Trip report. India and Bangkok. Sort of.
Nov 15th, 2013, 06:05 AM
#21
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Better late that never to continue this report. 
We arrived late in Delhi on the 12th. The train was a bit late, about 30 mins. which was a bit surprising as we left on time from Ajmer. This time we were met by my nephew who arranged a ride for us to the City park hotel so all went smoothly. The next day was spent seeing relatives and running errands as we had things to do to prepare for our trip back home, things like getting clothes tailored, etc. That evening we took our rels. to dinner at the City Parks restaurant, the Yellow Mirchi. If you are ever near this place its a good bet for dinner. The food is very good and the prices are moderate at least compared to other hotel restaurants like the Hilton, Hyatt, etc.
On the 14th we left for a one day side trip to Chandigarh. We had arranged for a car and hotel from Mr. V.P. Singh of www.legendsandpalaces.com. We were going to stay at the Taj but he also suggested we look into the Marriott there and we opted for this property. And I'm glad we did. This is a beautiful hotel with great, great service. I just wish we had more time there but one day is all we had. BTW if you ever go there look into the club pass they offer. It cost 2k rupees but this got us into the club lounge which served all sorts of food and top shelf liquor. They had a fridge which was fully stocked with desserts, top shelf bottled water and snacks so for about $33.00 we basically had a meal for two along with drinks.
We went to the rose garden there but there were no roses in bloom but I can see haow nice it would be when they are in bloom. The grounds are very nice to stroll but for us it was a bit too warm to walk much. We had someone to see who is a relative of one our neighbors so we decided to go there. The driver called them and we managed to find their home with a little bit difficulty but not too bad. You must know that when you are guests of Indian families you are treated very well. We were offered more food than what we could eat and basically smothered with kindness. I learned from them that Chandigarh is a planned city so that means its organized, has adequate facilities and most importantly they told us they don't have those periodic power outages that some cities in Indian have, even parts of Delhi.
At breakfast the next morning we asked our waiter where we could find a certain food item in the markets, a snack that Chandigarh is known for. W/i 20 mins. he delivered two boxes of this item to our table! I was amazed overall at how well the staff at the Marriott treated their clients. This place has high standards not just for India but for the world IMHO.
On the way back we got a call from Mr. Singh who was making sure all was going well and indeed it was. It was good to see he was checking in to be sure all was well. I must say he delivered what he promised and I would definitely do business with him again.
The ride back was longer than coming. We hit some snarly traffic and I was nearly out of my mind at one point at there seemed no end to it. Finally we were able to get out of this mess and go to the City Park again.
The next couple of days was spent wrapping things up with our relatives and packing. We went to India with 4 bags stuffed to the gills and most of it was for our family so I thought we would come back with much less. However then I did not figure all the gifts we got including sooooo many boxes of sweets which as you can imagine adds quite a bit of weight so though we were not nearly as heavy when we came we left much more heavy than I thought we would be.
We left on the morning of the 17th for a noon flight to BKK. Our ride was provided by Mr. Singh and it was on time and the vehicles he provides are very nice, big, clean and comfortable. So it was goodbye to India and as it turns out d/t my wifes illness which she got in Ajmer it is a permanent goodbye. I do hope to bring some of our relatives here for a visit if possible but its always the same story for us, especially as we get older. Its fun to see the family but India is just harder to take each time we go and add to that a 5 day hospitalization (I once was hospitalized 2 weeks back home after getting typhoid in India) and its just not worth a risk to our health. Actually Delhi is much better but its Ajmer thats very unsanitary.
Next, Bangkok where the ordeal began.
We arrived late in Delhi on the 12th. The train was a bit late, about 30 mins. which was a bit surprising as we left on time from Ajmer. This time we were met by my nephew who arranged a ride for us to the City park hotel so all went smoothly. The next day was spent seeing relatives and running errands as we had things to do to prepare for our trip back home, things like getting clothes tailored, etc. That evening we took our rels. to dinner at the City Parks restaurant, the Yellow Mirchi. If you are ever near this place its a good bet for dinner. The food is very good and the prices are moderate at least compared to other hotel restaurants like the Hilton, Hyatt, etc.
On the 14th we left for a one day side trip to Chandigarh. We had arranged for a car and hotel from Mr. V.P. Singh of www.legendsandpalaces.com. We were going to stay at the Taj but he also suggested we look into the Marriott there and we opted for this property. And I'm glad we did. This is a beautiful hotel with great, great service. I just wish we had more time there but one day is all we had. BTW if you ever go there look into the club pass they offer. It cost 2k rupees but this got us into the club lounge which served all sorts of food and top shelf liquor. They had a fridge which was fully stocked with desserts, top shelf bottled water and snacks so for about $33.00 we basically had a meal for two along with drinks.
We went to the rose garden there but there were no roses in bloom but I can see haow nice it would be when they are in bloom. The grounds are very nice to stroll but for us it was a bit too warm to walk much. We had someone to see who is a relative of one our neighbors so we decided to go there. The driver called them and we managed to find their home with a little bit difficulty but not too bad. You must know that when you are guests of Indian families you are treated very well. We were offered more food than what we could eat and basically smothered with kindness. I learned from them that Chandigarh is a planned city so that means its organized, has adequate facilities and most importantly they told us they don't have those periodic power outages that some cities in Indian have, even parts of Delhi.
At breakfast the next morning we asked our waiter where we could find a certain food item in the markets, a snack that Chandigarh is known for. W/i 20 mins. he delivered two boxes of this item to our table! I was amazed overall at how well the staff at the Marriott treated their clients. This place has high standards not just for India but for the world IMHO.
On the way back we got a call from Mr. Singh who was making sure all was going well and indeed it was. It was good to see he was checking in to be sure all was well. I must say he delivered what he promised and I would definitely do business with him again.
The ride back was longer than coming. We hit some snarly traffic and I was nearly out of my mind at one point at there seemed no end to it. Finally we were able to get out of this mess and go to the City Park again.
The next couple of days was spent wrapping things up with our relatives and packing. We went to India with 4 bags stuffed to the gills and most of it was for our family so I thought we would come back with much less. However then I did not figure all the gifts we got including sooooo many boxes of sweets which as you can imagine adds quite a bit of weight so though we were not nearly as heavy when we came we left much more heavy than I thought we would be.
We left on the morning of the 17th for a noon flight to BKK. Our ride was provided by Mr. Singh and it was on time and the vehicles he provides are very nice, big, clean and comfortable. So it was goodbye to India and as it turns out d/t my wifes illness which she got in Ajmer it is a permanent goodbye. I do hope to bring some of our relatives here for a visit if possible but its always the same story for us, especially as we get older. Its fun to see the family but India is just harder to take each time we go and add to that a 5 day hospitalization (I once was hospitalized 2 weeks back home after getting typhoid in India) and its just not worth a risk to our health. Actually Delhi is much better but its Ajmer thats very unsanitary.
Next, Bangkok where the ordeal began.
Nov 15th, 2013, 09:49 AM
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No, we did not though in hindsight I would have planned more time there. If you do go consider the Marriott. The service is excellent. You begin your check in by being escorted to your room from which all the paper work is done, in the comfort of your room. This is basically how you are treated throughout your stay.
Nov 17th, 2013, 11:42 PM
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Fantastic report jacketwatch! I went to Chandigarh myself a month ago but did not stay at the Marriott. I opted for the Park Plaza in Sector 17 and that's also very good, albeit a notch below in luxury being a 4-star. Service impeccable though.
Nov 18th, 2013, 11:41 AM
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i am glad some folks find this interesting.
We left DEL for BKK around 0800 for our Thai airways flight, about 4 or 5 hrs. NS. I do like Thai airways as you are greeted with an orchid and the onboard service is excellent. I do think the food in their biz class is a notch below ANA and Asiana however.
Our ride to the airport was part of the tour I arranged with Mr. VP Singh and the car or I should say the huge SUV ( we had 4 big bags plus carryons) arrived on time as scheduled. In fact we arrived early to the airport and had to wait about 30 mins. to check in. I must say IGI in delhi is beautiful and if you read what i said about Narita is also much cooler. They must have the AC on.
. Our check in went fairly smoothly so as we had ample time to shop and as my son wanted a T-shirt from every country we were in I got a rather comical one depicting one of the infamous Indian three wheeler black and yellow scooters flying along with the driver and passenger arguing like crazy. Yep, its true to life. .
Our flight was uneventful and our arrival in BKK went as planned. We had arranged with Thai smiles limo service for a R/T and I did manage to find them rather easily though this search was accomplished knowing where to go to look for the rides from our overnight in BKK on the way to Delhi. We had arranged for large vehicle for all our bags and a huge Toyota van that looked more like a small bus. It was very clean and comfy and we settled in for the ride to the Grand Millenium hotel. The R/T, the return of which I prepaid and in Thai baht was only about $68.00. Not bad.
As we got closer to our hotel the traffic which had been pretty smooth became very conjested so all in all it took just over an hour.
Check in at the GM was smooth and and we had a very nice room with a view of the city on the 16th floor I think. The room had a super comfy king sized bed (which as it turns out I would sleep in once), a nice desk, ample closet space, a safe and a nice bathroom with a tub, shower and all the usual toiletries, plush towels, etc. As it was late we ordered room sx. and in hindsight there was a telltale sign of my wifes illness as she could eat little and felt queasy and full.
The next day she felt more malaise and as it did not seem too serious she decided to sleep and after breakfast I went for a walk. I had planned to get new glasses for me and my son and there were a large number of eye boutiques w/i easy walking distance. For me I am not so fussy so i got a nice set of glasses with a new exam and a stronger prescription for about $123.00. All this w/i two hrs. However my son wanted to be more up to date, surprise, so armed with his new script I found a place with a nice sale and got his for just a bit more. I do realize some may say its a risk to get glasses or contacts this way but we've done it before as there was an optometrist in Delhi who we came to know and I've gotten several sets of contacts for my son just by emailing his latest prescription, sending a draft and its gone well. Unfortunately he is no longer there.
Anyway with business done I headed bak to the hotel and found Sue to be ailing further. We decided to go to the pool and get some air. She bravely tried to drink a fruit smoothie but could not get much down.
By the next morning she was feeling terrible so we called the hotel to get an MD. One came, a young, handsome Thai MD with a nurse. I got a call from the front desk to open our door and there they were waiting along with someone form the hotel. The MD was trained in the UK and I think raised there as well as he spoke with a British accent. He diagnosed gastro-enterits, gave her an IM anti-biotic and an anti-spasmotic, some oral anti-biotics and said it would take 3-4 days for the bug to resolve, However later that afternoon Sue was in tears and could not keep even sips of water done so I called the MD again and he advised hospitalization. Heres where I think even in the face of pain and suffering good luck began. We went to the hosp. he recommended, Samitivej which per a friend of mine in BKK is the best in the city. I do wonder what would have happened if the recommendation was another hospital.
She was seen in the ER and the dx. was confirmed by the ER MD and so here we are in BKK and Sue is a patient. Needless to say this was very frightening for us. Language is an issue and on top of that my Iphone was not getting a signal so its like you are way out of the network or contact with your normal support systems. I will say that as an RN with 34 yrs. experience, most of it in an adult ICU setting its much easier to be on the giving end vs. the ones needing care. What you take away from this is a deeper sense of empathy to those who you care for though honestly I do feel like I give my pts, and their families 100% all the time.
Well the next 5 days were spent with her in the hospital and me shuttling back and forth from her room to the hotel for a shower, clean clothes, breakfast and then back to spend the day and night with her. I will say that this hospital had great facilities for patients and their families but before that let me say that you need excellent care first or all that doesn't matter and excellent care is what we got. The MD's were on time, were very polite and had good communication skills and were very professional (keep this in mind when I tell you what happened to us from our own office back home). The nurses and the aides as well as all the support personnel were polite, friendly and supportive.
The next day, my birthday which was supposed to be celebrated with friends I have in BKK was noteworthy in another way. My IPhone slipped out of my pocket to the backseat of the cab. I realized it within a second or two after exiting at the hospital and tried to chase the cab but it was too late. I had the hotel call the cab company and even offered a reward but no one ever turned it in. It had a passcode lock so using it would be hard, even if you could get a signal.
So now what do I do? I asked the concierge at the hotel about buying a pay as you go phone so he hailed one of those scooters for hire, explained the situation to the driver and told me he would take care of this for me. So off we go with me hanging on to the back of this scooter and him zipping in and out of traffic. A 10 min. ride seemed like an hr. and my back was sore from all the bumps we hit. My knees nearly bumped the cars as he decided often to make his own lane in between cars.. So we go tot he mall and get a phone. But hey its not simple. They you go to another store to get a sim. Then you have to charge it so where do you go for that? one of the many 7-11 stores in BKK. Now that was a surprise. . However then we ended up going to yet another mall for proper dialing instructions as the folks at the 7-11 did not have the proper codes to call the US. I must say that despite the language barrier they were very patient and helpful. I can't see that happening here. All in all 4 stops and about two hrs. but hey I'm back in business. Yes!!
To be continued.
We left DEL for BKK around 0800 for our Thai airways flight, about 4 or 5 hrs. NS. I do like Thai airways as you are greeted with an orchid and the onboard service is excellent. I do think the food in their biz class is a notch below ANA and Asiana however.
Our ride to the airport was part of the tour I arranged with Mr. VP Singh and the car or I should say the huge SUV ( we had 4 big bags plus carryons) arrived on time as scheduled. In fact we arrived early to the airport and had to wait about 30 mins. to check in. I must say IGI in delhi is beautiful and if you read what i said about Narita is also much cooler. They must have the AC on.
. Our check in went fairly smoothly so as we had ample time to shop and as my son wanted a T-shirt from every country we were in I got a rather comical one depicting one of the infamous Indian three wheeler black and yellow scooters flying along with the driver and passenger arguing like crazy. Yep, its true to life. . Our flight was uneventful and our arrival in BKK went as planned. We had arranged with Thai smiles limo service for a R/T and I did manage to find them rather easily though this search was accomplished knowing where to go to look for the rides from our overnight in BKK on the way to Delhi. We had arranged for large vehicle for all our bags and a huge Toyota van that looked more like a small bus. It was very clean and comfy and we settled in for the ride to the Grand Millenium hotel. The R/T, the return of which I prepaid and in Thai baht was only about $68.00. Not bad.
As we got closer to our hotel the traffic which had been pretty smooth became very conjested so all in all it took just over an hour.
Check in at the GM was smooth and and we had a very nice room with a view of the city on the 16th floor I think. The room had a super comfy king sized bed (which as it turns out I would sleep in once), a nice desk, ample closet space, a safe and a nice bathroom with a tub, shower and all the usual toiletries, plush towels, etc. As it was late we ordered room sx. and in hindsight there was a telltale sign of my wifes illness as she could eat little and felt queasy and full.
The next day she felt more malaise and as it did not seem too serious she decided to sleep and after breakfast I went for a walk. I had planned to get new glasses for me and my son and there were a large number of eye boutiques w/i easy walking distance. For me I am not so fussy so i got a nice set of glasses with a new exam and a stronger prescription for about $123.00. All this w/i two hrs. However my son wanted to be more up to date, surprise,
so armed with his new script I found a place with a nice sale and got his for just a bit more. I do realize some may say its a risk to get glasses or contacts this way but we've done it before as there was an optometrist in Delhi who we came to know and I've gotten several sets of contacts for my son just by emailing his latest prescription, sending a draft and its gone well. Unfortunately he is no longer there. Anyway with business done I headed bak to the hotel and found Sue to be ailing further. We decided to go to the pool and get some air. She bravely tried to drink a fruit smoothie but could not get much down.
By the next morning she was feeling terrible so we called the hotel to get an MD. One came, a young, handsome Thai MD with a nurse. I got a call from the front desk to open our door and there they were waiting along with someone form the hotel. The MD was trained in the UK and I think raised there as well as he spoke with a British accent. He diagnosed gastro-enterits, gave her an IM anti-biotic and an anti-spasmotic, some oral anti-biotics and said it would take 3-4 days for the bug to resolve, However later that afternoon Sue was in tears and could not keep even sips of water done so I called the MD again and he advised hospitalization. Heres where I think even in the face of pain and suffering good luck began. We went to the hosp. he recommended, Samitivej which per a friend of mine in BKK is the best in the city. I do wonder what would have happened if the recommendation was another hospital.
She was seen in the ER and the dx. was confirmed by the ER MD and so here we are in BKK and Sue is a patient. Needless to say this was very frightening for us. Language is an issue and on top of that my Iphone was not getting a signal so its like you are way out of the network or contact with your normal support systems. I will say that as an RN with 34 yrs. experience, most of it in an adult ICU setting its much easier to be on the giving end vs. the ones needing care. What you take away from this is a deeper sense of empathy to those who you care for though honestly I do feel like I give my pts, and their families 100% all the time.
Well the next 5 days were spent with her in the hospital and me shuttling back and forth from her room to the hotel for a shower, clean clothes, breakfast and then back to spend the day and night with her. I will say that this hospital had great facilities for patients and their families but before that let me say that you need excellent care first or all that doesn't matter and excellent care is what we got. The MD's were on time, were very polite and had good communication skills and were very professional (keep this in mind when I tell you what happened to us from our own office back home). The nurses and the aides as well as all the support personnel were polite, friendly and supportive.
The next day, my birthday which was supposed to be celebrated with friends I have in BKK was noteworthy in another way. My IPhone slipped out of my pocket to the backseat of the cab. I realized it within a second or two after exiting at the hospital and tried to chase the cab but it was too late. I had the hotel call the cab company and even offered a reward but no one ever turned it in. It had a passcode lock so using it would be hard, even if you could get a signal.
So now what do I do? I asked the concierge at the hotel about buying a pay as you go phone so he hailed one of those scooters for hire, explained the situation to the driver and told me he would take care of this for me. So off we go with me hanging on to the back of this scooter and him zipping in and out of traffic. A 10 min. ride seemed like an hr. and my back was sore from all the bumps we hit. My knees nearly bumped the cars as he decided often to make his own lane in between cars.
. So we go tot he mall and get a phone. But hey its not simple. They you go to another store to get a sim. Then you have to charge it so where do you go for that? one of the many 7-11 stores in BKK. Now that was a surprise. . However then we ended up going to yet another mall for proper dialing instructions as the folks at the 7-11 did not have the proper codes to call the US. I must say that despite the language barrier they were very patient and helpful. I can't see that happening here. All in all 4 stops and about two hrs. but hey I'm back in business. Yes!! To be continued.
Nov 18th, 2013, 12:43 PM
#28
Nothing worse than getting sick on a trip - but at least there were two of you. Glad your wife got such good care.
Re: rickshaws - do you know about this?
http://www.theadventurists.com/the-a...s/rickshaw-run
Re: rickshaws - do you know about this?
http://www.theadventurists.com/the-a...s/rickshaw-run
Nov 18th, 2013, 02:23 PM
#29
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Wow. Pretty intense. I wonder why this does not get more pub, like the running of the bulls in Spain which seems nearly equally nuts.
I did see a bus full of people on the highway on the way to Chandigarh but actually what was remarkable is that there seemed to be as many riding on top as inside, sort of like that scene in the movie Gandhi with all those men riding on top of the train compartments.
I did see a bus full of people on the highway on the way to Chandigarh but actually what was remarkable is that there seemed to be as many riding on top as inside, sort of like that scene in the movie Gandhi with all those men riding on top of the train compartments.
Nov 25th, 2013, 11:03 AM
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So lets wrap it up. I can't say much about BKK because I spent much of it just shuttling back and forth from the hotel to the hospital and we want to go back someday to see what we missed which is just about everything.
I did have a chance to see a friend of mine there on the next to last night before we left when I felt Sue was well enough that I could be away for a few hrs. My friend is of Swiss origin but has lived in BKK for quite a while as he married a Thai and settled down there. He took me out for dinner at a little place about a 10 min. walk form our hotel and its a small family run hotel/restaurant called Grottino. I was sort of amazed in that when when enter its like walking into a European family run restaurant. It like we left BKK and are now in Zurich. It seems to be a place where expats hang out as I heard a lot of German spoken there and as I am of German descent decided to have what I haven't had in decades but was a fav of mine growing up when my grandfather, a former chef made it. Weinerschnitzel of course! Little did I dream that I would have this in BKK of all places.
My friend operates an on line watch forum which is a hobby of mine and I have been a member for at least 12 yrs. or so. We had a great time meeting for the 1st time really and as he is an avid hockey fan I was delighted to bring him a souvenir Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup champs T-shirt which he predicted his daughter would confiscate and that turned out to be true.. h well. I hope I have the chance to send all of his family more this yr. Go Hawks!!
My friend also arranged for a birthday cake for me, a pleasant surprise of course and we shared it with the other guests dining there that night. All in all it was a nice and needed relief from the stress of the situation we had been going through though I did cut it short to go back to the hospital to be sure Sue was still ok.
The next day Sue was released from the hospital and we were so happy. We needed releases from three MD's and we got all this in about 1.5 hrs. along with take home meds, a full copy of her med. record and a letter to the airlines explaining why she needed more that the 3-4 ox. of liquids allowed (an antacid like maalox). Again I can't say enough about the care. The hospital was clean, orderly and had a full range of nicities for visitors and staff alike such as a fresh squeezed jiuce/veg drink bar, an Au Bon Pan, a Starbucks and even a 7-11. They provided room service for meals and even had a micro-wave and fridge in the room which they stocked with bottles H2O.
Remember above what i said about what happened to us form our own MD's office? So we were advised to f/u back home so I called our office to see Sues PCP, an APN. She was not in and one of the MD's in the group was covering and I wanted Sue to be seen that day as she was too weak to return to work as scheduled the following day. I explained what happened to his nurse and his reply to us thru her was to take her to the ER for IV fluids. He would not even speak to us! This is in such contrast to the care she received in BKK. Obviously she was deemed well enough to leave and was past IV's and taking orals and food so this ER stuff was ridiculous. Well I called the office manager, Sue was seen that day by my own MD and I told the manager in absolutely no uncertain terms what she could tell the 1st guy who refused to even speak to us. I have been an RN for over 34 yrs. and I can tell you that our residents bend over backwards to accomodate patients and their families as much as possible, just like my own MD did. Thats how its supposed to be done.
The day before we left when I knew Sue was getting better I noticed for the 1st time that the hotel, the Grand Millenium had send flowers too our room for her. Honestly I think they sent them right away but I just did not notice as I was so preoccupied about her. Thats why I doid not notice my iPhone slipping out of my pocket as I am usually very careful about these things. Oh well.
I brought Sue back and she was greeted warmly by some of the hotel staff who knew she was ill and we spent a few hrs. in the room and enjoying the view that she saw so little of. I had arranged for an extra days stay as our flight was late and of course I wanted Sue to have max comfort in the room before we left for the airport. At checkout time I was told that the extra days fee was waived as they felt it the right thing to do given what we had been thru already. This act as well as the graciousness with how she told us is something I will never forget. We were greeted by one of the managers who gave us her card and told us to let her know when we will be returning. And you can bet we will.
I did have a chance to see a friend of mine there on the next to last night before we left when I felt Sue was well enough that I could be away for a few hrs. My friend is of Swiss origin but has lived in BKK for quite a while as he married a Thai and settled down there. He took me out for dinner at a little place about a 10 min. walk form our hotel and its a small family run hotel/restaurant called Grottino. I was sort of amazed in that when when enter its like walking into a European family run restaurant. It like we left BKK and are now in Zurich. It seems to be a place where expats hang out as I heard a lot of German spoken there and as I am of German descent decided to have what I haven't had in decades but was a fav of mine growing up when my grandfather, a former chef made it. Weinerschnitzel of course! Little did I dream that I would have this in BKK of all places.
My friend operates an on line watch forum which is a hobby of mine and I have been a member for at least 12 yrs. or so. We had a great time meeting for the 1st time really and as he is an avid hockey fan I was delighted to bring him a souvenir Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup champs T-shirt which he predicted his daughter would confiscate and that turned out to be true.
. h well. I hope I have the chance to send all of his family more this yr. Go Hawks!! My friend also arranged for a birthday cake for me, a pleasant surprise of course and we shared it with the other guests dining there that night. All in all it was a nice and needed relief from the stress of the situation we had been going through though I did cut it short to go back to the hospital to be sure Sue was still ok.
The next day Sue was released from the hospital and we were so happy. We needed releases from three MD's and we got all this in about 1.5 hrs. along with take home meds, a full copy of her med. record and a letter to the airlines explaining why she needed more that the 3-4 ox. of liquids allowed (an antacid like maalox). Again I can't say enough about the care. The hospital was clean, orderly and had a full range of nicities for visitors and staff alike such as a fresh squeezed jiuce/veg drink bar, an Au Bon Pan, a Starbucks and even a 7-11. They provided room service for meals and even had a micro-wave and fridge in the room which they stocked with bottles H2O.
Remember above what i said about what happened to us form our own MD's office? So we were advised to f/u back home so I called our office to see Sues PCP, an APN. She was not in and one of the MD's in the group was covering and I wanted Sue to be seen that day as she was too weak to return to work as scheduled the following day. I explained what happened to his nurse and his reply to us thru her was to take her to the ER for IV fluids. He would not even speak to us! This is in such contrast to the care she received in BKK. Obviously she was deemed well enough to leave and was past IV's and taking orals and food so this ER stuff was ridiculous. Well I called the office manager, Sue was seen that day by my own MD and I told the manager in absolutely no uncertain terms what she could tell the 1st guy who refused to even speak to us. I have been an RN for over 34 yrs. and I can tell you that our residents bend over backwards to accomodate patients and their families as much as possible, just like my own MD did. Thats how its supposed to be done.
The day before we left when I knew Sue was getting better I noticed for the 1st time that the hotel, the Grand Millenium had send flowers too our room for her. Honestly I think they sent them right away but I just did not notice as I was so preoccupied about her. Thats why I doid not notice my iPhone slipping out of my pocket as I am usually very careful about these things. Oh well.
I brought Sue back and she was greeted warmly by some of the hotel staff who knew she was ill and we spent a few hrs. in the room and enjoying the view that she saw so little of. I had arranged for an extra days stay as our flight was late and of course I wanted Sue to have max comfort in the room before we left for the airport. At checkout time I was told that the extra days fee was waived as they felt it the right thing to do given what we had been thru already. This act as well as the graciousness with how she told us is something I will never forget. We were greeted by one of the managers who gave us her card and told us to let her know when we will be returning. And you can bet we will.
Nov 25th, 2013, 01:02 PM
#31
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Difficult trip, no question. I do hope you will return to experience some of Bangkok rather than just the medical care. Cheryl got very ill on one of our trips and was very well cared for in bangkok at Bumrumgrad. I'm registered there, so if I get sick anywhere in SE Asia, take me to Bumrumgrad!
Nov 25th, 2013, 01:06 PM
#32
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So sorry to read about your ordeal. It is bad enough to get sick at home, but so much worse to get sick abroad. Glad to hear your wife is feeling better. Between getting your Indian visa and your wife's illness, I'll bet this is one trip you won't soon forget.
Nov 25th, 2013, 02:08 PM
#33
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You are both so correct! Thank you. We do plan to go to BKK one day and see what I read about but missed. However now it's my turn to be a patient. Got a torn rt. knee meniscus,which will most probably require surgery. Got the MRI results today and I see the orthopod tomorrow but I am 99% sure I'll need a scope. C'est la vie.n . Sure could be worse.
. Sure could be worse.
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