A cautionary tale

I have been on holiday abroad several times both with and without my dear husband. Everything has gone smoothly and apart from one small mishap with a suitcase, all has been well.

Not so this year - I ventured to Tenerife with my son, daughter in law and 2 little girls for a fortnight in the sun. The first week passed well, if a little hot - they were experiencing an unseasonable heat wave around 32 but we coped with shade, cold drinks and lots of ins and outs of the pool. After a visit to the ocean depths to see mantas, in a yellow submarine, I retired to rest in the afternoon and woke feeling very uncomfortable with griping stomach pains. They lasted all night and were worse by the next morning so we ventured to ask the hotel what they recommended by way of contacting a doctor.  Upon their suggestion we took a five minute taxi ride to a Hospital and explained the problem.

I cannot remember the exact order of events but suffice to say, I saw a doctor, was given a batch of tests including X rays, bloods, ultrasound and an ECG, paid over 200 Euros, plus a further 2000 Euros and found myself in a hospital bed before 12 noon.  An English interpreter and a Spanish surgeon arrived and explained they were going to operate to remove my gall bladder using keyhole surgery, and not to worry as he was an excellent surgeon. (I didn't know I had any gall bladder trouble!)

I was returned to my bed by 2pm and spent the next 4 days in the hospital sharing the room with a Belgian lady with a broken hip, who spoke a few words of English and was looked after by nurses who called me either "lady" or "Margaret Elizabeth"!

I was also relieved of a further 5000 Euros for the operation.

I was released with my pot of gall stones (timed at 12.55pm when they were removed) and a prescription plus my X rays and photos of my gall bladder in situ and a full description of what had been done to me - in Spanish. The next four days were restful; I returned to have my clips removed and was sent on my way for the flight home with the good wishes of my surgeon, Dr Comez.  All the money was refunded before we left the hospital as my insurance company had paid the amount in full.

The whole experience was a shock to start with as we British are not used to the "Can you pay?" before treatment and my E111 would have entitled me to treatment at the local hospital in Santa Cruz, quite a way from where we were.

I hadn't any insurance documents with me, as I had inadvertently left them at home, I also didn't have a credit card upon my person but having a capable son and daughter in law is brilliant.  The moral of this story is ALWAYS take out Holiday Insurance and take details with you; carry a credit card and a mobile phone, you never know who you may need to ring.

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