“I first got to know about Bumrungrad Hospital through my work, looking after investments in the stock market, at a financial institution based in Switzerland. Bumrungrad was just another stock pick at that time, albeit an interesting one because of its reputation for high standard of medical care. I never thought that I would one day become a cancer patient myself, but when I found out I wasted no time in going to the Horizon Center at Bumrungrad Hospital.” This is the story of Rudolf, a Swiss investment banker who made the decision to raise his stakes and eventually became a cancer patient at the very hospital he was tracking on the stock market.
 
Cancer and the fear of losing it all
 
“I moved to Thailand over ten years ago. My Thai wife and I have two children together. I feel strongly attached to Thailand and was leading a happy life as the head of my family during my retirement. But in 2018 I felt a strange pain in the right side of my groin. I thought that it might just be a hernia, and that it might go away after a few months. A few months went by and the pain was still there, and furthermore, some dark blotches appeared on the skin in that area. It was then that I decided to bite the bullet and seek medical attention. I was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer.”
 
At the Horizon Regional Cancer Center, a thorough check revealed a total of eleven tumors in his groin, with four confirmed as cancerous. The look of trepidation revisited his face as he recounted this story, since the cancer had already advanced to stage 3, and he was solely responsible for providing for his family. “I admit that as soon as I found out about the cancer, I was afraid. I was afraid of the pain, and I was afraid of death. I was also afraid for my family’s future without me,” recalls Rudolf, who was finally operated on by Dr. Arthi Kruavit, a plastic surgeon at Bumrungrad Hospital. “I went through the treatment, got the tumors removed and received a skin graft.”
 
Good care, great confidence
 
“After I spoke to my oncologist, Dr. Vinai Ariyaprakai, all my fears were allayed. He explained my chances of recovery to me in detail, which filled me with confidence in the treatment. I was very impressed, it seemed as if no effort was spared,” said Rudolf on the comprehensive treatment that he received. “I knew the complications and various side effects are unavoidable but was particularly impressed with the way doctors dealt with them. During my treatment I began to feel extremely weak all the time, and I was quickly and accurately diagnosed with adrenal fatigue. This was quickly dealt with. I felt that I was in good hands.”
 
Many of Rudolf’s friends asked him why he didn’t seek treatment in his home country of Switzerland, where he could have access to the Swiss healthcare system. “I told them I have complete confident in the Horizon Regional Cancer Center’s ability to treat me. I already knew of them by their reputation, and during my treatment there I even began to feel as if they were somehow family to me,” says Rudolf fondly. “And special thanks must go to the hospital’s interpreters, who were very efficient and meticulous as Dr. Vinai patiently explained the myriad details to me. Thanks to them, I was able to understand everything that was going on.”
 
More than the standard treatment

“I want to say that I feel so lucky to have access to such a good hospital, and so lucky to be treated by medical staff who are so dedicated to providing quality treatment, and also to have such good interpreters that I had no difficulties in communicating. I’m glad I came to the Horizon Regional Cancer Center. I also want everyone to realize that they must act quickly if they think they might have cancer. Don’t just wait for it to go away or you may regret it. Get through the treatment with hope, and you will soon be able to enjoy life without cancer again.”