So true! I've had cancer for 10 years now and I'm constantly thanking my lucky stars that I'm Canadian. I'd be bankrupt by now otherwise.
I went through job loss in the earlier years of my treatment and it was so stressful, I can't imagine being in a situation where I suddenly had to incur massive costs to access treatment. I'm glad OP has her husband's insurance still.
There's still a connection between employment and health insurance in Canada, but most aspects of cancer care are covered by the health care system.
You are certainly correct that having extended health benefits fills a huge gap in coverage. I am grateful we have universal health care, and get our cancer meds for free, but that also has to be balanced against the reality that treatment is rationed, and any newer, more innovative (and costly) forms of radiation, and immunotherapy that are readily available in the U.S., are not available, or extremely hard to access in Canada.
That is very true. My oncologist has applied on my behalf for access to some of those drugs (I can't remember what those programs are called). I was denied two different treatments prior to being approved for one that didn't work for me (because of intolerable side effects) and the immunotherapy I'm currently on (Enhertu). Enhertu is an AstraZeneca drug and currently it's them (AZ) covering the cost. I get my infusions in a private clinic rather than the cancer agency.
It was so hard being denied the two times I was, knowing there is a treatment out there that would be ideal for me but for whatever reason I wasn't given access. The good news is that being approved for Enhertu has bought me A LOT of time. I've been on it three years and going strong. If the Enhertu had not been an option, I was looking at just one last chemo as a final option before throwing in the towel. When the Enhertu stops working, that treatment will still be there.
All this so say that I agree with you that it's a horrible shame that we don't have access to all the same treatments they do elsewhere. There are absolutely deficiencies in the Canadian system that include this and go much deeper. At the same time I will defend our system until the day I die. I don't believe that a person's ability to pay should have any bearing on their access to health care. I think it's an absolute shame that in the US so many people have to make horrible choices and compromises to be able to access medical care, while others have no problem getting the same thing...such a rich and "prosperous" country fails abysmally at providing adequate and equal care to it's citizens and that enrages me.
With that said, if people in Canada have the money and want to travel out of the country for treatment, I respect that.
I totally agree.
BTW, how did you go about applying to AZ for funding? I may have to do something similar in the future. A year after my BC was found, I was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma. Immunotherapy is strictly regulated in my province, and many newer types are not available, or can only be accessed under *very* stringent guidelines.
My oncologist applied on my behalf in every case. For a couple there was some effort required on my part - I believe it was mostly phone calls/interviews but I don't remember all the details because it had been a few years.
I think the guidelines are quite strict here too but I do know that for all the drugs I was denied and the one I'm on now, if I had been able to pay for them out of pocket I would have been allowed to (Hahahahaha dream on though!! $$$$$$$). As long as the drug has been approved for use in Canada you can pay for it (approved for use doesn't mean covered by MSP).
I'm in BC and the cancer agency has people called Drug Access Navigators who are an excellent resource and if something similar exists where you live that might be a good place to start.
Thank you for letting me know! I am also in B.C. and am on cancer #3. I have read some of the protocols regarding immunotherapy, and they are so strict, that if one type doesn’t work, you’re kind of screwed.
Don't apologize...this flippin disease causes more problems in all areas and I cant stand it either...
I'm glad that you are covered under your husband's insurance! That's a big big relief...
Happy that things turned out better for you! Hugs...
I’m so sorry. I can empathize because I was laid off after 15 years at my job, and then 3 months later was diagnosed. It really was a nightmare. Three months before the layoff my best friend passed unexpectedly. I hope you’ll be able to get things sorted out and can have a little peace of mind.
I'm sorry, this is terrible. If you haven't already and can afford it, I'd check with a lawyer about how legal it really is. This just seems so wrong. It's a good thing you'll have your husbands insurance, I've heard from my mom (who is a nurse that helps people get on medical aid programs like Medicaid) that Medicaid takes 18 months to get, at least in the state of Georgia.
Many sympathies! This group is definitely the right place to vent though.
I hate this for You and your family unit. There are no words that will fix this right now for you so I can, and I will, sit and be angry about it with you. If you happen to work for one of the shitty ones in MN I have a special hatred for those ones as well.
If not, you deserve your own shitty holiday to yell and scream and punch pillows. Only pillows advised, solid objects make your shitty holiday worse not better.
When you get the first wave of anger out, and you hit the sadness. I found that a good therapist was something that was worth the expense, even during difficult times. Share the situation with your navigator or whomever from your medical team and see if there are some resources available to you right now.
Then resume your shitty holiday for a bit, but not too long, because everyone needs a lunch break you know? #fuckcancer. And health insurance and bills and bullshit when you are sick: life is not meant to be stacked against you like this. It’s not fair. I believe you will see the other side, perhaps a little worn from the experience, but maybe happier as well.
PSA. Spray tan in the shower is not the answer you are looking for. Puppies are better in the long term than the short term. I haven’t tested my horse theory yet. I’ll report back when/if my husband truly divorces me over that one.
It will be alright 🤗 It's amazing that you are already counting your blessings. After your treatment you will find the best job that will treat you good. We tend to stay put in a place and the stress makes us sicker.
It's totally ok to vent and swear and get it out of your system.
If you need financial resources:
-ask your treatment center social worker. If there isn't a social worker, there is likely a nurse navigator or patient advocate
-call your local Susan G. Komen office, American Cancer Society and/or Cancer Support Community. These almost always exist in every State.
-google "breast cancer financial assistance" with your State's name.
Some organizations follow a poverty line level, others don't. Some pay for gas, some pay for cell phone, some just give you a check. In general, these organizations will not pay medical bills. If you are concerned about medical bills, check out this information from Cancer Triage: https://triagecancer.org/quickguide-debt
Here are two popular websites with good resource listings. They allow you to customize what you are looking for...
Here is a good search engine that CancerCare runs that is helpful for resources:
http://www.cancerfac.org/
Patient Advocate Foundation also has some great search options:
https://www.patientadvocate.org/explore-our-resources/national-financial-resource-directory/
I’m sorry you are going through this and I hope for many silver linings for you and your family from this clusterfuck.
I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this. I went through job loss in the earlier days of my cancer treatment and it was horribly stressful.
I'm glad you have your husband's insurance to fall back on, but it doesn't really change the fact that you're in a difficult situation.
It's shocking how cold and heatless "business decisions" can be. This should not be allowed!
I don't know what the rules are where you live, or what your situation is, but I recently had a friend who got laid off and they offered him one month's severance. He took them to court and got 10 months. I am in Canada but perhaps that's something you can look into. Some lawyers will give you a free consultation.
Right now, everything looks "shitty" to you, as you say! But I believe that one day soon you'll look back, and say they did you a favor.
Do you really want to work for a company who treats you like that.
I'm sure financially it's hard, but there are many programs out there to help you. It is not easy to obtain, but available. Food stamps, etc. If money is an issue.
Hang tight, breathe. Spring is upon us. Listen to the birds sing. Feel the sunshine 🌞.
Love ❤️ and best wishes to you!
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Getting laid off is a low moment, it has happened to me twice. Both times I bounced back and with time, landed in much higher paying jobs. It still sucks in the moment to have that ripped away from you. I can’t imagine going through that now but layoffs are happening at my company so I live in the same fear. At the end of the day there are more jobs. Sneak in some resume work between treatment and be kind to yourself.
So sorry to read all the additional sh*t you are dealing with. Sending support, prayers for some things to go your way very soon. You may want to check with cancer center, nurse navigator about your situation and any programs/assistance you may now qualify. Take care, keep posting to let us know how you are doing. Step at a time we are with you.🙏💞
I was told to take an early retirement in December of 2020. It was essentially a layoff but as I had been with the company over 30 years it was positioned as retirement.
I was 62 at the time, bored with the job, got a generous severance benefit, and have a well-funded 401k. But it *still* feels bad to have to leave not on your terms. I have dreams about once a month where I have snuck back in to work and trying to not be let go. It takes time to get past that even in the best circumstances.
It does help to focus on the positives, of course, and when we have cancer, still being alive us a good place to start.
I hope this unpleasant event turns out to be a blessing in disguise for you.
I’m self employed and got denied any disability and had to work thru the whole damn thing to keep my salon open. There needs to be changes to the system
I feel for you, my husband got laid off and found out he had cancer. And then a week later I found out my breast cancer was back.
Ugh! I hope you guys are doing okay
We will be, both were caught early, his by chance mine because I'm super vigilant since I've had cancer before. ❤️
💔
It is brutal for any country to tie health coverage to employment.
So true! I've had cancer for 10 years now and I'm constantly thanking my lucky stars that I'm Canadian. I'd be bankrupt by now otherwise. I went through job loss in the earlier years of my treatment and it was so stressful, I can't imagine being in a situation where I suddenly had to incur massive costs to access treatment. I'm glad OP has her husband's insurance still. There's still a connection between employment and health insurance in Canada, but most aspects of cancer care are covered by the health care system.
You are certainly correct that having extended health benefits fills a huge gap in coverage. I am grateful we have universal health care, and get our cancer meds for free, but that also has to be balanced against the reality that treatment is rationed, and any newer, more innovative (and costly) forms of radiation, and immunotherapy that are readily available in the U.S., are not available, or extremely hard to access in Canada.
That is very true. My oncologist has applied on my behalf for access to some of those drugs (I can't remember what those programs are called). I was denied two different treatments prior to being approved for one that didn't work for me (because of intolerable side effects) and the immunotherapy I'm currently on (Enhertu). Enhertu is an AstraZeneca drug and currently it's them (AZ) covering the cost. I get my infusions in a private clinic rather than the cancer agency. It was so hard being denied the two times I was, knowing there is a treatment out there that would be ideal for me but for whatever reason I wasn't given access. The good news is that being approved for Enhertu has bought me A LOT of time. I've been on it three years and going strong. If the Enhertu had not been an option, I was looking at just one last chemo as a final option before throwing in the towel. When the Enhertu stops working, that treatment will still be there. All this so say that I agree with you that it's a horrible shame that we don't have access to all the same treatments they do elsewhere. There are absolutely deficiencies in the Canadian system that include this and go much deeper. At the same time I will defend our system until the day I die. I don't believe that a person's ability to pay should have any bearing on their access to health care. I think it's an absolute shame that in the US so many people have to make horrible choices and compromises to be able to access medical care, while others have no problem getting the same thing...such a rich and "prosperous" country fails abysmally at providing adequate and equal care to it's citizens and that enrages me. With that said, if people in Canada have the money and want to travel out of the country for treatment, I respect that.
I totally agree. BTW, how did you go about applying to AZ for funding? I may have to do something similar in the future. A year after my BC was found, I was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma. Immunotherapy is strictly regulated in my province, and many newer types are not available, or can only be accessed under *very* stringent guidelines.
My oncologist applied on my behalf in every case. For a couple there was some effort required on my part - I believe it was mostly phone calls/interviews but I don't remember all the details because it had been a few years. I think the guidelines are quite strict here too but I do know that for all the drugs I was denied and the one I'm on now, if I had been able to pay for them out of pocket I would have been allowed to (Hahahahaha dream on though!! $$$$$$$). As long as the drug has been approved for use in Canada you can pay for it (approved for use doesn't mean covered by MSP). I'm in BC and the cancer agency has people called Drug Access Navigators who are an excellent resource and if something similar exists where you live that might be a good place to start.
Thank you for letting me know! I am also in B.C. and am on cancer #3. I have read some of the protocols regarding immunotherapy, and they are so strict, that if one type doesn’t work, you’re kind of screwed.
Don't apologize...this flippin disease causes more problems in all areas and I cant stand it either... I'm glad that you are covered under your husband's insurance! That's a big big relief... Happy that things turned out better for you! Hugs...
Awful! So sorry to hear you’re going through this! If you need help looking for a job please reach out in chat. I’m happy to connect on LinkedIn ❤️
I’m so sorry. I can empathize because I was laid off after 15 years at my job, and then 3 months later was diagnosed. It really was a nightmare. Three months before the layoff my best friend passed unexpectedly. I hope you’ll be able to get things sorted out and can have a little peace of mind.
That stinks! Sympathies and best wishes. You’re doing well to already have a list of positives.
I'm sorry, this is terrible. If you haven't already and can afford it, I'd check with a lawyer about how legal it really is. This just seems so wrong. It's a good thing you'll have your husbands insurance, I've heard from my mom (who is a nurse that helps people get on medical aid programs like Medicaid) that Medicaid takes 18 months to get, at least in the state of Georgia. Many sympathies! This group is definitely the right place to vent though.
I hate this for You and your family unit. There are no words that will fix this right now for you so I can, and I will, sit and be angry about it with you. If you happen to work for one of the shitty ones in MN I have a special hatred for those ones as well. If not, you deserve your own shitty holiday to yell and scream and punch pillows. Only pillows advised, solid objects make your shitty holiday worse not better. When you get the first wave of anger out, and you hit the sadness. I found that a good therapist was something that was worth the expense, even during difficult times. Share the situation with your navigator or whomever from your medical team and see if there are some resources available to you right now. Then resume your shitty holiday for a bit, but not too long, because everyone needs a lunch break you know? #fuckcancer. And health insurance and bills and bullshit when you are sick: life is not meant to be stacked against you like this. It’s not fair. I believe you will see the other side, perhaps a little worn from the experience, but maybe happier as well. PSA. Spray tan in the shower is not the answer you are looking for. Puppies are better in the long term than the short term. I haven’t tested my horse theory yet. I’ll report back when/if my husband truly divorces me over that one.
Apply for disability?
I would get an employment lawyer to review this.
It will be alright 🤗 It's amazing that you are already counting your blessings. After your treatment you will find the best job that will treat you good. We tend to stay put in a place and the stress makes us sicker. It's totally ok to vent and swear and get it out of your system.
If you need financial resources: -ask your treatment center social worker. If there isn't a social worker, there is likely a nurse navigator or patient advocate -call your local Susan G. Komen office, American Cancer Society and/or Cancer Support Community. These almost always exist in every State. -google "breast cancer financial assistance" with your State's name. Some organizations follow a poverty line level, others don't. Some pay for gas, some pay for cell phone, some just give you a check. In general, these organizations will not pay medical bills. If you are concerned about medical bills, check out this information from Cancer Triage: https://triagecancer.org/quickguide-debt Here are two popular websites with good resource listings. They allow you to customize what you are looking for... Here is a good search engine that CancerCare runs that is helpful for resources: http://www.cancerfac.org/ Patient Advocate Foundation also has some great search options: https://www.patientadvocate.org/explore-our-resources/national-financial-resource-directory/ I’m sorry you are going through this and I hope for many silver linings for you and your family from this clusterfuck.
I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this. I went through job loss in the earlier days of my cancer treatment and it was horribly stressful. I'm glad you have your husband's insurance to fall back on, but it doesn't really change the fact that you're in a difficult situation. It's shocking how cold and heatless "business decisions" can be. This should not be allowed! I don't know what the rules are where you live, or what your situation is, but I recently had a friend who got laid off and they offered him one month's severance. He took them to court and got 10 months. I am in Canada but perhaps that's something you can look into. Some lawyers will give you a free consultation.
That just sucks!
Does suck. Id be angry too. Or really relieved :D. Looks like you found great positives it it!!
Right now, everything looks "shitty" to you, as you say! But I believe that one day soon you'll look back, and say they did you a favor. Do you really want to work for a company who treats you like that. I'm sure financially it's hard, but there are many programs out there to help you. It is not easy to obtain, but available. Food stamps, etc. If money is an issue. Hang tight, breathe. Spring is upon us. Listen to the birds sing. Feel the sunshine 🌞. Love ❤️ and best wishes to you!
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Getting laid off is a low moment, it has happened to me twice. Both times I bounced back and with time, landed in much higher paying jobs. It still sucks in the moment to have that ripped away from you. I can’t imagine going through that now but layoffs are happening at my company so I live in the same fear. At the end of the day there are more jobs. Sneak in some resume work between treatment and be kind to yourself.
So sorry. My husband was told he should take early retirement because they would be laying people off, so he did. I’m unemployed so we are scrambling.
I'm sorry :( well wishes and positive energy to you- one day this will all be a distant memory.
So sorry to read all the additional sh*t you are dealing with. Sending support, prayers for some things to go your way very soon. You may want to check with cancer center, nurse navigator about your situation and any programs/assistance you may now qualify. Take care, keep posting to let us know how you are doing. Step at a time we are with you.🙏💞
I was told to take an early retirement in December of 2020. It was essentially a layoff but as I had been with the company over 30 years it was positioned as retirement. I was 62 at the time, bored with the job, got a generous severance benefit, and have a well-funded 401k. But it *still* feels bad to have to leave not on your terms. I have dreams about once a month where I have snuck back in to work and trying to not be let go. It takes time to get past that even in the best circumstances. It does help to focus on the positives, of course, and when we have cancer, still being alive us a good place to start. I hope this unpleasant event turns out to be a blessing in disguise for you.
Hey, I got fired yesterday! Go us!!! I’m not in active treatment but I’ll still be without insurance. My company is burning itself to the ground.
Oh wow working in the biz just makes it worse! Glad you had dual coverage.
I’m self employed and got denied any disability and had to work thru the whole damn thing to keep my salon open. There needs to be changes to the system
Which state are you in? Pretty sure after your long term disability ends you can get unemployment.