Further to my post a few days ago, asking about travel insurance companies prepared to cover people with multiple conditions, I tried all the suggestions and some companies declined to cover me, without giving a reason but I have taken out insurance cover with Stay Sure (thanks, Bessy01 for the recommendation) and am really pleased.
I thought about the possible obstacles to travel insurance cover and decided that I don't need the bowel investigations at the moment, so I cancelled those and had my name taken off the waiting list, so that I could honestly say that I wasn't waiting to be seen for an as yet undiagnosed condition. I guess many of you will have read of Barnclown's incredibly long struggle for a credible diagnosis ("Gastroenterology saga update..." and compared with her awful symptoms, mine pale into insignificance! If they flare up again, I'll review the situation.
I also rang Insure & Go and asked why they'd declined to cover me. Eventually, I was put through to a senior person who told me that I&G "do not cover muscular dystrophy"!!
On the matter of those with a chronic disease being seen regularly/annually, I specifically asked Stay Sure and they were perfectly fine with that. They class it as a "routine" appointment. Phew.
And the icing on the cake is that they will cover me for "any linked condition", ie all the other things on the "have you suffered from any of the following complications of lupus?" list, as well as those linked to my other conditions. Wonderful.
It wasn't too expensive to start with and because I didn't take it out on line within 24 hours, Stay Sure sent me an email offering a 20% discount code!
Thanks all of you.