New to China, medical issue discovered during phsyical

[Ginger]

Hi everyone, I apologize for not properly introducing myself, but I'm pretty stressed at the moment. During my physical something unusual was noted during the ultrasound, and I was sent to a hospital to have a 2nd one. I evidently have a splenic cyst, they said it wouldn't effect my daily life but that I should consult a doctor for further advice. I'm in Yantai, a smallish city near Qingdao, and I don't think there's an English speaking doctor here. Maybe I should post this in the Qingdao sub-forum? Has anyone had any medical treatment there? I think it's probably going to have more "western" style hospitals than Yantai.

 

The international office seems unconcerned at this point, but from everything I can read online it seems like this is usually treated surgically, although I admittedly haven't been to medical school. I'm trying to decide if I should just pack up and go home, or stay.

[Shelley]

Hello and welcome, I understand you are stressed and i am sorry for you.

 

It would help people give advice if maybe you could add a bit more info, foe example do they recommend you do something immediately or can it safely be left for awhile.

 

Have you just arrived in china, how long are you staying?

 

If you are not there for too long then maybe wait till you return home, but this is something you need to decide, without the full info I don't want to suggest anything.

 

I hope it all works out for you and you recover soon.

[abcdefg]

Hello Ginger, Sorry about your predicament. I'm assuming you are in Yantai for a teaching job and not just a tourist visiting for a few days. If that assumption is correct, here's what I would do if I were in your place:

 

1. Have a CT scan done there in Yantai. They are inexpensive and readily available. Ask the doctor who told you about the abnormal ultrasound for help in arranging it. A CT is a more reliable test for a thing like that.

 

2. Talk to your doctor back home. (By the way, where are you from? Is it somewhere your expenses would be covered by health insurance?) Tell him or her the size of the cyst (as learned from the CT scan) and any other details you can find out. Someone at your school, assuming you are a teacher, may be able to help you translate the CT scan report.

 

3. Your doctor back home will advise you from that point forward. Make the decision about going home or not after hearing what he or she has to say.

 

Would add that going to Qingdao would most likely be a waste of time and money. If you go anywhere else in China, Beijing or Shanghai would be a better options. That is only recommended if you come from someplace that is not medically advanced.

 

I hope it all works out.

[Ginger]

Thanks for the replies, I actually know a little more than I did when I posted earlier. I am indeed here teaching English and only arrived last week. So far the communication hasn't been very good, but I was informed today that someone is going to go back to the hospital with me on Monday for more (any) advice, and possibly a CT. I will try to send whatever information I can to my doctor back in the US and get his opinion. I'm not sure what they'll recommend here, but I kind of feel like it's a ticking time bomb from everything I've read.

 

The woman in the international affairs office has at least been nice about it, and if I have to go back home for surgery I think I would be able to come back here, especially since the freshman don't start for another month and I might be able to swap some classes around with other teachers.

[Angelina]

Talk to a doctor back home immediately. If it's anything serious, book the next flight. Don't think about money.

Hope you get well soon!

[Ginger]

I thought I'd already replied once, but either there's is a delay of many hours, or it didn't go through. At this point I have no idea how large the cyst is and the communication has been terrible. Someone from the university where I'm teaching called me yesterday to say they're going to send someone to the hospital with me on Monday fpr I presume a CT and a consultation. They're sending along an English grad student who went with me for the ultrasound, and while she tried, she does not have much knowledge of medical terminology and had a hard time translating even the basics of the report, so I'm not too hopeful about that.

 

I will send the results to my doctor back in the US, I think I will probably be going home soon, though at this point I'm not sure if I'll come back.

[imron]

either there's is a delay of many hours, or it didn't go through

All posts made by new members have to be approved by a moderator in order to prevent spam. I've now removed this restriction from your account so you should be able to post without delays.

and while she tried, she does not have much knowledge of medical terminology and had a hard time translating even the basics of the report, so I'm not too hopeful about that.

If you are comfortable with it, you could always try posting a scan of the results here. I'm sure there are members who will be able to provide you with a decent translation. I can understand though if you don't particularly want your medical details broadcast for the world to see, but if you block out any personal information nobody would know it's you.

[abcdefg]

Bear in mind that China uses ultrasound differently from how it is used in the U.S. Here (in China) it is used as a broad, first-tier screening test. When used that way it detects all sorts of extraneous findings that don't necessarily require treatment.

 

It is not an efficient screening tool. It continues to be used because it's cheap.

 

That's why your doctor back home will probably want to have a little more data before being able to advise you as to the best course of action. It would help him to know the size of the cyst and any additional radiographic features. That information should be available within a couple hours of completing the CT scan on Monday.

 

Remember to ask them to give you a copy of the actual CT scan itself as well as the report. This is usual and customary practice and will not raise any eyebrows. They might or might not be able to also give you a copy of the ultrasound. Would not hurt to ask.

 

Being in a foreign country when health problems arise is always stressful. The communication difficulties make everything worse. You might want to research return flights just so you will be prepared in case going home turns out the be what you decide.

 

Best wishes and I hope it all works out well.

[James3]

Most of us aren't medically trained, and so something like this can't help but make you feel some fear. I think that's totally natural.

 

If your Doctor reviews the results, and feels it's not an immediate threat, and encourages you to stay and fly back home when it's more convenient, then great. At least you had it checked out.

 

On the other hand, if after reviewing the results of the scan, and the other tests, your Doctor advises you to fly home and get it taken care of soon, then I bet you'll be glad you signed up to teach in China, which required a physical...so you could discover this now, and get it taken care of.

 

Either way, we wish you the best.

[kdavid]

I'd definitely get a second and third opinion. Preferably from doctors who don't know each other (for cultural reasons).

 

I lived in NE China for eight years. While I don't have any horror stories with the medical system, I certainly don't have any good ones. In fact, most experiences were very poor.

 

About two months before I left I was diagnosed with a very serious intestinal issue which I was told (at first) would require surgery immediately. I got a second opinion (at the same hospital, by a colleague of the first doctor) and was told it wasn't serious at all and I could wait until I returned to the States. (I think what happened here is that my school told the doctors to say this to dissuade me from undergoing a very serious and expensive procedure on their dime.) What's funny is that the second doctor didn't even do an exam. He just went off what the first doctor said. I sought a third opinion on my own at a different hospital and was told it wasn't at all what the first two had agreed on. The issue was remedied with very basic medication.

 

So, seek a third and fourth opinion, especially if it's supposed to be serious. Ensure that you're visiting a reputable local hospital.

 

I second the idea that you contact a doctor back home and ask for their input. If this requires surgery, I strongly recommend you return home for it. You don't want to do this in China.

[Saxondale]

Consider going to Qingdao, they have a decent international hospital. I've been a few times and have always had a good experience.  The doctor i saw was American Chinese and seemed very knowledgable.  It's just another option to consider

 

http://www.qingdaochinaguide.com/listings/medical-dental/international-clinic.html

[Mouseneb]

It's the first time I've heard of one of these scans actually detecting something! I've always thought they were mostly for show, as evidenced by the fact that if my husband and I got our checks separately I come out half an inch taller than he is (as I actually am) but if we go together and the doctors realize we are a couple, he often comes out half an inch taller than me. To save his face, presumably, although in fact he isn't bothered about our height difference, nor am I. We get a giggle out of it when it happens.

 

This is not the same sort of humorous situation though and I can imagine you are very stressed out Hope it all turns out to be nothing serious and you can get some reliable answers soon.

[abcdefg]

@Thrice12 -- The reason I didn't suggest Qingdao is not out of disrespect for the medical facilities there, it's just that the condition the OP is describing is sort of uncommon and might require a high level of specialist expertise.

[icebear]

It's the first time I've heard of one of these scans actually detecting something!

 

On my first "tour of duty" years and years ago in Shenzhen a fellow fresh arrival (although in his late 40s) was told his abdomen was riddled with tumors and he wouldn't be able to convert to a residence permit. He was on a flight back home within a couple days.

[Ginger]

Just an update to say that I'm going home tomorrow but will hopefully be back after I've recovered from surgery. The university has been very nice about it, at least. Thanks for the input everyone.

[abcdefg]

Thanks for letting us know. I had been wondering. Hope it all works out well.

 

Yantai can be a nice place when you don't have other issues on the front burner. Glad you decided to return afterwards.

[Shelley]

Best wishes and get well soon, I too am glad you have not let this put you off and are going to return to china once you are well.

[James3]

Hey Ginger, thanks for the update. Glad to hear you got some concrete direction. I don't know about you, but for me, it's the uncertainty that can be unnerving with these kinds of things. Hope all goes well. Please let us know when you're back in Yantai.