Suffering from a serious medical condition such as cancer or diabetes doesn’t mean that your exotic holidays are over. Provided you take time to plan your trip, and seek out appropriate medical conditions travel insurance or a specialist cancer travel insurance policy, you can relax and enjoy your holiday. Below is a simple checklist you should follow before you jet off.
Visit your doctor at least six weeks before you leave
They will check if your medical condition(s) is under control, or if your medication needs adjusting. This will give it enough time to stabilise before you go. Make sure you inform your travel insurance for medical conditions provider if your medication has been changed at all. Six weeks is also plenty of time to let your body settle down after any necessary vaccinations, so get those at the same time.
Get a letter from your doctor
Some prescription drugs we give in the UK are illegal in some countries, so carry a letter from your Doctor certifying that you have a medical condition, and listing the various medications and supplies you must carry with you. Without this, you might have difficulties when entering the country of your holiday destination, and furthermore your medication may be confiscated.
Get a prescription for your medication
Even though you should have enough medication to last for the duration of your trip, it’s always good to have a prescription in case your medication is lost, stolen, becomes spoiled because of extreme weather conditions, or your trip lasts longer than you original planned.
Wear an ID bracelet
This will let anyone who is treating you know you have a medical condition should you be unable to them yourself.
Learn to express specific medical requirements
Find out the words for your condition and the medication you take in the local languages. If you are unsure how to pronounce the words, it may be easier to carry them on a printed card and simply point to what you want to say.
Pack at least twice as much medication
Separate your medication and medical supplies between your hand luggage and your suitcase, half in each. Make sure the containers for these supplies are sturdy, preferably hard sided, for protection.
If you are diabetic
Carry some jelly babies and Glucogel in your hand luggage, traveling can cause havoc with your eating pattern and may cause your blood sugar to drop, so be prepared. Also, make sure your Insulin is kept cool it can lose its strength in severe temperatures, keeping it in a cool bag would be advisable. If you have specific travel insurance for diabetics your policy should also cover you if you need to replace your diabetic medication while travelling.
While on your trip, monitor your medical condition
Different time zones and temperature fluctuations can have adverse effect on the body, even if there is no existing medical condition. Take extra care monitoring your medical condition and take corrective action as necessary, early action can prevent an emergency situation.
Make sure you take sensible precautions and have the appropriate holiday insurance for pre- existing medical conditions – then there’s no reason why your holiday can’t be the wonderfully relaxing experience you always enjoyed before you had a medical condition.
This guest post was provided by Insurancewith, a specialist medical conditions travel insurance provider.
(Image: ItzaFineDay)
