Financial Worries when you have cancer.

It’s an interesting piece isn’t it? I think most people assume that if you have cancer there is some magical money pot that is accessible by all and enables you not to worry where your next £ is coming from.

For some who are wise enough to take out critical illness cover (CIC) this dilemma albeit a long process, allows the majority of people to not worry about the every day financial pressures.

In fact I have always had CIC and up until undergoing the triple heart bypass in 2012, I didn’t realise I could cash it in. Thankfully my good friend Jim reminded me and it enables me to pay off a lot of debts and put a hefty lump sum down for this house we have in Brum. I didn’t pay off my mortgage on my property in the north as the bank said it wouldn’t be worth it. I was and still am on one of the lowest tracked interest rates for it.

BUT! When I was diagnosed with cancer, I wasn’t in such a privileged position anymore and as a consequence, had zero money coming in last year. While everyone has the right intention, not one person asked me directly about money and if we were ok. That’s not a criticism, it’s a fact!

I spoke to many people, CAB, McMillan, the pensions company to see what resources were available. I even went to the bank who refused to help me as my credit rating was shot at the time. We just didn’t have enough to pay all the bills on time.

Also, going into hospital costs money. Lots of money. Compared to other countries in the world and not underestimating the benefits we have in the NHS, car parking, food, being off work for my appointments, took its toll on both Nin and I.

We used to argue about money and because I had a chemo head at the time, it was so hard for Nin. He was doing his best and I couldn’t do anything. No ones fault, just the way it was.

Eventually the only option I had was to look at a long term solution and no one knows really how long we have. We were brassic and things were so very very tough for us.

Whilst in hospital in December and being told I could possibly have another tumor, I was so fed up with being there, I shut the door to my room and rang the office and asked to be given auditing work to do. I decided after many hints that only we could get ourselves out of this. Going back to one was one option.

The second option was to discuss selling my house in the northeast of England and recouping the monies from there. So after much discussion and wonderful openness of Ann and Iain (the tenants) in my house, the idea of the house sale took place.

It really is with much sadness that I’ve listed it for sale and wanted to put into immortality, pictures of this wonderful home that I lived in for 13 years. The house has just gone on the market and I know with Luck, it will sell. I hope you enjoy these pictures too and thank you for reading xxx