hi, all new to this.
had results from turbt, scans etc last Monday and I have aggressive bladder cancer and am now waiting for chemo and bladder removal ,have been off work since 11 th april and I have been told I will be unlikely to return to work this year. I just cannot see how I am going to be able to pay mortgage, bills, feed family, get to hospital and pay for parking for treatment, etc all on statuary sick pay. it is a huge worry and is getting myself and wife in a real state fretting about it. have phoning macmillan several times but not getting answer. can anyone advise me on way ahead. any information is desperately needed.
Hi nomis and welcome to the Online Community, although I am so sorry to see the circumstance that brought you here and so sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with Bladder Cancer.
This is a hard time for you and all of the family but clear information can help everyone navigate the various challenges and control the whirlwind between the ears that a cancer diagnosis brings. So talking with people who are on the same journey will help a lot.
First the Financial issues are so real and you need Professional Advice to navigate this area. I am surprised that you have not been able to get clear information through the various Macmillan Support Line Services on 0808 808 00 00 as these folks do to tend to be very helpful even if all you want to do is talk with friendly person that can help in lots of ways. It may be worth checking the link again.
We also have our Financial Guide Expert Forum where you can ask some questions but allow a few days to get a reply.
You could try your local CAB Centre and if you have a Maggie's Centre in your area these folks are great. Also check to see if there is a Macmillan information centre attached to your hospital.
My cancer journey was rather different but if you follow this link to our Bladder Cancer Forum you will be able to connect with people who understand the treatment journey you are on. You can ask the folks questions about treatments and what to expect.
Follow the links and join the groups. Hit the 'Start a Discussion' tab and introduce yourself to the group - you could just copy an paste what you put in this first post. Remember to go to the right on the group home page and select how you want to receive email notifications when someone answers your posts.
We also have our ‘Ask an Expert’ section but please allow a few days to get an reply.
If you haven't yet completed your profile when you have a minute could you pop something about your journey so far into it. This really helps others when answering. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Edit Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine profile by clicking on my username.
All the best.
