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This article is sadly a continuation of an event that occurred 7 years previously and was covered in the original article entitled The power of expat medical insurance to save life

An outline and description of the most recent events initially sent to family and friends is shared below and is provided so that you, the reader, may consider the implications and ramifications as they may prove valuable in your own set of circumstances.

Having taken stock of the most recent events, we feel extremely fortunate as a family, that we took the financial protection decisions to both purchase the insurances that we did and to have built savings and investments such that the impact of this second brain injury has had minimal financial impact.

I am however very cognisant that not everybody is in such a comfortable situation as ourselves and therefore this guidance is to help those that may to consider a roadmap for their own financial security.

I have often spoke about the importance of purchasing medical insurance at a time when you are young and healthy so that any 'pre-existing exclusions' from a medical insurance plan can be avoided.

Fortunately, we were proactive in securing coverage at an early stage in our lives when we were both fit and healthy. Had we not done so, the initial brain injury event would most likely not have been financially covered. Moreover, securing coverage retroactively after such an event would have been nearly impossible, leaving the second and most recent incident uncovered as well. Additionally, any future events would also have been excluded from coverage. For many individuals without such protection in force could have had devastating consequences.

It is imperative therefore that adequate expat medical insurance is secured when fit and healthy.

As it is, the fact that we did purchase cover when we were both fit and healthy and maintained the contract since the first brain injury, means that the second event was fully covered as will any further events, provided we continue to meet the medical insurance premium payments.

However, as I sit and ponder the most recent events and circumstances, I also recognise that for me, being able to work from home whilst simultaneously keeping a watchful eye on my beloved would simply not be an option for many people.

As you will read below the potential for a recurrence of a stroke or seizure for the wife is very sadly very probable.

I am at least on hand being at home to act immediately should such another event take place (I dread to think of what could / would occur if I was forced to work in an office, factory or away from home and a recurrence were to occur). Such a situation could quickly become a matter of life or death

I would implore you, the reader, to evaluate your own circumstances and question whether your circumstances would allow you such 'luxury' to be with your spouse or partner or whether you would need to consider:

• employing professional help or
• consider stopping work

If either of these options were necessary would you have the savings or investments immediately available to fund these additional costs? and would drawing on these funds negatively impact your later retirement plans?

If not maybe careful thought and consideration should be given to building up savings and effecting both suitable expat medical insurance and possibly an income protection plan.

For those unaware, the Christmas and New Year period was sadly not filled with merriment in our household.

Many will recall that the wife suffered a brain injury 7 years previously as a result of a sudden and unexpected meningitis infection - I wrote about this incident here

Almost to the day and exactly at the same time of day (breakfast time) a recurrence of the same symptoms manifested.

Once again, and within just a few minutes of setting the breakfast table, the wife returned from a bathroom break but immediately noted a massive change in her demeanour. The wife's eyes were the size of an owls proclaiming that she did not know where she was nor, very disturbingly, who I was!

The wife was clearly very anxious, worried and extremely concerned having lost any bearing on life and her immediate surroundings - she was totally lost both within and outside of herself!

I immediately recognised these same symptoms as a replication from 7 years previously and knew instinctively that this was again a very serious situation that demanded immediate and pro-active medical attention.