The Cost of Cancer

Fighting cancer is an expensive business. While you're trying to prevent it from costing you your life, the hole it burns in your pocket can start to get out of control. From buying countless train tickets for routine appointments, to taking time off work to have treatment, the cost of cancer can really start to build up.

But there are people and organisations that can help... it's just finding them that is the key! Your GP should advise you on ways to relieve the financial strain of being ill, although, from what I have seen, this doesn't happen all too often. For example, it has only taken me ten years to find out that the NHS provide a 'Medical Exemption' card to all Oncology patients! This means that any medication you need as a result of having treatment is free. This can include anything from painkillers to control the agony of a growing tumour, to medication to treat any side effects of chemo. You just fill out a simple form, which you can pick up from your GP's surgery, then send it back to the doctor and they take care of the rest!

It is also worth getting in touch with Cancer charities to find out if there are ways they can also lend a hand. For example, the CLIC Sargent Charity http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/Whatwedo/Financialsupport helped my mum and I enquire about what financial support my local borough could provide. It proved invaluable when mum had to take time off work to care for me, and was losing most of her salary as a result. Other charities that work hard to help families struggling to keep their head above water include Macmillan http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Livingwithandaftercancer/Financialissues/Gettingfinancialhelp.aspx.

Being told you have Cancer, at any age, is terrifying. Hearing those words immediately prompts fears of dying, leaving loved ones behind, and coping with the side effects of treatments. These issues are enough to deal with, without the added pressure and concerns of the financial consequences of being diagnosed. If you're paying out more than you're bringing in, then of course your stress levels will begin to rise, and you're in danger of damaging your health even further. It is important that you find as much support as you can with additional issues, such as money, so that rather than worrying about where next month's rent is coming from, your focus is entirely on winning the fight.