First the announcement: Due to a sudden unexpected bout with the flu, I probably won’t be able to come up with any new content for the next week or so. I had dodged it all winter even though many of my friends and family had succumbed. I still have a lot of old posts up, please feel free to continue to like and read those. I am confident with rest and meds I’ll be back very soon. Now for the question:
Have any of you gotten sick while traveling? Where were you and how did you deal with it? Do you normally carry travel insurance? Do you think it’s a good idea?
My answer: I am lucky to be home bound at the moment Despite being sick right now, overall I don’t get sick very often. I did get bronchitis while traveling in Scotland once but that was due mostly to the damp weather and having a traveling companion who was a chain-smoker. As far as insurance, I didn’t carry it when I was younger but mostly do now. It is probably like most insurance as long as you carry it, you’ll never need it, but as soon as you drop it you get dinged.
Would love to get any feedback you’d like to give. Will be mostly bed-bound for the next several days and would most appreciate some interaction.
HeyGlobetrotting Grandpa – sorry you have the flu! Hope you feel better soon. (I had it before Christmas & it was yucky.) 😱 I’ve experienced a few health challenges while traveling – fractured my ankle in South Africa, experienced food poisoning in Uganda (& many other places, too.) My health insurance covered services provided. It’s probably a good idea to carry insurance ‘cause you never know what can happen (like falling & fracturing an ankle!) 😷😜😷
Thanks, trying my hardest to go easy. What did you think of the medical care you received abroad? I’m certain it varies. Glad you recovered
Feel better! I broke a tooth in France. It was in the back and didn’t hurt so I just chewed on the other side until I could get home to my dentist.
glad it wasn’t too bad
Definitely get good rest and be back as soon as you want to be.
About myself being ill while traveling – I have been so incredibly blessed. In 57 vacations throughout a lifetime, I ‘ve only been ill 2 times while abroad.
Once a major flu attacked me in Europe. I believe I was in Paris if memory serves me correctly. I went to bed early in anguish. Hotel doc said I had the type of flu going around that would basically put me out of commission and stay in bed for about 7 to 9 days.
I was like UGH. Then I thought, Nope, not me. so I meditated, medicated, prayed, and asked the maître’s D to fix me a few ‘hot toddies’ .
Next morning I awoke as if nothing happened at all. totally back to my awesome self and remained that way.
2nd occasion: I was touring Old Mexico when I was hit with the worst toothache I have ever had. Excruciating is putting it mildly.
I did not have insurance. I was referred to a ‘dentist’ of sorts by a bellboy at the hotel. I located the dentist in a ‘rough’ neighborhood and got to his ‘office’ just as he
was putting a closed sign on the door. After turning blue and pleading and offering cash, he pulled the irritating tooth.
I healed quickly and was eating well within 2 days. I am really not sure he was a full-fledge dentist, as his business looked more like a cross between an Apothecary, a
Veterinary & a practitioner of dark magic. (plus there were no other employees around + he asked me to keep my visit & the tooth pulling to myself). Hmmmm.
Anyway, I do not obtain extra Insurance.
I will add, if I may, once while in Valley of the Dead, in Egypt, my brother Ravi turned the most exquisite colour of purple I have ever seen.
He broke out into a major sweat (I mean profusely) and his eyeballs turned yellow. He was a ghastly sight. The tour lady at King Tut’s tomb said in all her life she had never seen anyone look as he did, and she added, ‘he does not look well’.
Actually, she pulled me aside to let me know an old local nearby soothsayer of sorts just informed her that the purple kid was dying, and would be gone within 24 hours.
I should take serious and quick action and make arrangements.
We managed somehow for him to hang on long enough to get all the way back to our hotel in Cairo. I put him to bed & prayed.
Next day Ravi awoke totally back to his old self (& colour) and feeling perky. His Royal Purpleness never visited him again.
Hope you enjoyed reading of my experiences. Warm regards, Jerry~
You have a ton of moxie, my friend. Just one of those experiences might turn most people away from travelling for good. Your intrepid spirit inspires me. We should definitely have you guest blog for me sometime.
Get well soon! I haven’t gotten too sick while traveling (yet…), maybe a cold or that kind of things that go away on their own after a few days and some rest. I have basic insurance with my credit card, and right now my workplace offers me an insurance for severe illness and injury, but when I go trekking in Nepal (probably next year), I think I’m going to splurge on one (my credit card only cover the three first months out of France and I’ll have been gone for longer). As you said, usually you never need it, but if you ever do, well…
The older I get the more aware I become of what could possibly go wrong when I travel. I miss being more carefree.