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Travel insurance with AF (6 months post ablation and due to go for another in Aug 14)

Posted , 8 users are following.

Petra_J
Petra_J

Hi all, does anyone have any experience with travel insurance companies that will insure you for a reasonable price with AF? I am booked for two weeks to go to Croatia in July but unfortunately have been last minute booked for ablation in Aug 14. And underwent another ablation in Feb 14. Thanks

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • GrumpyPops
    GrumpyPops Petra_J

    Posted

    Hi Petra

    When I told my Insurance Co about my  AF they as long as it wasn't life threading they weren't interested. Soon extra cost. I'm sure that others may have other ideas. It will certainly pay to shop around. As long as you tell them they maybe ok. I too have had 2 ablations. One in July 13 and Feb 14. I have now been told they were too close together. They should be at least 12 months apart. Some surgeons can over ablate. This causes it own problems. Certainly my body found it hard to cope with ops so close together. 

    • marco
      marco GrumpyPops

      Posted

      Am I surprised that you were told that your ablations were too close together? Not really. It's obvious from this board that some doctors are not being honest about the probability of a successful ablation. How can a surgeon carry out a procedure knowing that the procedures are too close together that to me is incompetence.

      On subject of travel insurance I have PAF and am aged 79 and pay £200 for annual multi-trip worldwide for self and wife.

    • Petra_J
      Petra_J marco

      Posted

      Re ablations was it at least successful? As my first one was not and I am seriously considering not going for the second one. I have changed my lifestyle rapidly and since then I have started seeing great results! Fingers crossed.

      Re travel insurance I am not sure why mine cost more as I am just 36 but insuring 3 in total....

    • maggie34838
      maggie34838 Petra_J

      Posted

      Hi Petra, I haven't had an ablation but had thought it would be the answer to my AF! - so interested that you are considering not going for a second after a failed first. From my reading I thought it was fairly common to require a second one? Would like to know what lifestyle changes you have made that have given great results?

      Cheers Maggie.

    • derek76
      derek76 marco

      Posted

      For your age without even without any medical conditions £200 is cheap.

      Which company are you with?

    • marco
      marco derek76

      Posted

      It's a Nationwide perk as I bank with them
    • marco
      marco Petra_J

      Posted

      Was advised to have an ablation but decided against when I considered the downside and at the time I was prescribed meds for BP that could make the condition worse (doctors again) and I tolerate the PAF episodes reasonably well.
    • derek76
      derek76 marco

      Posted

      Most do not want to know after you are 70.
    • Petra_J
      Petra_J maggie34838

      Posted

      Hi Maggie, I dont want to put you off the ablation. Just saying in my case it made it even worse so I had to stop working as well. Up until before the ablation I could live quite a normal life with some moderate changes due to AF. I had 3 worst months in my life after the ablation but I think particularly also because how I was being handled post-op. In the end I had to fly to my home country to get fixed. They changed medicaiton and I feel since then 1000 times better. The life style changes I made I strongly believe made a massive difference to how I am feeling now as well. I am not sure whether the new meds or lifestyle changes is a greater contributor to my health improvement but perphaps the combination of both. I started seeing nutritionist as I found out some people cured themselves of AF by radical changes in a diet. I stopped eating anything that contatins gluten, wheat, grains, limited sugars, drink alkalizing water, watch how I combine foods, eat tons of veggies and fruits, healthy fats and a list could go on but these are the main changes. I also go for acupunture, see a herbalist and do a special yoga programme for heart and lung function. I am very young and would like to have another child so I am doing everthing I can to get better or fully recover and not to go for the second ablation. Although I am booked for the second one in the Czech Republic I may postpone it to see how I will continued doing and feeling with all these changes. Petra ;-)
  • Susan
    Susan Petra_J

    Posted

    I went to Crete for 10 days and paid £31 with AllClear Travel - you have to answer quite specific questions about whether you've had any ablation, are you having further problems, are you on warfarin etc. (which was a no to the warfarin question for me) and also are you having a further ablation question which I am, so said yes to that one and it came out at £31 - it was nice to know that 'they' don't see our problem as risky as it barely loaded the premium for my holiday with all the AF bits in it..

     

    • derek76
      derek76 Susan

      Posted

      I will try them as I have been dubious about insurance since my aortic valve replacement. Consultant said just go to countries with reciprical schemes.

      One previously said " Stay near hospitals, don't go to any islands"

      When I said that I was going to Zambia and Zimbabwe, he despaired of me. At that time my only problem was my prostate. 

  • GrumpyPops
    GrumpyPops Petra_J

    Posted

    Hello Marco. I've already had 2 ablations and I'm awaiting a third. As for the docs incompetence. I have the best docs at the Brompton in London. If your doc is being honest, they should tell you that very few people who have AF get better on the first op. I know people who have had 4 or 5. No thanks to that many. As for other comments on feeling horrible after the first one . I agree. The second one was better.  I too have had massive lifestyle changes. I also learned to say no to people. It has been hard but my health comes first. Even to the point that I a far better diet, ie only chicken and fish with lots of veg. 
    • marco
      marco GrumpyPops

      Posted

      Well I don't know how you would describe ablations that were knowingly performed too close together.

      I have also had consultation at Royal Brompton where the doctor I saw (and advised ablation) left me in doubt about the seriousness of the procedure and the statistics for a successful outcome. The downside I referred to was not only the possibilty of multi-ablations but that even if the procedure was successful I would be on Warfarin for life. But I would go for an ablation if I could not tolerate the AF episodes.

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