What if you were told,"You can never go to Thailand aga

[Impulse]

Not something many of you here would want to hear,is it? Well,fortunatly most of you dont have to worry about that.Even worse how about"You can never fly in an airplane again". Ok,Ill stop the drama now. Im not quite fifty yet and my glaucoma has taken a turn for the worse.ive know about it since my early twenties and never really was too concerned about it.Been taking eye drops for the last 4 years and when I asked my doc about how good the eye doctors were in Thailand he asked me why.I told him my plans for retiring there and having just purchased a condo. Well,thing is,flying increases the pressure in the eye and my doc told me its not a good idea to fly at all if possible.Specially the condition my eye is in.Major bummer to hear this,dont want to be left with one eye :cyclopsani: . Now this is just this one docs opinion though ive read similar reports elswhere.This is a tuff pill to swallow and Im deeply saddened of the thought of not returning to Thailand,been there three times.Ill need to go back at least once probably to sell my studio.I live on the east coast of the U.S and its about a 20 hour flight.They really dont know that much about it since they give you drops and hope they lower the pressure.Ive had laser surgery and Im trying new drops now as the pressure is still kinda high after the surgery.I know many guys would not let this stop them from going to Thailand,specially the drinkers and smokers who arnt so health conscious(not judgeing anyone).I usually go to Vegas a couple times a year(5 hour flight),so Im cutting those trips out for sure.Just venting to felloe thai lovers.Ok boygenious,I know youll say just as well one less old falang going to Pattaya,Ha Ha thats ok.Anyone else suffer from Glaucoma?

I'm sorry to hear of your plight. Glaucoma has the potential to afflict many of us fat older people, since it is one of the possible outcomes of diabetes. All of us who are over-weight and unfit run the risk of developing the Type 2 form - one of the scourges of self-indulgence

[colmx]

Hi Rocket
Sorry to hear about your troubles...

Don't forget that airplanes are only around the last 100 years or so...

Before that everyone travelled by boat/ship.

I don't see what would preclude you from travelling to/from Thailand during your retirement by this method...
(with the obvious exception of finances!)

[Bob]

Also sorry to hear about your troubles.
But, not always believing what I hear from doctors, why not check into what he is talking about. Pressure? Does he mean
the air pressure. If he's talking about air pressure (versus oxygen content of the air), here's a paragraph lifted from the website of the International Glaucoma Association:

The IOP measured by doctor is тАУ as defined from a physics point of view тАУ is the difference between an absolute intraocular pressure and the current atmospheric pressure. A rapid decrease in the atmospheric pressure thus leads to a (relative) increase in the IOP. This normally poses no problem for a glaucoma patient on board a plane: there is an artificial atmospheric pressure inside the aircraftтАЩs cabin that compensates for most of the natural pressure drop experienced at high altitude. The eye adjusts relatively quickly to the new situation. A moderate decrease in atmospheric pressure will therefore not induce a significant rise in IOP.

I remember the cabin pressure problems of the airplanes years ago....but haven't noticed it in years.

.. suggests multiple interpretations. You might want to get a second opinion

[Impulse]

Thanks for your replys,yes Colmx,Im going to look into alternative transportation just out of curiosity.The 20 hour flight is rather maddening as it is,imagine a ship!Bob,that is very encouraging,I will check out that site tonight,plus my md isnt very young,maybe he is thinking back to the Pan Am days.I do apreciate his candor though as most docs dont want to get into any type of controversy over advice such as what he gave me. Yes Homintern,overweight can lead to diabtes,I had a friend years ago lose one eye and then passed away due to it.He wasnt overweight though,just diabetic.Im not as slim as I used to be but the glaucoma developed early.Actually its all about the eye pressure numbers,Mine were always in the 20s and recently increased to about 25 or 26 in both eyes.I was thinking that it is almost always tested at most eye exams,but if one were to purchase those glasses they sell in pharmacy stores and dont bother going to an eye doctor they might want to think about going to see a profesional soon.

[bucknaway]

Rocket, can I ask you what changed in your life that now has you afraid to do what you had worked for, dreamed of and planned for?

I don't believe you were clueless as to what the pressure on a plane may effect your eyes. You can't have your condition for so long and not know the basics....

You don't seem to be a person that throws in the towel so easy.....

From one guy with visual problems to another, I say your lying to yourself and trying to lie to us in the hope that if we swallow that bull then maybe you can choke it down also.

So what is the real story?

Hi Rocket
Sorry to hear about your troubles...

Don't forget that airplanes are only around the last 100 years or so...

Before that everyone travelled by boat/ship.

I don't see what would preclude you from travelling to/from Thailand during your retirement by this method...
(with the obvious exception of finances!)

Yes, you can travel to Thailand by boat. You would have to find either a cruise line that would stop at Laem Chabang (Thailand's big shipping port) or try to find accomodation on a freighter. I actually looked this up about a year ago just for hoots when I found out there actually IS such a thing as passenger travel on cargo ships. See www.freighterworld.com (http://www.freighterworld.com) for example.
You would have to be a regular Phineas Fogg though. For instance you would need to take a train from the east coast to Oakland CA. (about 3 days travel) then your freighter to Singapore (20 days with stops at Tokyo, Osaka, Kaohsiung Taiwan, and Hong Kong) and then another train from Singapore to Bangkok. (1+ days) Freighter travel is about $125 to $160 a day.
Its doable I guess if you are really desprate. If I was told I could never fly again this would be how I'd solve the problem.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I had looked in to taking a land, sea route to Thailand from the US east coast. Up the coast to Newfoundland, over to Greenland, Iceland, England and then train via Europe to Moscow, and take the Siberian Express to China, then down China via Vietnam and Cambodia to Thailand.

Taking it slow and looking around, it would take about a 6 to 8 weeks, if everything connected well. The Siberian express does not run every day now and connecting on all the other means of transport would be hit or miss.

The cost blew me away compared to even a first class ticket to Thailand via air.

If you can fly shorter legs you could fly to London first. Then take a break. Then fly to someplace like Athens first or Bangok directly. At least, these would be shorter legs. Before giving up, I would talk to another doctor about the real risks and what else could be done. By boat is just too slow!

Trong, Have you considered walking Dear?

Do us all a favour and undertake this journey. I will look forward to your posts from far flung locations.

PS: You can sleep in Gas Station lavatories to cut down on costs Sweetie

Look on the bright side, rocket; being old, fat and blind in one eye is not that bad. Just ask homi.

[Aunty]

Glaucoma has the potential to afflict many of us fat older people, since it is one of the possible outcomes of diabetes. ???All of us who are over-weight and unfit run the risk of developing the Type 2 form - one of the scourges of self-indulgence
BULLSHIT. C-. More reading, plus a substantially improved understanding of the material read, required.



Rocket, I have never heard of anyone with glaucoma been told that they have to stop flying as a result. Sounds like bullshit to me. I would suggest you get a second opinion. Try contacting the ophthalmology department at a major teaching hospital near you (one associated with well known Universities/Medical Schools) on the East Coast (there are quite a number - in Boston for example there's the Massachusetts Ear and Eye Infirmary, attached to MGH) and seeing one of the Professors there. They'll sort you out. And the following which I have just cut and pasted from the Glaucoma Research Foundation should give you heart.

"Will a diagnosis of glaucoma limit my life?

We are limited only by what we think we can or cannot do. You can continue with what you were doing before glaucoma was diagnosed. You can make new plans and start new ventures. And you can trust the eye care community to keep looking for better treatment methods for glaucoma. Take good care of yourself and your eyes, and get on with enjoying your life."

And in the unlikely event you are told not to fly, did you know that most Cargo ships take passengers? You could take the train across to SF, San Diego, LA/Long Beach, somewhere like that and hop on a boat to Bangkok, Singapore, KL, and then travel by train/bus again. It might take a couple of weeks, but you will get there.

BULLSHIT. C-

[Dodger]

Rocket,

I'm sorry to hear about your condition as well but suggest you take a different approach.

If the doctors are right (I guess we can give those guys about 50-50 odds) and you lose your vision in one eye, which alternative would you prefer: 1) Sitting in front of the tube at home with two good eyes watching a re-run of Larry King - or - sitting in your condo in Thailand with one good eye focused on your BF as the towel slides off his body at your beside.

We should live our dreams to the fullest as long as we have the strength to walk. Buy the eye drops...fire your doctor...and get your ass back to Paradise to live out your dreams.

Mai pen rai

Yes, you can travel to Thailand by boat. You would have to find either a cruise line that would stop at Laem Chabang (Thailand's big shipping port) or try to find accomodation on a freighter. I actually looked this up about a year ago just for hoots when I found out there actually IS such a thing as passenger travel on cargo ships. See www.freighterworld.com (http://www.freighterworld.com) for example.
You would have to be a regular Phineas Fogg though. For instance you would need to take a train from the east coast to Oakland CA. (about 3 days travel) then your freighter to Singapore (20 days with stops at Tokyo, Osaka, Kaohsiung Taiwan, and Hong Kong) and then another train from Singapore to Bangkok. (1+ days) Freighter travel is about $125 to $160 a day.

A friend has traveled this way several times and loved it! He avoids container ships as much as possible\unless necessary to make a connection and insists there are always cumly (sic) horny sailors aboard (Just think: Joan Crawfish & Cluck Gable in Strange Cargo.)
The cost-per-day is not really all that much when you consider what is included.

http://www.freightertravel.info/

[bedbugy1-old]

first i am sorry for rocket for his eye problems
what i want to enphazie is that at 37 years old 1987 i was diagnosed with asmha that the breathing problem that seem to be world wide
ok the doctor in the uk prescribed the inhaler ventolin evohaler that a little canister of compreesed gas that give you a shot of salbutanol manafactured by claxo smith kine it reduced my problems breathing but never cured
now back then you wanted to get better but you never ever read the small print on the pamhlet that comes with the medicene you lob it over time use ing this salbutanol over the years i discovered that at the age of 55 i was loosing my sight or looking through frosted glass so always wearing glasses i asked my optican here in thailand he said your cateracts have develop ed i said that not a problem for a 55 year old it happens when you are in your 70.s so he said come to the hosopital for a check up so i todled off there he did all the test and said i can't operate on you eyes you have high pressure and i mean high 40 plus you have claucoma we must get the pressure down before we can operate eye drops
now because i have used salbutanol over the year not any eye drops will do the normal run of the mill drops have a reaction with astma sufferes so the usa expensize one we got the pressure down to around 25 ish he opperated and did the cateract opperatin 1 eye at a time 1 month interval me think ing that the claucoma would be ended with the cateract opperatin no we have the presue at a normal level under 20 and i have to use 10 drops a day for life thats a cost of 1500 baht a month with a six week check up ok why am i telling you this claucoma can only be detected with a test at the hospital if i didn't need the cateracts done i would be blind oh and the small print on the pamphlet by smith galzo kiln say extend use of this product can and will cause cateracts and possible glaucoma so my advise to the so called fat and ols toddle off to the local hospital and get checked out when or if you are blind your finneshed the cost of the test around 100 baht sorry for my speling im a lousy spellar

The latest plane from Boeing (the 787 Dreamliner, due in the skies in 2008) will feature a cabin pressurized at a significicantly lower level than previous models. Something like the equivalent of 6,000 feet above sea level versus 8,000 feet for current models. Perhaps this will allow you to fly safely.

[Impulse]

Im not trying to make up some story,this is just what my eye doc told me.I usually research my health problems yet with glaucoma I was very naive.I felt my pressure numbers wernt so bad and I was not as complaint as one should be with this condition.However my doc told me how damaged my eye was at my last visit,a complete surprise to me.This is like high blood pressure,you dont notice a thing,only the profesional can tell you how you are doing.Im replying to bucknaway,I just dropped the ball,Im not just throwing in the towel yet. In fact,with the great advice many members have given me Im going to research this much more.But at the very least we discussed some health and transportation issues.And if it encourages anyone to get their eye pressure checked,great. And Bedbuggy,Im glad they caught your glaucoma in time,those were high numbers!Lets hope your 10 drops a day do the job for you.Its funny,my eye doc wanted to give me a betablocker type drop that can cause asthma as a side effect.It also can mess with your heart somehow and as I have a brindlebranch blockage he went with another type of drop.

Or, Darl, sitting in a go go, checking out the lads with your one good eye, with the other eye ooooozing pus.................gross.