Diglossos

It happens. You’re playing a friendly game of basketball with your buds, and you make a spectacular dunk only to land awkwardly and blow out your knee. Maybe you were running across the street to catch that cab, and your heel got caught causing your foot to move in a way it’s not used to doing, and – SNAP! – your ankle is toast. That’s not the worst part, though. You’re supposed to go on vacation in less than a month, and how can you travel with a cast, brace and/or family pack of Vicodin?

Well, it’s actually not that bad. You have options.  Provided you have the stamina and you don’t have a condition preventing you from doing so, you can still take your vacation and have fun.  What counts is that your body and your brain get the rest they need.  As long as you’re honest about your condition and what you can do, there is no reason why you need to cancel that trip.

No matter what kind of injury or problem, you need to take care of a few things first. These will make your life so much easier, and they’ll make it easier for the people who have to help you as well.

1. Gather all of your documents.
• Medical:  You’ll need a note from your doctor(s) on letterhead.  While e-mail may be OK, make sure you back it up with paper.  If you can’t travel, the doctor needs to explain why.  If you can, but with restrictions, he should also lay that out.  Keep in mind that if you need rehab, the rehab specialist at your destination will need that info; so, the doctor may need to prepare two kinds of docs  – one for general use and one for the rehab person.  Your own rehab specialist may also need to weigh in; so, get ready to get docs from that person after you talk to the doctor.  Bottom line:  Don’t avoid your doctor’s input.  You want to heal, don’t you? [Note on HIPAA/medical privacy:  Your doctor does not have to go into gross detail.  Rather, he needs to explain the restrictions. Doctors are well aware of their limitations; so, let the doctor know what you need, and he'll prepare the documents accordingly.]
• Insurance:  Check with your insurance company to see if they will cover your rehab while you are traveling.  Some companies are fine with you going to a licensed professional in another city, but others only cover you in your own town.  Get all of that spelled out and in writing.  They may also provide you with approved providers at the destination.  Don’t overlook this step:  If you don’t have the insurance company’s approval, you may be stuck with the bill.
• Airline:  Check with the airline to see what documents you need in order to travel.  Usually, if you have a broken leg, they don’t bat an eye; but if you have a serious injury, they may keep you from traveling because their insurance doesn’t cover that.
• Hotel/lodging:  Download or find your hotel regulations and your reservation restrictions.  You’ll need contact information for managers at the hotel site and for the managers at the national headquarters.  Each company is different:  Some will let the local group handle guest relations, but others want to handle more complicated matters at the home office level.  Be prepared.
2. Be clear with your health care providers, and make sure you understand what is required for your recovery.  Although you feel fine hobbling around, your team will know exactly what your condition is and what’s acceptable to do.  Some injuries seem fine on the surface, but your treatment may be intense and require at-home care.
3. Be nice.  Look:  The airline and the hotel staff want to work with you, but you need to keep in mind that they are not at fault for your situation.  Ultimately, you are responsible for your own care.

So, now you have all of your documents.  What next?  If you cannot travel due to a serious health issue, you need to communicate that to your airline and to the hotel.  That medical and insurance documentation is crucial here.  Also, when you call, remember that you need to get names of all the people with whom you speak, and document dates and times of all conversations.  If there is a particular statement or phrase that stands out, note it.

In general, airlines are pretty flexible about dates, and they’ll accommodate you.  Instead of canceling the trip, though, you may have to pick new dates that allow you to travel within a year of the original date.  Regardless, you should be able to take another trip in a year.  Think about that before you call so that you’ll be prepared.  You’ll have to contact the airline via phone, and you may have to speak to someone at a managerial level.  The operator or travel administrator/rep may not be able to help you if your ticket has travel restrictions.  Also, keep in mind that a refund may not be in the cards.  Be flexible and open to alternative solutions.

The hotel is a different matter.  Each chain and each site can work very differently.  Don’t assume that they can meet your request or change your reservations.  The worst in terms of options/alternatives will be B&Bs.  Most of those are mom-and-pop places that rely on each reservation in order to stay in business; so, you may not get a refund or date change at all.  [Good to remember for future travel:  Check the hotel's refund and change policies before you book. If they don't offer refunds or allow for changes, don't book.]

On the other hand, big chains tend to be more accommodating.  Some large chains have different levels of operations for their properties.  A resort tends to be a big enough operation that the home office lets the local property handle guest relations.  On the other hand, smaller or more specific properties that cater to a specific clientele might bump up guest issues to the home office.  The local rep will be able to tell you.  If they provide specific names, note those and start there.  On the other hand, if they don’t you’ll need to contact the home office and get a hold of someone who can assist you.

Most operators make it pretty difficult to find human contacts.  Whatever you do, do not use the “Contact Us” form.  This usually goes to a general mailbox, and there is no guarantee that your question will be answered within the space of time you have.  If you know the host city of the headquarters, look up the phone number and have it ready once you discover the name of the contact you need.  By the way, “Customer Support” is the general number for reservations.  These are the people who can help you with booking, but they can’t resolve special cases.  In many instances, they can’t even route you to the correct department.  Save yourself the hassle.  You or your happy helper will have to do some digging, but you will find a person eventually.

If you’re considering rehab or plan to do some of your recommended exercises while traveling, you must inform the hotel.  They may have a gym on-site or a contract with a nearby facility.  They will need the doctor’s clearance document, and they may also need the insurance company’s clearance form stating that they are OK with your on-site rehab and that they will cover you.  Some places have a list of trainers and facilities who can help you.  If not, the nearby facility should have a list.  You may need to provide the gym and/or trainer with your rehab contact’s info so that they can review your case and decide on a proper treatment course.  Also, take advantage, and get the name of a local doctor in case something happens.

Be forewarned:  The hotel may have no problem with you using a partner, but they may not allow you to use their own in-house facility.  That’s an insurance issue, and there’s nothing they can do to override that contract.  If you are a member of a gym chain, communicate with them instead of the hotel for your rehab details.  First off, some have really good contacts for trainers who can work with you.  Also, some are set up to do rehab at their sites.  The hotel is not in the health and fitness business; so, their equipment is limited to weekend warrior types anyway.

If you’ve found the right people, and they are willing to work with you, keep in mind that they’ll need your documentation in order to support the request.  You can scan and e-mail or fax.  Make sure that you note everything you discuss.  When you send the documentation, include a cover letter explaining what you understand to be the agreement.  Clearly spell it out.  If they do not respond with any contradictions, you can rest assured that they agree to the terms.  Nevertheless, back it up with a call to confirm receipt of the documents, and request a reply in the cover letter and when you make the confirmation phone call.

You’re ready to do some research and get answers.  Get going, and we’ll cover what to keep in mind during the trip in next week’s installment.

© 2011, Peregrine