Gall bladder and travel (2 Viewers)

[cookie]

Trying a different way. Some of you old buggers must know or have had the same problems.
Has anyone travelled with gall bladder issues, did you get travel insurance, who with?

Cheapest can find is saga £1200 for the 1 trip 90 days

Will ghic card cover anything?

I'm a low risk p3 to p4, p1 being high risk.

Eating healthy ( god how I need junk food) I'd kill for a burger or chocolate.

Help please

 

[DandJ]

GHIC...https://faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-26795/en-us

It's the repatriation that gets extremely costly....many thousands if you shoudld require a medivac

 

[Puddleduck]

My Dad had gall bladder flare up when on a UK holiday. He had his op in a hospital local to his holiday accommodation and then (very much against medical advice) drove home 300 miles in one day.

Back in hospital a couple of days later.

Take your choice as if to risk it or not.

Dad had no idea he had gall bladder issues prior to the holiday.

 

[BobM360]

If you've only had a single episode of cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder), and it's settled down fully, your risk of another episode isn't terribly high. This source quotes the risk of recurrence at 20% in 2 years. Strict adherence to a low fat diet will reduce your risk, although that 20% probably includes unfortunates who meticulously stuck to it!

Your problem is that it can come on quite quickly so unlikely to have enough time to up camp and head back home if it does flare up. Also although it's often treated conservatively nowadays in the UK, I don't think that's the case in Spain and an admission is likely to result in surgery over there (based on my experience of what happens to my patients who get ill abroad). Expensive, and would need some recuperation time before being able to head home. Probably too risky to go without insurance.

I've used Insurance With a couple of times for travel insurance with a couple of pretty serious background problems. Their quotation form is very comprehensive and fairly straightforward and I found their premiums to be reasonable.

No idea about the GHIC I'm afraid. I always take one but have a low expectation of it being much use!

 

[Abacist]

If you have gall stones and your gall bladder decides to pass one (mine were the size of maltesers) you will know all about it and be in agony and incapable of anything. I had to have 2 shots of morphine to get the pain under control.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

Depends where you are going GHIC only gives you the same cover as the locals get so could be expensive in France.

They nicked my gallbladder in Germany 3 years ago, didn't know I had a problem until it ruptured. So didn't have an insurance problem. GHCI card covered everthing apart from a €10 per day charge in hospital.

 

[LostInSpace]

I had gall bladder problems 20 years ago. A nursing freind advised me not to eat any fat and you will be fine.

I was told I could drink alcohol, carbonated drinks; just eat no fat.

I was also told not to let any surgeons near until it had all calmed down.

You get used to the low no fat diet after a while. And travel was not a problem, either.

All dealt with by NHS keyhole surgery at a time of my choosing.

 

[Cookieboy68]

My better half is having her Gallbladder out in a couple of weeks ,due to a flare up only a few weeks ago.she had a flare up 10 years a go . That time a gallstone popped out and blocked her cental bile duct,so ended up jaundiced. This time an inflamed gallbladder which antibiotics sorted out.But as I say nothing for 10 years .She's quite worried about the consequences of not having a Gallbladder. we have read there can be side effects for some people that can be not nice,but most people don't know they do not have one .Diet is the key I understand. Anyone on here with advice.

 

[LostInSpace]

but most people don't know they do not have one

I had totally forgotten I do not have one until I saw this thread.

My better half is having her Gallbladder out in a couple of weeks

Tell Advise your other better half to eat no fat until then. A no fat diet is key.

 

[Cookieboy68]

She has fallen lucky with the op.Was told 4-6 month waiting list.2days out of hospital, she was in the shower and missed a phone call from the hospital. She was panicked in case it was something important, Rang back got passed from one department to another and ended up talking to someone who took bookings for appointments, listened to what has happened looked on the vacant slots for the surgery on got her in on the 17th October 7 weeks after being in hospital with the flare up,Amazing