I am 4 years post diagnosis with one recurrence. I am really struggling with energy levels back at work despite lots of support and reduced hours. I finished chemo nearly four months ago but am still on avastin. My consultant has offered to support me to finish - I am a community occupational therapist. How has anyone got on with ill heath retirement. Did you get tier 1 or 2?
I also want to express my pride in my fellow women who have this flaming awful disease. Through websites and a Target Ovarian Cancer support group I have come across the most stoic, kind and gutsy women. Never melodramatic even when scared. That takes some doing!
Your advice on NHS retirement would be helpful.
Thanks Sandra
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LittleSan
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Hi Sandra, I got Tier 1 ill health retirement at Stage 4, I was lucky because my local authority are making huge cuts in my department (libraries) and advised to me to apply. It is taking a while, had first appointment with OH back in March and then they wrote to my oncologist and then another appointment with Occupational Health. The doctor told me there and then he was giving me Tier 1 retirement, that was June and was eventually retired in July.
Still no sign of my pension yet but it is in the "pipeline". Good luck Sandra with the process and your health x
Good luck with your plans for retirement. I too work in the NHS and am also on Avastin after first recurrence in January. I would dearly love to take my pension ( not on health grounds at the moment) and reduce my hours as I am finding 12 hour shifts just too much. I have discussed this with my manager but it appears that the Trust are not going to make this easy for me. (I have posted previous rants about this if you are interested). Keep us posted as to how you get on. Ali x
HI Sandra was just going to have a look through and not post. But your post caught my attention. I have OC for about nine years now on and off treatment. I am currently on Avastin. It is tiring and you get achy. I did reduce my hours to a twelve hour week ie three shifts of four hours but at the end of the shift, my concentration would just shut down. Now in one way it was good to get back to work as I was on the way to retirement anyhow. I retired in May and I feel so much better in myself these last few weeks. Over here we get partial capacity benefit if we cut hours due to illness. As I was 65 I was ineligible for retirement pension from social welfare and also because I cut back the hours wasnt allowed to apply for job seekers as I am deemed unfit to work. Talking about putting you in little categories. My illness benefit has expired so the social welfare sent me more forms for disability pension until I reach 66 pension. I dont know how that is going to fare. My gp has completed the necessary medical forms for me. You have to think of your health and well being too, I didnt I carried on and went back to work. Maybe its good physcologically for one to do this but it does make your tired. Once you go back you are expected to be back to normal after an hour. Having said that my employers were very kind to me while I was working and out ill.
I got tier 2 ill health retirement form the NHS. Its took approx. 7months to go through the process. Biggest problem for me was the mess they made at the point the pension was to be paid. I might add the fault was with my trust and not the pension agency.
I got tier 2 ill health retirement from the NHS, which took about 18 months. It was a long and stressful saga because of many beaureacratic hurdles, slow administrators, elusive consultants and my unhelpful manager at work. I think I got tier 2 because I was dealing with the after-effects of bowel surgery which took place during my debulking for OC. I have no guilt feelings about not working, I might not be around to enjoy my retirement at the usual time, so I want to enjoy it now! Good luck with your claim, I think its important to do whatever feels right for you, to look after your own health. Gxxx
I retired last year from NHS. Saw OH Consultant and discussed it with her. She wrote to the Oncologist and completed the appropriate forms. She thought I'd get tier 2 but said the Pensions Office had the final decision on what tier. Had stage 3c with metasteses and was on second round of chemo. The whole process took from February until August when I received my pension.
I was a nurse for 25yrs with NHS. I had my first heart attack aged 39 but was refused Ill Health retirement pension because it was thought t was a one off. Five years later I had my second heart attack, still I was refused as again they said you may not have another between 45yrs old and my normal retirement age of 55yrs.
It was only when a cardiology professor diagnosed a chronic form of angina called Micro Vascular Angina was it granted and I finally received my tier 2 pension.It took between april 2013 and October 2014 to finally get the pension. But I had been trying since my first heart attack in 2007, so it felt like a life time!
The most important point is how your consultant /GP or who ever is providing the medical evidence in support actually words their letter. It is no use them saying "I support your application" They must use phrases such as " in their opinion " you are permanently incapable of continuing with your NHS duties" and "you are unable to carry out any other regular work of a like nature due to permanent ill health". Its the word permanent that allows the pension people to tick that box.
I contacted the Pensions Advisory Service.org.uk they will tell you exactly what is needed. Don't mention stress in your application as all the NHS will say is : you have how ever many years left before normal retirement age to recover from stress/depression. My angina and heart attacks are triggered by stress, but it still didn't help my application, and apparently two heart attacks is not enough to be allowed to retire in peace.
I wish you the very best of luck in your application, it will be a tough journey but so worth it as with in nine months of retiring I now am waiting for a ovarian cancer diagnosis. I could not cope with all that may be ahead of me whilst still trying to care for other people. Ask for a pension prediction from your NHS pension dept, it will let you know if you can afford to retire.
Hi. I hope you get the level you want. I was lucky enough to be already retired by the time I got ill. i just wanted to say though, that I was on avastin for 18 months and thought I was okay on it but stopped 3 months ago as the disease was progressing anyway and I've had loads more energy since I stopped. Shame that I am going on chemo as soon as it's out of my system, but it is so much easier not having to even think about working. I did do a bit of research after I was diagnosed, that I could do at my own pace, and I do a couple of half days in a charity shop, which I love becasue the people there are interesting and generally wonderful people - I missed the contact with people more than the money becasue I spend a lot less since I got ill.
Thanks Lesley - am sure I will have to do something as long as I can control the pace. Like it seems mostrich of us are with this disease I am a 'doer ' :). X
Hi, I was a medical sec with NHS and following recurrence just 8 months after completion of first line chemo I applied for I'll health retirement. I was successful and got tier 2 the higher award. My oncologist provided letter for me (hard reading), the occupational health doctor also backed me, I had forms yo complete and was advised to think of my worst day when completing them. I has also referredyself for counselling and a Pilate's class run at our lo all MacMillan centre and Art Therapy. I think you stand a very good chance of Tier 2 (higher rate), especially as you have tried to return to work. Good luck. Ann xo
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