The majority of people won’t understand what I’m asking here. Until I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it would have been a question I’d have thought I would never need to consider. Carers Week is an important reminder that caring can become part of our lives unexpectedly. How wrong could I have been? When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had a 5 month old baby. Having chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery left me unable to look after myself, let alone a 5 month old baby, for a period of 18 months.
My husband became my carer, not something you ever envisage happening in your 30’s!
When my husband was caring for me, we didn’t acknowledge he was my carer. He was just doing the things I couldn’t manage.
Looking back, if we had realised, we would of been able to get much more support instead of muddling thorough on our own.
This is why campaigns such as Carers Week are so important. Carers Week is a weeklong awareness campaign, aimed at improving the lives of carers and the people they care for.
There are 6.4 million carers in the UK. Every day at least 6000 people start caring.
Many of these people will be like my husband and not even consider themselves as carers. They are just doing what anyone would do in their position, looking after their loved ones.
Carers Week this year is 10th to 16th June. It will focus on how effectively the Government is supporting the growing numbers of carers and the impact of caring on daily life.
Furthermore, with an aging population and more people getting serious illnesses such as cancer and higher incidences of disability, the number of carers is only set to grow.
The Week will also help those already caring to make sure they are finding all the practical and emotional support they need. You can get involved in Carers Week by completing their on-line survey telling them about your experiences of caring.
Carers Week is also the week we are holding the Insurancewith “Who Cares Award” presentation lunch.
Because of my experience of being cared for, I have seen firsthand how people put their lives on hold to care for loved ones.
I wanted, through Insurancewith, to recognise what carers do. To that end, I have created the Award to find the UK’s most extraordinary carer.
If you know someone who deserves this award, please nominate them. They can be your carer or just someone you know who cares, young or old. They can care professionally or for a loved one.
You can nominate on-line at the Insurancewith web site. Alternatively, print the form off and send it to the address shown.
Raising awareness about caring is vital, particularly for accidental carers such as my husband.
If we had acknowledged he was a carer, we would have been able to access some much needed support.
As many of our cancer travel insurance customers will know, this month, March is both Prostate and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. And both these cancers do require the much needed awareness these months can bring.
Next week sees the start of this year’s cervical cancer prevention week and as the name suggests, cervical cancer can be prevented, which is why promoting this week is so important. According to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, in 2010, 20% of women did not take up their invitation for cervical screening, and more shockingly, only 50% of girls offered the HPV vaccine (human papilloma virus can cause cervical cancer in some people) in the catch up programme, elected to have the injection, which could potentially save their lives. Read more
Of course, we all know that it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, don’t we? So what does this mean? Do we all give ourselves an extra special check this month? Do we only worry about breasts now? Are breasts a conversation piece over dinner during this month? Or is it a wonderful excuse to dip further into your pocket for another fantastic cause?
I must admit to being a Corrie fan, and this week there has been a timely introduction of breast cancer into the plot, with great signposting to the necessary support. Getting the message out there to a mass market. This is certainly awareness raising.
When asked to write this piece, I had recently attended a function in recognition of Lymphoma Awareness week. Apparently it is also Teenage Cancer Awareness Week now. I then decided to check how many awareness weeks etc there were in a year, and the answer is 100s! Many for things I have never even heard of.
So my question is, what is the purpose of them, and are they effective? Certainly the charities get behind them, and I’m sure they receive a much needed injection of cash. I’m also sure that people are prompted to think about those particular issues more than they would normally. But since there are now so many, I wonder if people take as much notice as they did.
When a celebrity is affected, the awareness of that particular issue is heightened. One high profile example of that is the ‘Jade Goody effect’. Once the issues surrounding cervical cancer were in the public domain, so many more people went for screening. However it seems that these situations are all temporary, as that is quickly forgotten, and another issue comes to the fore. Like an ever turning roundabout!
After a great deal of thought about the above question, I have concluded, that we are better off with awareness weeks than not. Even though their effects may have been watered down over the years. I feel also, that they can provide a time for reflection, which is very important, and understated. Naturally they are a massive fundraising opportunity too. I personally believe that all publicity is good publicity, and the fact that we can now talk much more openly about cancer, has been helped by awareness raising such as this.
Thank you to Chris for today’s blog. Chris blogs regularly on cancer and the issues of living with cancer in his blog, Chris’s Cancer Community.
I have 2 children aged 17 and 9 years old who both have Cystic Fibrosis – a genetically inherited life-threatening condition.
Since Cystic Fibrosis entered my life over 12 years ago, I have frequented the Cystic Fibrosis Trust Forum for support, advice and help. I have seen umpteen Threads on the Forum about travel insurance. These are from adults living with the condition and parents of children with Cystic Fibrosis. Some of the quotes they have received are, quite frankly, downright disgusting! Astronomical amounts which, in some cases, work out more expensive than the holiday itself!
This obviously puts those living with CF off travelling abroad. To me, this is discrimination for living with such a complex medical condition. Cystic Fibrosis is not the same in any two people, even siblings. I should know only too well as a parent of 2 boys with CF.
Granted, some of those living with CF have far more needs than others. Some need oxygen to travel. Others have had transplants, or are waiting for a transplant. They may also have liver problems, kidney problems, diabetes or joint problems. Others travel with a great deal of medical equipment and medication.
Some spend a lot of time in Hospital every year for IV antibiotics. Others do home IV’s, leading to less time in Hospital. But this, for a person with Cystic Fibrosis, is generally routine. This is mostly every 3 months to keep infections under control.
Travel insurance companies have various questions they ask when quoting for a pre-existing medical condition. As soon as you mention that you or your child with CF has been in Hospital for treatment in the last 12 months, they will either not insure you or the cost rockets.
It seems to me that most travel insurance companies are living in the past. The past where treatments were not as good as they are today. People with Cystic Fibrosis were not monitored so closely. Things like antibiotics – oral and Intravenous – were not so widely available. In those days, nebulisers were plugged in with a hose hanging out the window. They made a noise so loud you had to turn the TV up full volume to hear it! Travel Insurance Companies should do some RESEARCH on Cystic Fibrosis and current treatments.
In July of this year, I found myself in need of Travel Insurance to cover myself and my eldest son for a trip to New York in August. I’d left it to the last minute, as ringing around various places for quotes did not appeal to me. Endless questions to ask – some of them downright stupid! Answering questions I hope I never have to say yes to. Then getting a figure at the end which is way over the budget set aside for insurance.
I tried two Companies initially. One which I had used for a trip to Cyprus the previous year, which was quite reasonable. That was for both my boys. This time, not so reasonable! They set off at just over £305, which I was shocked by! When I’d used them the previous year for a trip to Las Vegas with Dan, they had cost me £85. I found it hard to understand why their quote was so much more in less than a year. No different treatments. No Hospital stays since September 2010. Nothing had changed!
The next Company quoted me £274. They were haggling to reduce it every time I said that was too much. So they were obviously not set prices quoted.
Just about to give in when I remembered the friendly banter from an insurance company I follow on Twitter. I know they insure pre-existing medical conditions – INSURANCEWITH. Having problems getting through to their Agents on the telephone and being held in a queue resulted in me Tweeting them directly for help. In response, they took my phone number and an Agent rang me back that afternoon. They do ask a few more questions for the Insurance Quote, which I was happy to answer. I was even happier with the £81.50 quote, which I took out straight away. This price covered Dan for Cystic Fibrosis and me, with no pre-existing medical conditions. No hassle, no awkward questions – just yes, no answers.
Result = Two very happy travellers!
It is essential Travel Insurance is taken out for a trip to USA, even more than to Europe, due to the cost of medication and hospitalisation. Thankfully, we had no need to make use of the insurance whilst in New York. A good time was had by all.
To anyone seeking travel insurance cover for Cystic Fibrosis, I would recommend Insurancewith every time – friendly, professional, considerate and affordable!
Thanks to Lorraine Barnes for today’s blog.
