Hi All - my MS news is still very fresh and I am now working through the various emotions - fearing my life is over, being “disabled” and the threat of financial ruin or on the days I feel more “stable” - I am left questioning the meaning of life and if I want to spend the time I do have on this Earth being a corporate drone.
For context - I am 36 years old and have a 13 month year old son. Back in February I went completely numb from the waist down and found it very difficult to walk etc as I couldn’t feel my feet. I pitched up at A&E twice and was basically treated as a time waster. Long story short - fast forward five months and after neurologist appts, spinal and brain MRIs and a lumbar puncture it has been determined I had transverse myeltitis and have been referred in September for an appt by my consultant to the neuro inflammatory specialist “in keeping with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.”
I have since been racking my holey brain to try and think how I can improve my life to work less and spend more time with my son. I have also been kicking myself that I never took out critical illness cover… Or so I thought. I double checked my ancient Aviva life insurance policy last night which I took out in 2019 and it turns out I have Aviva Life+ with critical illness cover. Reading through the policy schedule MS is indeed covered with the wording: "Multiple sclerosis - where there have been symptoms
A definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis by a consultant neurologist. There must have been clinical impairment of motor or sensory function caused by multiple sclerosis."
I am expecting the formal diagnosis at my September appt as my Neurologist informally told me over the phone to put my mind at ease that my life isn’t over and there is treatment etc.
Before I jump for joy / start celebrating that (some) of my problems are over - I wanted to canvass opinion to see if there has been much success with these types of claims with Aviva?
Looking forward to hearing from any of you about your experiences.
I do hope that, if bad news does come - and I hope it doesn’t, but if does sound as if it might - you find that you managed to insure yourself against some of the financial impact.
By the way, I’m the woman who decided on life cover only for the mortgage I took out the year before MS dx to save a few bob. But I did have an excellent pension scheme at work which, years later when I could no longer work, provided good ill-health retirement terms. It’s worth having a look at your position on that front as well. Suddenly pension schemes can turn from slightly abstract and boring things to being very important indeed.
I claimed on my Aviva policy in 2021. It was a Work policy and they paid out no questions asked about three weeks after putting the claim in. My neurologist sorted it all very quickly. I am possibly having a change of diagnosis to MND and have inquired about putting a cheeky second claim in.
Yes, I had bought Aviva Critical Illness as part of my mortgage and claimed successfully. I have posted my experience and communication with them in detail on the forum. There is a deadline to claim. Good luck!
Your journey sounds very similar to mine. At the end of last year, I suddenly went numb from the waist down, A&E visits to rule out Cauda Equina, then a recall to a&e when the outpatient MRI showed an active lesion. Cue referrals to neurology, a negative lumbar puncture, (many!) more MRIs, discovery of silent lesions on my brain and I got diagnosed with RRMS last month. I feel very fortunate that I was taken seriously every step of the way - it makes such a difference when your world is being turned upside down. I think the fact my sister was also recently diagnosed with MS helped things move in the right direction.
I thankfully have recovered fairly well but have been left with pins and needles in both legs. Whilst this is not debilitating, it is irksome and serves as a constant reminder that I have MS.
I put in my critical illness claim in today with Aviva… I am not sure whether my pins and needles counts as ‘clinical sensory impairment’ but we will see what they say. From what I have read, the main reason why a claim may be rejected is due to non disclosure of symptoms before taking out the policy. I hope I will be ok as I have a very boring medical history (other than last year!) - just the odd UTI or eczema flare up.
Thanks so much for your response and yes, our stories do sound similar. Please keep me posted re your claim with Aviva. Wishing you luck! Health is wealth but a silver lining would be most welcome.