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Travel Insurance for surgery abroad

Selkie216

By Selkie216, in Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums

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Selkie216    8

Selkie216
Posted

I now have my date and travel plans in place for surgery in the Czech Republic in early March. Do I need specialised travel insurance and if so where do I get if from?

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perforce    243

perforce
Posted (edited)

I chose not to get specialized insurance, but my surgery company did recommend a provider: http://medicaltravelshield.com/

Remember the EHIC card (E111) will not cover you if your purpose for travelling is to have surgery (though, if you injured yourself in a way unrelated to your surgery, like dropping you suitcase on your toe in the airport and breaking it, you would still be covered).

Who are you having your surgery with?

Edited by perforce

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Selkie216    8

Selkie216
Posted

I've taken out travel insurance with Medical Travel Shield and it wasn't as much as I thought it would be. £240 for me and my partner.

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Selkie216    8

Selkie216
Posted

I thought I didn't have enough information and joined various closed Facebook groups. Most people seemed to be doing liquid diets for a couple of weeks before hand so I did that too just to get a bit of weight off before I went. They are lovely people out there. Unfortunately they didn't do my op because one of the blood tests showed a high thyroid reading. So had an extra holiday. My GP very surprised they didn't do the op as the reading not high enough to warrant investigation. Just waiting for blood results here to come back. He can then put me on thyroxin for long enough to get the op done. If I want to go back out. The travel shield insurance doesn't pay for cancelled operations. I was so disappointed and will have to see how much it will cost me to go back

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scaredandexcited    5

scaredandexcited
Posted

I'm sorry to hear of your troubles did this mean you lost all of the money as you pay 4 weeks before surgery don't you?

I guess that them not doing surgery shows they don't take unnecessary risks but I cannot imagine your disapointment

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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Selkie216    8

Selkie216
Posted (edited)

Being private they are very risk averse. My GP was impressed with all the tests. Bloods, chest X-ray, breathing and scope. I only lose the price of the tests and the transfers. Not the cost of the op, hubbies accommodation and anti clotting injections. So it will just be my flights and tests to pay for and a couple of extra nights hotel. I'm hoping that if I go out quite soon they won't have to do the scope and X-ray again.

Edited by Selkie216

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Selkie216    8

Selkie216
Posted

They said they expected to see me back soon. So yes I assume once I have the tsh reading within their limits they will do the op. But I will be double checking before I go. I was totally floored by the whole thing. But we were going back to Prague before flying home so had 4 extra days holiday and just made the most of it and enjoyed ourselves.

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Selkie216    8

Selkie216
Posted

I have just asked for the balance to be returned. They won't do the op till my TSH is within their limits. I can't get a blood test till the beginning of May. So have decided to get my money back and have a rethink of where I go.

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Selkie216    8

Selkie216
Posted

I had my surgery on Tuesday and all has gone well. I went with a different organisation and felt much happier about them and the information provided. Things happen for a reason.

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RosieCheeks    105

RosieCheeks
Posted

Where did you go and who with in the end and how are you feeling?

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Selkie216    8

Selkie216
Posted

Czech Republic again but with New Leaf. Would recommend them. And they have a great on line support group. They also put you in touch with others travelling out at the same time

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Go To Topic Listing Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums

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    • Alisa_S

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

        LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

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      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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