Luckily, I had some good friends with me, one who was stationed in Zambia as a part of the Peace Corps, and she had seen this before. Nonetheless, it is scary to be sick in this way and wonder if you’ll ever get better–thousands of miles from home and in a place where medical treatment is a bit dicey (though honestly, the doctors there probably know how to deal with malaria a lot better than they would in the US; it’s just most people who live in Zim can’t afford to go to a doc or the pharmaceuticals to fight it). It does make you contemplate your own frailty and susceptibility to injury, illness, and even death.
But I do think having friends I really trusted with me made all the difference in the world. Some people are up for handling this stuff on their own, but honestly, most of us do better with familiarity in some form or fashion.
]]>To make a long story short, knowing that I could cut my travels short and return to my job (which had full benefits for physio and such), I came back to Canada and started the physiotherapy on the body. One thing I did learn along the way during my travels was that my health and fitness was my main priority. Being injured while on the road makes for a miserable time.
The irony of it all was that no more than six weeks after returning home, I wiped out on my bicycle on the way to the office and torn part of my quad and injuring the back even more.
]]>All I am saying is for the circumstances and places where it is valid, use it.
]]>The piece of mind given by travel insurance is a false one. The small print can well turn around to bite you in the you know where. Insurance companies are in business to make a profit, claims cut into the bottom line. If an insurance company can deny your claim. . . they make more profit.
No one can insure you from getting hurt, you must accept the consequences of any at risk activity and make your own risk evaluation.
]]>Sure alot of places wont take Visa. As a matter of fact the Visa won’t matter if the hospital bill is $10000 and your card limit is $2000. Medical travel insurance just gives you piece of mind so that you can enjoy yourself and be able to take care of yourself in case something bad happens.
]]>The best plan is to be carefull and don’t get hurt. If you are going to ride a bike, moped, mortorcyle, you should ride it every moment doing everything you can to avoid the unexpected. Roads in much of the third world have very different rules than at home, learn them or don’t drive. Swimming, hiking, boating are “at your own risk” type activities. Don’t expect dangerous conditions to be posted or warned of in any way, trails are unmarked, you yourself bear the responsibility of deciding what is prudent and what is not, you must live with your decision.
And be aware, in many places travel insurance is useless, much of the world does not take visa.
Be carefull, live long.
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