I've hesitated to post this, but decided that my experience may help others. Two nights before we were supposed to head home, I developed extremely severe abdominal pains, to the point that I spent most of the night awake in horrific pain. At 6AM, I woke David up and told him I needed to go to the ER. I was seen promptly, blood taken, and given IV Tylenol for the pain (which didn't help). After five hours, an X-ray, and a CT scan, I was diagnosed with diverticulitis, which I had never had before. They wanted me to stay in the hospital overnight, but I declined, and was given two prescriptions. Fortunately, they did the trick, and I felt much better the next day for our flights home. After almost a week at home, I felt pretty much back to normal.
My point in posting this is twofold: First, I was very pleased with the care I received at the hospital. The nurses were attentive and kind, and Dr. Jane, the ER physician, was very thorough and caring. Once she saw the CT scan, she consulted with the hospital Gastroenterologist, who came in with her to throughly explain my condition. I was nervous about what I might experience there, but didn't need to be.
Second, the bill was over $3,500, fortunately they take Visa! I've filed with Medicare, which I'm positive will be declined as they don't cover care in a foreign country. Once that's denied, they'll automatically file with my secondary coverage. If that doesn't work, we'll try with Allianz.
This is the first time we've had any type of serious medical issue in our lifetimes of traveling. We'll definitely consider getting some type of medical coverage in the future.
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