FINANCIAL PLANNING / ADVICE NEEDED

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
User avatar
nuclearnicole
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 3:51 pm
Facebook Username: nuclearnicole
Contact:

FINANCIAL PLANNING / ADVICE NEEDED

Postby nuclearnicole » Tue Nov 21, 2017 4:11 pm

NEW HERE!
Question:
Does anyone have any info on financial planning for cancer patients?
I'm only 28, but I'm Stage IV and inoperable. I just bought a house last year, I'm planning a wedding next year, so my medical bills are piling up while I continue to work full time to pay my regular bills. I was looking into selling my life insurance policy but I don't know exactly what that entails and I don't want to leave my family with massive debt when I'm gone.
I have looked into grant programs, etc but most have already used up all their funds for Colorectal Cancer.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Nicole Rivera
Stage IV with Mets to Liver, Lymph Nodes and Bones including Pelvis, Ribs and Spine.
Age 27 at diagnosis, April 2017.
Primary tumor caused bowel blockage in Ascending Colon, misdiagnosed as "gallbladder attacks".
FOLFOX + AVASTIN + CELEBREX
Developed Trigeminal Neuralgia due to osteoblastic tumor on spine, causing chronic pain.

Aqx99
Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 7:28 am
Facebook Username: aqx99
Location: Pfafftown, NC

Re: FINANCIAL PLANNING / ADVICE NEEDED

Postby Aqx99 » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:37 pm

I'm sorry about your diagnosis. Try your local cancer charity and see if they have somebody who can help you with this.
Anne, 40
Stage IIIB Rectal Cancer
T3N1bM0
2/21/17 Dx, Age 39
2/21/17 CEA 0.9
3/23/17 - 5/2/17 Chemoradiation, 28 treatments
6/14/17 Robotic LAR w/temp loop ileostomy, ovaries & fallopian tubes removed, 2/21 lymph nodes positive
7/24/17 - 12/18/17 CapeOx, 6 Cycles
7/24/17 Dx w/ovarian cancer
9/6/17 CA 125 11.1
11/27/17 CEA 2.6
12/5/17 CT NED
12/13/17 CEA 2.9
1/11/18 CA 125 8.6
1/23/18 Reversal
3/21/18 CT enlarged thymus
4/6/18 PET NED
7/10/18 CT NED
7/11/18 CEA 2.6
9/18 Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy

User avatar
susie0915
Posts: 945
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am
Facebook Username: Susan DeGrazia Hostetter
Location: Michigan

Re: FINANCIAL PLANNING / ADVICE NEEDED

Postby susie0915 » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:48 pm

I am so sorry. You are so young, but are so mature in your response to your diagnosis. Is there a social worker at your cancer center that may be able to help you with these concerns? I hate that you are worried about this when you could be focused on you and treatments that may be available. Have you gotten any other opinions about treatment options that may help you? Again,I am so sorry you have to deal with this at such a young age.
58 yrs old Dx @ 55
5/15 DX T3N0MO
6/15 5 wks chemo/rad
7/15 sigmoidoscopy/only scar tissue left
8/15 PET scan NED
9/15 LAR
0/24 nodes
10/15 blockage. surgery,early ileo rev, c-diff inf :(
12/15 6 rds of xelox
5/16 CT lung scarring/inflammation
9/16 clear colonoscopy
4/17 C 4mm lung nod
10/17 pel/abd CT NED
11/17 CEA<.5
1/18 CT/Lung no change in 4mm nodule
5/18 CEA<.5, CT pel/abd/lung NED
11/18 CEA .6
5/19 CT NED, CEA <.5
10/19 Clear colonscopy
11/19 CEA <.5

WarriorSpouse
Posts: 220
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2016 9:02 pm

Re: FINANCIAL PLANNING / ADVICE NEEDED

Postby WarriorSpouse » Wed Nov 22, 2017 12:06 am

I am sorry to read this. You are young, but as previously stated you are mature in your approach and acceptance.

I would not sell your life insurance policy. If you do, it is at a discount and you are missing out on why you have it, to cover liabilities if you pass. Definitely make sure your beneficiary is correct and that person knows your wishes to pay off the house or other bills.

I think you need to get a will and discuss this process with an attorney in your County / State. An estate attorney can give you advice about how you can separate medical bills from your new spouse and how you can preserve wealth in your house, maybe by placing it in a trust.

If you stop working FT, you could look into Social Security Disability, but you will have income limits in order to collect. Not certain if you are American or not, but use the Google tool bar to see if this can help with your situation.

Don't forget, if your mortgage is based on your soon to be wife's income too, make sure she has life insurance too.

Good Luck!
WS
D/H 47 years old, 10/2014, Stage IV M/CRC, nodes 12/15, para-aortic, 5 cm sigmoid resection, positive Virchow. KRAS mut, MSS, Highly Differentiated, Lynch Neg, 5FU/LV and Avastin 1 YR (Oxi for 5 months), Zeloda/Bev since 01/2016. 02/2019 recurrence para-nodes, back to 5FU/LV Oxy/Bev. It is working again. "...Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other."-Walter Elliot

User avatar
nuclearnicole
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 3:51 pm
Facebook Username: nuclearnicole
Contact:

Re: FINANCIAL PLANNING / ADVICE NEEDED

Postby nuclearnicole » Wed Nov 22, 2017 12:43 pm

Thank you, I'll look into those options!
I know the life insurance thing looked like a bad idea for me since my family will definitely need the funds if anything happens.
It's just crazy how fast the medical bills pile up!
My mortgage is actually only based on my income, I own the house myself. My future husband just moved in with me in May of this year and has been my primary source of caregiving and support with doctors visits and chemo, etc,so he hasn't found employment yet.

WarriorSpouse wrote:I am sorry to read this. You are young, but as previously stated you are mature in your approach and acceptance.

I would not sell your life insurance policy. If you do, it is at a discount and you are missing out on why you have it, to cover liabilities if you pass. Definitely make sure your beneficiary is correct and that person knows your wishes to pay off the house or other bills.

I think you need to get a will and discuss this process with an attorney in your County / State. An estate attorney can give you advice about how you can separate medical bills from your new spouse and how you can preserve wealth in your house, maybe by placing it in a trust.

If you stop working FT, you could look into Social Security Disability, but you will have income limits in order to collect. Not certain if you are American or not, but use the Google tool bar to see if this can help with your situation.

Don't forget, if your mortgage is based on your soon to be wife's income too, make sure she has life insurance too.

Good Luck!
WS
Nicole Rivera
Stage IV with Mets to Liver, Lymph Nodes and Bones including Pelvis, Ribs and Spine.
Age 27 at diagnosis, April 2017.
Primary tumor caused bowel blockage in Ascending Colon, misdiagnosed as "gallbladder attacks".
FOLFOX + AVASTIN + CELEBREX
Developed Trigeminal Neuralgia due to osteoblastic tumor on spine, causing chronic pain.

User avatar
nuclearnicole
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 3:51 pm
Facebook Username: nuclearnicole
Contact:

Re: FINANCIAL PLANNING / ADVICE NEEDED

Postby nuclearnicole » Wed Nov 22, 2017 12:54 pm

susie0915 wrote:I am so sorry. You are so young, but are so mature in your response to your diagnosis. Is there a social worker at your cancer center that may be able to help you with these concerns? I hate that you are worried about this when you could be focused on you and treatments that may be available. Have you gotten any other opinions about treatment options that may help you? Again,I am so sorry you have to deal with this at such a young age.


It's been quite a rollercoaster of emotions so far!
My mom actually had breast cancer in 2010 and my future MIL is currently battling Ovarian Cancer and I work in clinical research, so I was familiar with the process I'd end up going through once I was diagnosed but of course it still came as a total shock! My genetic testing was negative, but my grandfather and a few other relatives on his side of the family died from Colon Cancer so I know there's gotta be some genetic link, it just hasn't been discovered yet. So far my cancer has been responded very well to FOLFOX + Avastin, but I went for a second opinion at John's Hopkins and they basically told me that it would be extremely unsafe to operate on any of my metastases except the lymph nodes and that no surgeon would touch it unless it progresses to paralyze me or something along those lines. Any surgery would be just palliative care to improve quality of life, nothing curative basically. So I know I'll have to be monitored closely and/or treated for the rest of my life, but I was denied hospital sponsorship despite trying to explain that concept to them. If I have $8k in out of pocket expenses every 6 months until I die, the bills will obviously NEVER be paid off! Apparently that concept didn't make sense to them!
I do have a social worker at my cancer center, I may try to contact her for advice as well! Thank You for that suggestion! With chemo brain sometimes the obvious solutions totally slip my mind! :oops: :oops:
Nicole Rivera
Stage IV with Mets to Liver, Lymph Nodes and Bones including Pelvis, Ribs and Spine.
Age 27 at diagnosis, April 2017.
Primary tumor caused bowel blockage in Ascending Colon, misdiagnosed as "gallbladder attacks".
FOLFOX + AVASTIN + CELEBREX
Developed Trigeminal Neuralgia due to osteoblastic tumor on spine, causing chronic pain.

orlar
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:51 am
Location: oregon

Re: FINANCIAL PLANNING / ADVICE NEEDED

Postby orlar » Wed Nov 22, 2017 1:10 pm

I'm sorry you have to deal with all this. As mentioned earlier, I would check with the social worker at the treatment center (if they have one). You can also check with the hospitals Financial Department as most have financial assistance programs (at least in the U.S.). If you are U.S. based, a lot of states also have programs you may qualify for (depending on income level, current insurance etc.). I wish you the best. Stay strong!
56yo male DX 5/17, Right Hemi colectomy 6/17
Stage 3c 12 of 21 LN
7/17-12/17 Folfox(no Oxi round 9-12)
12/17 liver/lung mets-Stage 4 MSS KRAS G13D
2/18 liver doubled to 8.5cm+new met, lung mets to 1.4cm, multi peri/omen
2/18-7/18 Folfiri+Avastin(no 5FU after C2)
4/18 mets shrinking
7/18 liver/lung mets growing, Folfiri stopped
10/18 In Clinical Trial
CEA 5/17-16.2, 12/17-16.1, 02/18-43.0, 3/18-16.9, 4/18-9.0, 5/18-5.5, 6/18-6.9, 7/18-7.8, 9/18-56


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 24 guests

cron