Florida with gallstones

[married2mm]

Does anyone have experience of travelling with "probable gallstones"?

Dd has most likely got gallstones...
And has not yet booked her travel insurance

We are flying beginning of May.


Thanks in advance

[catlady]

My best friend was diagnosed last year about 2 months before we travelled. She had insurance with the post office and had to pay about £150 extra when she informed them ☹! The other worry is that without a proper diagnosis (after scans) they said they wouldn't insure her? You may have to shop around a lot for her insurance?

My friend managers hers by diet at the moment. She was ok while we were away but did watch what she ate!

[traceylou1972]

Hi. I did a couple of Christmas's ago. It was a confirmed case and was booked in for surgery in the January. I did have an attack in Hollywood Studios and DH had to use a wheel chair to get me back to the car. I just went straight back to the villa and took some more pain relief. I had another mild attack in the villa just before going out and we just altered our plans for the day. I never visited a clinic as I knew what it was and that the pain would pass.

My consultant told me it was ok to travel but if the whites of my eyes started to go yellow to get the next flight back. I didn't inform my travel insurance (please don't shout) as we decided to take the gamble.

My consultant also advised me to take buscapan at the first signs of an attack along with the usual over the counter pain killers. Unfortunately for me I damaged my stomach lining with the amount of ibuprofen and now I am unable to take them anymore.

For us it was a long needed and planned holiday and apart from being unwell for a couple of days we had a fantastic time.

Hope your DD gets sorted soon.

[THE WIZARD]

Get insurance asap and tell them you are awaiting confirmation diagnosis, it will still cost you but its essential you have it as if she has them they could move at anytime and cause a blockage and the pain is horrendous & she may well end up in hospital in the U.S. and it ain't gonna be cheap - pay the extra on insurance now and go with a clear mind that you are covered.
Hope all goes well for her, it a bloody awful thing to have.

[Leggibone]

I didn’t travel after I was diagnosed with mine - unfortunately the price of travel insurance for a week in Portugal with them was around £200 or something!
I wouldn’t go to the states without declaring them, but my attacks were a little unpredictable, could eat loads of rubbish and be fine, eat a spagbol and have an attack! Just try be prepared for an attack and make sure it’s covered on the travel insurance and you should be fine.
I did travel to New York before I’d even spoke to a doctor about them to be fair.. ate like a king and was totally fine, but I had had an attack before the trip.

[missdopey]

I was awaiting a diagnosis of gall stones when I went in August 2017. Fortunately I had travel insurance and when I spoke to them they said I could either cancel or go but without cover for the condition under investigation. We made the decision to go and fly back immediately if I had a severe attack. We looked at prices of one way fights to get home and they were about £300 so were happy I could be back within 24 hours if needed. At this stage you will struggle to get cover for an undiagnosed condition, I would get the ultrasound ASAP to confirm the diagnosis, then you can get insurance which will cover the condition.

[katiec68]

I had a massive gallstone diagnosed in July.
We were due on a 16 night cruise and stay from Barcelona in mid November.

We went private through DH company and I managed to get to see the consultant in August and had my op in mid September.
My GP said my stone urgently needed to come out but the waiting list would be around a year!

I was in theatre for 3 hours - I was off work for 4 weeks (didnt drive for over 2 weeks) and then another week on "light duties".

A week before we travelled my back gave way - due to me having spend 4 weeks bent over and I was on muscle relaxers for the first 10 days of our holiday - some days I could hardly walk!

We pushed for the op as otherwise I wouldn't have wanted to go away knowing just how big the stone was

The back issue was just another complication that I could have done without

Just worth thinking about as it would have scared me to have an attack while I was away

[minnie29]

I had them in 2010 while out there but didn’t know until I got home. Spent my wedding night in agony after eating steak. Then the whole next day recovering, sent my DH off to the parks with my best friend and all the kids. Sorry, no help but your post brought back the memory - I suffered terrible for months and was skin and bone by the time they removed my gallbladder. Horrible things - the attack’s I used to get were worse than giving birth! And it’d take me a week to recover from a bad attack. Hope your friend gets sorted out x

[scoobydooby]

Yes I have but had first attack there so not diagnosed before we travelled. Horrific. Thought I was having a heart attack three times. Had First Responders at HRH who clearly thought I was some freak making up an illness. Spent 3 hours in a toilet cubicle in Be our Guest. Spent several hours in the room one night scared to death. Didn’t know it was fall stones for another month. I would not travel with them after this experience personally but I suppose I didn’t know what was wrong with me.

[MinniMouse]

I was diagnosed with gallstones after a bad attack. Whilst in hospital they offered to removal my gallbladder there and then but the pain had subsided and I had no one to cover my role in DH's company so I had to put up with it until a few months later. I was told then to steer clear of the three C's, cheese, cream and chocolate, which I did. We had a 3 or 4 night break already booked for Paris so I was very careful in what I ate. None of the above or any fatty foods. I found it no bother because there was no way I wanted that pain again. I ate just about everything else but did without the fat, so pizza without cheese topping etc.