Handhold/practical advice needed pls. DH poorly in Turkey

[Dalamannightmare]

First time poster look for some advice. My DH was admitted to a private hospital yesterday with very high infection markers, maybe celluitis or perhaps something else. Dr friends have seen blood results and say he needs to be in hospital on IV antibiotics which is what is happening.

Sounds like he probably won’t be flying back with us tomorrow so I will be traveling home on a night flight with pre schooler and highly anxious 8 year old. I’m very worried about DH, trying to work out the logistics of everything. My brain is going into over drive.

@crumpet

Can I ask what insurance company you were with please?

They are if they're in Scotland.

If no one to take kids could PIL fly out and stay with him? Not ideal, but might be more practical given the situation with the kids.

Or if they are from Ireland…

Not the old "why aren't your children in school?" one again!

The OP has already said there are no grandparents to look after them.

Keep talking to your insurance company. When I was rushed to hospital, on holiday alone, with suspected meningitis the insurance company were brilliant. Had a nurse on hand I could speak to, they sorted the bill and gave me a lot of moral support too.

Yes because the education of an 8 year old is far far more important than leaving a sick husband in a,foreign country alone 🙄

I don’t even have someone who can have my kids for one night

People always find this so hard to believe. I don't know why.

Schools in Glasgow (helensburgh) broke up on 14th June. I was in Austria last week and there were children there. Mum said they were straight on a flight as so much cheaper. Makes for a long autumn term though.

Schools in Glasgow broke up today. Helensburgh is Argyll and Bute which close this Friday

I have experience of this, but it was the USA rather than Turkey. DH's appendix burst whilst we were in the wilds of northern Arizona. I drove him to a small hospital where they suspected a perforation so started him on IV antibiotics and phoned round the major trauma centres. A long & traumatic few days ensued, in which he was airlifted 250 miles to Tucson (cost $39k in 2007), had 4 operations and was in ICU for a week followed by a further week on a ward. Our DDs were then 8 and 6.

The insurers were a nightmare - the British lot were great but their Canadian counterparts were rude and did not believe a word I said. In the end, the social work team in Tucson took over and were amazing. Like the OP, we had no family support who could fly out and look after them or take them back as they were either dead or too decrepit to manage. The doctors wrote on DH's notes that it would be detrimental to his recovery if the family was separated, which the insurers finally accepted. The hospital had a deal with a local hotel, so we swapped our hired RV for a 4 star hotel a block away from the hospital and the insurers picked up the entire tab.

OP, I hope your DH is starting to recover. It is worth asking if there is any sort of social work department who could assist you - perhaps this is something the holiday rep could help with. In our case, we ended up flying back a completely different route with DH in Business and the DDs and me in Economy because the insurers were so awful. However, once appraised of the situation, British Airways were brilliant and went above and beyond making a difficult situation just a bit easier. I need to add that DH is absolutely fine now, albeit with an impressively large vertical scar down him. However, our travel insurance was higher for a while, even though I pointed out that his appendix could never burst again, since it had been removed. Go figure!

How's it going OP, hopefully some helpful info today from your insurers and fingers crossed DH is on the mend?

I hope your husbands health is improving, and the insurance company are being helpful @Dalamannightmare keep on at them, this is the reason you buy travel insurance should the worst happen.

My friend broke her collarbone when we were abroad and she needed surgery and a hospital stay. Her insurance paid for her husband to fly out and be with her. So I imagine that yours will pay for you to stay in country. Don't leave the poor guy.

You're seriously leaving him there?

Speak to your travel company as well if you haven't already, as well as insurance company, they have crisis teams for things just like this. They will do all they can to help and will also look after you on the plane back if you decide to fly back. They're run by people with hearts even if the media like to say they're not, and will do all they can to help.

Best of luck op and hope everything goes well for you and your DH.

For your anxious eight year old, the following might be useful:

Take deep breaths together. First, show your child how to do a slow, deep inhale and then pretend to blow out birthday candles. ...
Hold hands. A trusted adult's touch can be calming. ...
Talk about a happy memory. ...
Tell a story. ...
Play a game. ...
Be honest about the situation and tell them you don't know exactly what is happening yet but that's ok because they are safe, and with you, and you are working to sort things out.

💐💐💐