Brain tumor diagnosis, what am I missing?

User1862

Hello,

First post on the MSE forum so hopefully this is in the corrects section. Apologies if not!

So on Wednesday last week I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, completely unexpected. I went in because of 3 very minor 10 second seizures, only to be told about it. So the past few days have been a bit of a blur! At the moment I don't have a complete diagnosis as to what type it is or what the action is moving forwards. I'm still waiting to hear back from the panel of experts after they have looked at the CT and MRI scans. I just have a couple of questions about things moving forwards. I'm trying to be as practical as possible, just really to keep my mind off the depressing places it has been going.

So in terms of my financial planning, this is the situation I'm in:

• Civil servant for 4 years, in the alpha pension scheme with death in service cover
• I have income protection that will cover the mortgage and bills after 120 days
• I have live insurance with a lump sum should my wife or I die. (Legal and General)
  
• I have Decreasing Life Insurance mortgage protection with terminal illness included but NOT critical illness (Legal and General)
• I have a will all setup and arranged should the worst happen.
  

A couple of questions I have:

• Is it now worth (or even possible) to add critical illness cover to my life insurance policy?
• I'd be happy to look into private health insurance, but is this also now not available due to this being a pre-existing condition?
• Are there any other recommendations on what else I should be looking into? Is there anything obvious I am missing?

Any advice would be appreciated. You never think it will happen to you, and when it does it hits you like a tonne of bricks.

Thanks!

hob_nob_bob

Oh @User1862, I'm not able to help answer your questions but couldn't read and run. Sending strength and healing thoughts to you.

Alter_ego

Sorry to read your problems.
Insurance companies never cover things you already have I'm afraid.

puddle96

I am sorry to hear your news , you must feel as though your feet have been pulled from beneath you. I think you already have done everything possible on the financial side . The only other advice I can give is to direct you ( once you know exactly what you are dealing with ) to an excellent charity called Brain Tumour Support . Their name says it all .
Wising you all the best 

wannabe_a_saver

I'm sorry to hear of your diagnosis.  You must be feeling like you've been hit by a ten ton truck. 

I don't think its possible to get insurance cover for a problem that you are already aware of I'm afraid.  You could get cover but it would likely exclude any payouts relating to the tumour. 

Definitely look into support from the brain tumour charity: https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/

I know its impossible not to think about the scarier possibilities right now, but a lot of types of brain tumour are really treatable and have little or no impact on life expectancy.  Neurosurgeons are amazing people who can do miraculous things these days.  I'm crossing my fingers that you get more info soon and that the signs are good. 

RetSol

Hello @User1862.  So sorry to read about your diagnosis.  I am sure that you are reeling but, as others have already said, don't get too ahead of yourself.

The only additional item which occurs to me to add to your list of things to look into is an understanding of ill-health retirement under the Alpha scheme.  Also, related issues such as additional pension contributions which you may be able to make.

Do you have an emergency savings pot to cover the 120 days before the income protection kicks in? 

Wishing you all the best. 

Savvy_Sue

wannabe_a_saver said:

I know its impossible not to think about the scarier possibilities right now, but a lot of types of brain tumour are really treatable and have little or no impact on life expectancy.  Neurosurgeons are amazing people who can do miraculous things these days.  I'm crossing my fingers that you get more info soon and that the signs are good. 

And as someone who had a benign posterior fossa meningioma removed about 20 years ago, I'd just confirm that. Although we didn't know for certain it was benign, and had probably stopped growing, before it came out. 

One thing I'd recommend is getting a pen and notebook - or one each for you and your wife! Jot down questions as you think of them, you may also want to use them to pour out a stream of consciousness not fit to be shared with the other.

Also think about who you want to tell, and how. I was quite happy for everyone at work to know, we were a very small and supportive team at the time. But there were some people I really didn't want to know because I really couldn't cope with 'oh no how awful!' reactions: the only way I could deal with it was by telling myself that for the neurosurgeon it was a walk in the park. And if you want people at work to know, you will probably have to do the telling, or give permission for the telling, explicitly. 

The other way I coped - and I realise this won't work for everyone! - was preparing for my hospital stay by making sure I had things I really liked around me. New sponge bag (of JUST the right style!), pink flannels, pink slippers, pretty pyjamas etc. Took me quite a while to assemble the full works.  However in true moneysaving fashion everything lasted me a long time, some of it still in use today! Of course you may not need surgery, but this may prove a helpful distraction for your wife if you do ... 

Keep_pedalling

You are not going to be able to get any additional insurance cover, but you are far better covered than many others in your situation.

One thing I would recommend is that you get lasting powers of attorney in place as a matter of urgency. They take a good few weeks to get registered, but will be vital if your illness incapacitates you either temporary or permanently.  

MovingForwards

Look into PIP, it doesn't matter if you're working or not, it's claimable in both situations. Depending on diagnosis it can be fast tracked.

Double check your partner has money in their bank account and consider changing bank accounts to joint ones. 

Make sure utility bills / insurances are in joint names.

Is the house in joint names? If so is it joint tenants or tenants in common?

Check any credit cards, loans, HP etc.

Write a list of all banks, building societies, S&S and other savings plus your customer number. Also write down details of anyone you owe money to.

Check all pensions have the correct beneficiaries named.

Solicitors can quickly prepare wills in urgent cases, so make sure you tell them, even if you're still waiting the outcome it's worth getting it done ASAP. Usually it's cheaper to do mirror wills than one at a time, so do both.

POAs can be done yourself, it's cheaper than paying a solicitor to do and is user friendly to complete. Solicitors do tend to do a will / POA package though; you can also ask them to do the short one at the same time (can't think what it's called but it's only one page and good to have while waiting for the other to be registered)

Depending on the size of your estate and whether it's over IHT, taking into account how much can be passed to your wife, joint accounts can help with tax planning.

No mention of children (not adult kids)?

Hopefully it's just planning and things are better when you know more.

User1862

Thanks for the replies and thoughts everyone. I will certainly speak to the charities mentioned. I'm still waiting on more information back about exactly what type of tumor it is etc, but what with COVID at the moment I think that's to be expected.

There a few areas listed here that I hadn't considered so I will get right on it, especially about accounts in joint names etc. I hadn't even thought of that. As I'm the one who looks after the finances, I need to start including my wife in this. Mortgage / house is also in my name (mortgage reasons due to my wife working freelance), so I will look into that too.

I'll check my Will and see what it says about lasting powers of attorney, I remember it being mentioned when we first spoke to the specialist who arranged our Wills, but I can't remember what exactly was said.

No adult children, they are still both quite young.

Thanks again.

RAS

User1862 said:

I'll check my Will and see what it says about lasting powers of attorney, I remember it being mentioned when we first spoke to the specialist who arranged our Wills, but I can't remember what exactly was said.

No adult children, they are still both quite young.

Lasting Powers of Attorney have nothing to do with wills although solicitors often sell them as a package. You need both the health and financial ones and your thoughts on what you may want could have altered anyway. Download the forms from the internet and complete them yourselves.

I'm possibly more sanguine about the future as my old housemate was diagnosed with a brain tumour in her thirties and is still here decades later. A little less impulsive but that may be age.

However, with young children in the family, I think I'd ask a good friend or family member to take a few photos of you all. And over the next week or two ask our wife to film you with the children. Don't aim for anything exceptional, just you doing something ordinary with the kids. And try to spend a bit more time with them.