The trip I’d never forget.
I had never been to Lanzarote before and was excited to be going away with friends, especially as I hadn’t seen them in a while. One member of the group worked for the NHS at the time and was super organised. Everything was arranged in advance, bags packed, transport sorted, agenda set. However, we couldn’t have planned for what was to happen.
On the morning of our departure, after an amazing holiday packed full of camel rides and sunshine – I woke up feeling disorientated. After suffering from multiple seizures, I woke again to a room of paramedics not knowing where I was.
I woke again, to find myself in the hospital attached to multiple machines with my friend crying by my side. After being discharged we returned to the hotel where the staff were exceptionally generous and allowed us to stay an extra night free of charge.
My then travel insurance policy covered medical bills and return flights – but as this was before the days of free-roaming data, they were hard to contact and only reachable during open hours.
Two days later, I was finally back home. Luckily, my seizures are now controlled but for many, this isn’t the case, and finding travel insurance can prove to be difficult.
So, here are some things to consider, so you don’t end up in the same position as I did.
Know Your Value
The most important thing I took from the experience is to know my value. When shopping around for Travel Insurance cover, I’d be enticed by the cheap prices displayed across the multiple comparison sites online.
However, I learnt the hard way, the cheapest policy you can find won’t necessarily cover you as you’d expect, consider comprehensive cover to give you peace of mind.
Remember You Are Not the Only One Affected
Anyone who suffers from seizures, will understand that they are physically and emotionally draining – and not to mention painful!
We often discuss the effects of a seizure but not that they also have an effect on those around you. it’s important to include companion cover on your policy, for when you are travelling in a group. so that they too are covered.
I’d also recommend choosing a policy which provides a 24hr emergency assistance so that all travellers on the policy can have the support that they need.
And Finally…
Travel insurance is always recommended but it’s even more important if you’re travelling with a pre-existing medical condition like epilepsy.
AllClear offers comprehensive cover for epilepsy including any unplanned medical treatment you may need, help replace lost medication and gives you access to a 24-hour medical emergency helpline if you need assistance in the event of a medical emergency.
We love sharing great tips to help our customers – if you’ve got a tip about travelling with epilepsy or reducing the effects of jet lag you’d like to share, please add it to the comments below.
