On a our annual 4 weekly blood tests for to see if my wife is ok to continue the drug I had said that her cough had got worst and was their any thing they could do to ease it she just said its probably to do with what's going on down there which she has stage4 small cell lung cancer and that the average time to be on that drug was 9 treatments and my wife is on her 15th still very positive as the condition is terminal we have on our life insurance they won't pay out because she might live beyond a year it seems terrible to talk that way but if wife doesn't have long left it would be nice to treat her to some breaks and anybody has any advice it would be greatly appreciated
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Miceal58
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I am glad that Gefitinib is still working for your wife. My husband has been on it from July 2016 but in July 2018 was told there is very slight progression, so is still on it, and it seems to be holding, just. The tumours are not big enough to take a biopsy to see if he has T790 Mutation which would allow him to go onto to Osimertinib. But on the subject of life insurance, my husband was told he would live around a year back in April 2016 and was told to "put his affairs in order" and that they would sign any insurance form for us. So my husband did cash in his life insurance so that we had the money - tax free. Then in the July it was discovered that he could take a TKI. We have always found that MacMillan are marvellous at explaining and helping with situations such as yours. Surely its no "skin off the hospital's nose" to just sign a form to allow you and your wife to take some breaks using the insurance money. I wish you both well. Sue.
Thank you so much for your reply my wife back in December 2016 it was terminal and without the drug she had about 6 months and with it they didn't know some of the things that you mentioned like T790 mutation and TKI I don't understand as to Macmillan do they help with the likes of the life insurance we have been on some holidays abroad which my wife loves and if we could get it I would be booking my wife is very positive person because she has difficult with her legs due to coordination but again so much for your reply
Hi Neil-SueD I just wanted to thank you for letting me know about Macmillan helping with the life insurance paying out they were great and only for you we wouldn’t of got my wife is still fighting and is nearly finished 18 cycle has a scan next week but the money means we can a lot more with it again thank And I hope your husband is still fighting
Miceal58, have the hospital given you a DS1500? Surely if they had the insurance would be sorted out. My wife has SCLC advanced to the heart and nodes in her lung. She was given one of these and Macmillan gave us a Grant of £450 for outings etc. We also got attendance allowance and Carers Allowance backdated to the sum of just under £4k. These are not means tested benefits so everyone who is seriously ill get them. My wife is being treated with Etopiside and Carboplatin and its hell! The insurance companies are just CROOKS who like to move the Goal Posts to suit themselves.
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