I give protection advice to my clients every single day and one day I thought to myself, Marlena it’s time for you to take your own advice. You don’t have any policies and you ask your clients what protection cover they would have in the event of scenarios such as losing a loved one or becoming sick, happening to them. When I took out my policy with Aviva, I was very fit and healthy, but I knew I would be covered if something happened to me in the future.
I took out an Aviva policy because alongside all of the other insurance benefits, Digicare+ really appealed to me. The policy is not just there for when something bad happens to you, it is there for daily use. Through Digicare+ you have the dietitian, counselling sessions, and gym discounts. I knew that the policy would benefit me every day.
When I took out my policy, I was happy, bubbly, outgoing, and never had any issues. Then I started to feel unwell. My colleagues would worry saying: “You’re tired or you’ve had a bad migraine, or you don’t have any energy.” I signed up go to the gym to see if that would resolve it.
When I came into to the office the next morning (after joining the gym), I was exhausted all day and my colleagues advised me to see someone about it. I called my GP as after that, I had absolutely no energy for no reason at all. If I had energy and I did anything, no matter how small, my energy levels would dramatically disappear.
My GP said this was quite normal and probably related to Covid-19 or a result of being in lockdown. They asked me if I had long Covid, but I never had Covid-19. I felt like my health issues were swept under the carpet and I carried on feeling unwell. I was running out of ideas because I couldn’t get any further GP appointments.
Then I remembered my benefits through Aviva, logged into the Digicare+ app through my phone, and ordered the health check. It came within days and the kit was easy to use. After sending it off for review, in two to three days I received a comprehensive health report.
I felt worried as it flagged a few issues, but I was able to book a video appointment with a doctor within 15 minutes of me logging into the app. She discussed the report with me, made me feel very comfortable and gave me advice on what to do.
I also have severe anxiety – speaking to a medical expert who was friendly and understood me, made a massive difference. Before I had the appointment with Aviva, I felt like no one understood me. At points I had doubted myself and thought I should just get on with things or that my own doctor felt I was making it all up. At the end of the day, you know your body best. Since my diagnosis, I’ve also used the Digicare counselling services.
After my call with the Aviva GP, I called my own GP to share the test results. That changed everything, and I was seen quickly by my GP. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. And because I’ve suffered with severe anxiety, IBS, and migraines, I needed to go and see a dietitian, as food can play a part in these conditions. I was advised to go on a special diet and limit the activities I do.
Last week I had a client who was debating whether to take out critical illness cover. He’s a single man with no dependents. He initially said he wasn’t interested in CI cover because he is healthy.
I told the client my experiences of using the policy and immediately he wanted to take it out.
Marlena Kaszuba has been a protection adviser for over five years at Openwork
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