some where ,

[Just John]

Hiya, I just wanna add that I suspect that no matter where you go in the U.K., especially in the cities and larger towns you'll get some of the best treatment and advice available anywhere. Maybe if you could be more specific about your intended location we Brits could be of more help.

Good luck, John.

[newt]

If you have been living outside the UK for mor than 12 months, technically you won;t be eligible for free NHS treatment, but if you way you have been working abroad and are now retruned permanently, there houldn;t be a problem, esp. as you are a UK citizen.  The advantage of a UK check-up may be better diagnostics and perhaps opportunity to fly back for meds now and then.  Register at a London clinic and all should be no hassle, plus you can probably cadge a 6-month script for meds out of them if necessary.

- matt

[asean]

Thanks again for the replies , I am from the North of UK , if anyone does have any contacts in this area I would appreciate it,

 I suppose I am hesitating because of all the wrong reasons ,but I may be going back to UK in December so I had better get my act together, must admit the thought of going through everything again is a bit offputting.

my current status is 363 and about 10% , The doctor treating me is not reccomending treatment at the moment , but I am getting recurring bouts of thrush , which is a real nuiscence.

I have not been on the site for ages , but really am gratefull that it is here ,

[newt]

Hello again...

CD4% of 10 is kinda low, 12-13% usually = a CD4 count of 200, which is the lowest recommended level for starting treatment.  Esp. with the thrush thinking about treatment now may be a good idea.

In terms of N of England, Body Positive North West in Machester or THT Leeds  may be useful contacts. 

You may need a UK HIV+ test result to see an HIV doctor. THT does 1-hr testing as do many other agencies.  Alternatively, you can refer yourself to a clinic, explain you've been working abroad and now returned (permanently, please, to ensure access to treatment, even if this is stretching a point). But, in terms of treatment, you can expect to go through the whole hospital referral process to get to see a consultant, which can take a few weeks. 

Most big London hospitals will undoubtedly treat you even though you've been resident abroad, or intend to return, but these are probably busier than those up North.

If you end up starting treatment in the UK it's kinda important to go on combo you can access back in Thailand, where, in principle, HIV medicines are readily available, both at private and public clinics.

- matt

[joemutt]

If it can be of any use; I managed quite easily to get good care
and remain healthy for the last 9 1/2 years here in Thailand.
Since a while there's access to generics that are cheap and which I have been
using since January with perfectly good results (CD4 1440 at 48%).
I sure dont know and dont question your reasons for going back
to England (in December  ) just wanted you to know that
you can get good care here. Be Well. Joe
BTW I also see my ID dr in Europe once a year, as a back up for a 2nd
opinion, but I do my bloodworks here in Bangkok.

[asean]

Joe, Great message thanks ,

 very reassuring

.It is only a maybe at the moment about the UK , I aggree with you about the timing , but I suppose it I am thinking  about a second oppinion as you say maybe clutching at straws a bit , sounds like excellent numbers you have , although I must admit I think I have to learn a bit more about that side.

Thanks again

[asean]

Hi Guys ,

 bit of an update , I never got back to Uk last year for treatment , as someone pointed out , who in their right minds goes there in December !!
Since the last post , have popped in a few times to the forum , but think I have had problems getting my head round things.

I was diagnosed May 2006 ,, and Had to start treatment in March this year , I will put a note about this on a seperate message .

Am now just in the middle of a bit of a dip . I think I am getting a bit down about things , and have got a horrible Herpes / Shingles type ras , sore as hell ,

So now I am getting back to thinking it may be time to call in to UK and get a bit of a check up , or in the least maybe just establish some contact there , as I scared the hell out of myself this year by worrying about the "what if 's " of something serious happening.

Sorry to  dronre on a bit , but you guys are the only people who I have told apart from my partner .

So back to the original question , as I am originally from the North of UK , is it better to go there , as there does not seem to be that much choice of hospitals apart from Leeds Manchester that I can see , Or should I go to London

would welcome any input , as I say , am not very focussed at the moment , and appreciate any input

[Ann]

Hi Asean,

I go to the Royal in Liverpool for my hiv care (but I live on the Isle of Man) and I'm very happy with my consultant and my care in general.

If Liverpool is closer to where you come from, you may like to contact Sahir House, the Mersyside ASO. http://www.sahir.uk.com/ Steve Earle is the person you need to speak/email to and his contact details are on the Sahir House homepage. Steve's a great guy and will be more than happy to help you.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Ann

[manchesteruk]

Hi Asean,

I'm in the North of England and go to North Manchester General Hospital.  It has quite a large HIV unit there with a drop in clinic specifically for HIV patients.  There is also a specialist HIV support unit if you think you might need that.  My Dr is also excellent he's been working with HIV patients for over 20 years.  The only bad things I'd have to say about the hospital are waiting times I don't think I've ever been into my appointment on time and my Dr is so overloaded with patients I don't always get the amount of time with him as I'd like.  Also in Manchester is George House Trust http://www.ght.org.uk/ght/index.php They are a HIV Organization they can help a lot with advice and even counseling if you feel thats something you may want to consider.

Chris

[sweetasmeli]

Hi Asean
As Ann has already said the Liverpool Royal hospital has good consultants (in fact one of the UK's best) and Sahir House is a great place to use for HIV info/support.

The Countess of Chester hospital GUM clinic also has good consultants and has links with Cheshire Body Positive - http://www.bpcnw.co.uk/ - which is based in Crewe.

I moved to Greece partly in reaction to my diagnosis and stayed there for nearly 3 years, But I kept the main part of my HIV monitoring ongoing in the UK. In the end I opted to move back to the UK. One of the reasons was for better/more reliable health care.

Hope you're getting that painful rash checked out - shingles ain't no fun!

Melia

[thescot]

Hi Asean,

I'm from the UK and have been living in Thailand for the past 13 years. I currently live in Pattaya where i found out my status and checked out the local hospitals. Surprisingly no I.D. docs here even in the big hospital which sent me to a general doctor who treats HIV patients. After i did my homework on HIV i had to question some of the doc's advice and tried very diplomatically to get my views across. Eventually when the time came for meds i went to BKK to see one of the many HIV specialists there. My current Thai doc was fully educated outside Thailand, is very willing to listen and overall my health is improving all the time.
I had the "return to the UK for treatment" thoughts when i first found out but believe there was more reason to stay in Thailand ....firstly .... family, weather, costs, etc etc but most of all lifestyle.
If you live here now because your retired or it's always been a dream then don't let the dream fade without giving Thailand a chance.
Feel free to PM me if you require any names or advice which i may be able to help you with.

Take Care
The Scot