We can never adequately thank Dr. Philippe.

[Geezer]

I sent the following E-mail to Dr. Philippe. Thousands of us are in his debt.

Dr. Philippe,

As you advised, the boy stopped taking Nevirapine immediately. Within 24 hours his agony, so intense he wanted to commit suicide, was diminished. His erupted skin now appears normal. His abdominal pain is diminishing. His mucus membranes did not become involved, nor did blisters develop on his skin. It seems the Nevirapine was stopped just in time.

You were in desperate need of rest the evening I called you. Nonetheless you phoned Dr. Xxxxxxx on the boyтАЩs behalf, and sent me a text message to be sure I understood the Nevirapine must be stopped at once. Your sacrifice spared the boy protracted and unimaginable suffering, and perhaps death.

Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx (Geezer)

(тАжand the boy was not even Dr. PhilippeтАЩs patient.)


{I attempted to post the above on another board, failed, and have posted it on this board. If it ends up on both, I apologize for the double posting.}

[Gaypattayan]

I have worked with many doctors involved in HIV care over the years, but Dr. Philippe is truly unique. Overworked all the time, understaffed, yet he handles emergencies that are even outside his field of
responsibility, as in the case Geezer mentions. I have never ever seen a doctor get down on the floor along with his patients to talk to them face to face, one on one, other than Dr. Philippe, and the response he gets from his patients seems almost unbelievable. Pattaya is extremely fortunate to have Dr. Philippe heading up the anti=HIV program here, working with the Pattaya Gay Festival and others who provide various types of funding to enable him to keep his work going. Despite his handling so much here, he still confers with others on AIDS cases throughout Thailand, works closely with the head of the HIV clinic at Chonburi Regional Hospital, and the two of them travel extensively for the government to help educate doctors and nurses in other areas of Thailand about the latest developments in treating HIV! A truly remarkable man!

Allen

[travelerjim]

Dear Sawatdee Friends,

Indeed, Dr Philippe is a very special person and Doctor.
We are so fortunate to have him in Pattaya and Thailand.

GP - Allen ...Remember back when Rut was in such pain & suffering at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital about 7 years ago?

Geezer called me to ask for Dr. Philippe's mobile number...and described the symptoms of the Thai lad was currently experiencing at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital....

Within 30 seconds of Geezer's call to me , I flashed back to those horrid days of seven years ago - and "Stevens Johnson syndrome" -
and the suffering Rut was going through day after day ....and the Doctors were clueless to the problem or solution to his pain & suffering.

Thanks to you, GP - Allen....I told Geezer to mention "Stevens Johnson Syndrome" to Dr. Philippe...
and have him relay the message to the Doctor's treating the Thai lad.

And, YES...it was "Stevens Johnson Syndrome" - a rare and painful allergic reaction to the drug
that was being administered to the Thai lad...just as in Rut's case 7 years ago.

Thankfully the Thai lad this time had not progressed to the severe blistering inside and out of the entire body and its cavities -
which accompanies the syndrome....and...

Thanks to you - GP - Allen...this Thai lad Geezer was seeking to help...
now has no more pain and suffering from the allergic reaction to the drugs.

Here are some resource links about Stevens Johnson Syndrome:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevens-Johnson_syndrome

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/steven ... me/DS00940 (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stevens-johnson-syndrome/DS00940)

http://www.sjsupport.org/ '

http://www.mediafact.com/sjs/index.php

http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic555.htm

TravelerJim

NOTE: years ago, GP and I - along with other caring friends, were trying to help a Thai lad who was HIV+ and had developed TB. The lad had a severe allergic reaction to Bactrim ...the drug given to him for his TB. One Saturday afternoon, with the Thai lad was in such horrific pain & agony at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital from the allergic reaction, in desperation - GP-Allen went to his condo and e-mailed Thai hospitals describing the symptoms of the boy.

Thank goodness he did that - for within hours, an e-mail reply came back to GP-Allen from an Internist at Bangkok Nursing Home Hospital telling GP to tell the Doctors to look up "Stevens Johnson Syndrome". The diagnosis was correct...and the Thai boy in coming weeks was without further pain.

As a postscript...it appears that Bangkok Pattaya Hospital missed the boat a second time - and did not see the symptoms the Thai lad had was Stevens Johnson Syndrome....hopefully they will get it right and early next time !

I can only hope so!!

Guys,

Dr. Phillippe is a unique man that is true. I don't believe I owe any gratitude or Thanks.

It is the Thai patients and the Thai government that owe him and us the fundraisers the debt of Thanks, They could also do with assisting their own a little more

When a Thai business person does anything for charity there is nearly a bloody parade and guaranteed press and Newspaper coverage!

Dr. Phillippe and the PGF do a great job, publicity generated by the PGF only to attract crowds who will dig deep to help others.

Furthermore, when seats on the committee have come up for the PGF and a Thai national has been elected, they have attended one maybe two meetings and lost interest.

There are generous Thai business people, Kitty of Honest Gems springs to mind.

However, by and large, and outside closed circles, a lot of the PGF funds go maybe not unnoticed, but certainly with a lot less fanfair than a Thai doing a good deed.

It would be nice if the press balanced equally the good deeds by the Foreigners not only the drunks, suicide jumpers and occasional Pedophile.

Pattaya has a lot to Thank the Tourist and Ex-pat alike for the help, money and business given to it willingly, freely and without conditions attached.

Instead, it appears, they are hell bent on blaming everything on the Foreigners and making retirement visas, work permits and business visas as time consuming and difficult as possible.

I don't wish to detract from the fantastic work of Dr. Phillippe but you should, especially those of you who donate your time, funds etc should give yourselves the occasional 'pat on the back and a chocolate biscuit!!'

Sorry guys, a subject close to my heart!

I've never met Dr Phillippe but have always heard good things about him. During the last three years of dealing with my boyfriend's HIV+ status and his very serious illnesses I have found one of the difficulties is coping with the Thai health system.

My boyfriend is more fortunate than some in that although he lives alone most of his family is supportive. I have found that at some times it's inappropriate for me to intervene as they are actually more aware of the situation than I am. As a "Farang" I'm only with him a few weeks a year whereas they see him all the time. I always make it clear that my support is there when they need it and I pay all his living and medical expenses at the moment.

Language is a huge problem as it takes some time to fully understand any changes in his condition. Another problem is the constant changes to the doctors that he sees. This leads to inconsistencies in his treatment and it's unsettling for him as he has to adjust to a new doctor so regularly. But the clinic he attends every three weeks do an excellent job with the resources they have available. My boyfriend has special dietary problems and has become fairly good at being careful what he eats. Indeed the clinic regularly put new patients in touch with him so he can discuss his diet. This has had unfortunate consequences a couple of times when guys he gets to know and like don't make it and he ends up the only person at a funeral. So many of these guys are shunned and deserted by friends and family.

I've thought a couple of times that I would like to visit Dr Phillippe with my boyfriend and go through his treatment etc and perhaps get some more information and insight but it won't happen as he absolutely refuses to visit Pattaya as he hates the place. I usually visit for a few days on each trip but have to leave my boyfriend in Ratchaburi.

So to everyone involved in working to help those effected by this wretched disease, keep up the good work.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

we can send him lots and lots of $$$$$ MONEY ! $$$$$