Myo is a 38-year-old from Thailand. He lives with his mother, sister, and a nephew in Mae Ku Village in the northern Tak Province. He moved from Burma to Mae Sot in 2008 search of better job opportunities. He and his sister work as agriculture day laborers while his mother looks after his nephew at home. In his free time, Myo loves to listen to music.
Around two weeks ago, Myo developed a stomachache after he had dinner. He thought that it was because he had skipped lunch and ate too much during dinner. His mother bought him oral medication from the pharmacy and after he took it, he felt better. The next day, his stomachache returned in the evening. He took more of the same medication which helped to decrease the pain. Myo decided to rest two days at home and not go to work, in the hopes that he would feel better.
Nevertheless, three days later he felt worse. He developed a sharp pain in his lower abdomen which made it hard for him to sit down or eat. When he tried to eat, the pain increased and his stomach became bloated. When Myo arrived at Mae Tao Clinic, the medic completed an ultrasound of his abdomen as well as a blood and a urine test. The medic told him that he has fluid build-up in his stomach. The medic inserted a tube through his nose and into his stomach to drain the build-up of fluid. He also received an intravenous (IV) line because he cannot eat anything since he arrived at MTC. If he tries to eat, the pain in his stomach increases.
A few days after the tube was inserted through his nose, his stomach became less bloated. When the medic did another ultrasound of his abdomen a few days later he was admitted to the hospital, the medic found a small mass or cyst close to his navel. The medic told him he would have to go to Mae Sot Hospital (MSH) for further investigation and on the 18th of January 2021, Myo went to MSH with an MTC staff. At MSH, the nurse looked at his ultrasound result before scheduling him for a computerized tomography (CT) scan to confirm his diagnosis on 21st of January 2021.
Doctors want Myo to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose his condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan.
Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Myo’s CT scan and care, scheduled for January 21st.
Myo’s sister said, “Since my brother got sick, he cannot work, and I also cannot work because I have to accompany him. We do not have an income when we do not work and now, we are in debt.” Myo added, “I want to recover and work so that I can pay back our debt.”
