Sudden Case of Sepsis Turns Birthday Trip into Scary Ordeal

There’s something really wrong here’ 

Overseas travel is nothing new for Melbourne based couple Graham and Gaye. Each year, they make the trip to London to see their daughter who has lived there for more than a decade. However, this trip was especially meaningful as it involved Graham’s 70th  birthday celebrations in Europe with their friends and family.

But their trip took a dramatic turn while in Paris, during the final stretch of their holiday.

After carrying suitcases up the narrow stairs to their apartment, Graham thought he had simply hurt his back.  But very quickly, Gaye realised something was not right.

“The next day he was sitting on the couch and he said, ‘I feel unwell… I’ve really hurt my back.’ And he started shaking, saying ‘I’m really cold, get a blanket.’ I said, ‘Are you kidding me? It’s 30 degrees.’”

As the week went on, Graham’s condition fluctuated. He would rally briefly, then deteriorate again, at which point Gaye became increasingly concerned.

“I just thought, there's something really wrong here. But I thought, we’ll go to London and deal with it there.”

 But by the time they arrived at their daughter’s apartment in London, Graham was so unwell the couple went straight to hospital.

“He was really bad on the train back to London. We just dropped our things and went straight to emergency.”

‘It was very touch and go’

What followed was far more serious than either of them could have imagined. Graham was admitted to St George’s Hospital in London and remained there for nine weeks, including eight days in intensive care. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with a Staphylococcus aureus infection.

“He was extremely ill,” Gaye says. “It was very touch and go while he was in ICU.”

For someone who had always been fit and healthy, the suddenness of Graham’s illness was confronting.

“Nobody would have thought this would happen to Graham,” Gaye says. “It just shows you how unexpectedly things can turn.”

 'Gave us such peace of mind'

Even once he left hospital for rehabilitation, Graham’s challenges were not over, with his hip still causing him a lot of pain.

“By the third week, he was in quite a bit of pain and I said, ‘I think you've done as much as you can do here. I'm ringing 1Cover to get us home.’”

After speaking with 1Cover, arrangements were made for Graham to return home for follow up care, and medical provisions were made, including a doctor and nurse to assist on the flights home.

“Having the doctor and the nurse was so beneficial,” Gaye says. “It just gave us such peace of mind… they took care of him the whole way home.”

 'Took a lot of pressure of me'

Once back in Melbourne, Graham was diagnosed with septic arthritis in his hip, caused by the infection, and would undergo urgent surgery followed by another major operation months later. His recovery remains ongoing.

Months after their return, Gaye says that despite the difficulty of their experience, knowing they were covered was invaluable.

 “All I was interested in was getting Graham well.” Knowing he was covered and his medical costs taken care of, she says, "took a lot of pressure off me.”

Gaye says that while she was thankful to have been in the UK medical system, close by to her daughter, the entire experience was still incredibly stressful and potentially hugely expensive.

"I was very fortunate that I had my daughter there, so we didn't have any accommodation costs. But it's just absolutely imperative to take travel insurance wherever you're going. Medical cover is of paramount importance."

"Even if you travel often, feel healthy or are heading somewhere familiar, there are no guarantees. You just never know what's in front of you."

Today, Graham is still rebuilding his strength after multiple operations and rehabilitation. But Gaye has no doubt about what they will do when they travel again.

"There's no way I wouldn't be taking travel insurance," she says. "We always go with 1Cover. I don't even bother looking elsewhere now."