Hi corrie,
Sorry you are here. I am glad you have made the distinction between incurable and terminal: terminal is used to refer to a cancer which will most likely kill you within six months, some would go as far as kill you within a year. Incurable is not quite so bad, it means the cancer is unlikely to be stopped by any known treatment, unless you die from something else it will kill you, but not within six months, and for some people five, ten, fifteen years are possible.
The diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer and treatment with enzalutamide, are all consistent with this being an incurable cancer.
Your husband will be offered treatment which will work for months or years, the cancer will get used to it and then another treatment will be offered, the treatments become more aggressive and eventually none will work. It is very hard to know when this will be. We have had people on here for ten years or so after an incurable diagnosis.
I would definitely go on holiday, I would look at the insurance premiums, comparing including and excluding cancer. Prostate cancer does not suddenly change, at least not at this stage, so I don't think you will get caught out. If you do exclude prostate cancer, your insurers won't pay out for any medical emergency they could possibly link to the prostate so bladder, kidneys will all be excluded, they may even exclude broken bones by claiming the cancer may have spread to them. I think I would avoid the USA as treatment there is expensive, probably best stick to Europe.
|
User
Hi Dave, a few days and more questions if I may. We would really like to go to the States. We have airline tickets booked for USA in Sept. We could potentially change to another destination using the value of the tickets (they are Virgin Upper Class - we thought we would treat ourselves and now this diagnosis).
The insurance premium is not necessarily an issue but is it really worth paying say £1500 (I did do a quick google) for something that the insurers might try and wriggle out of.
Realistically we are going to see how husband deals with the treatment as the tickets can be used up until Dec 2022.
I am sorry I am trying to distract myself from all of this by doing what some might see as very mundane things.
Any companies you can suggest or what about a broker?
I am planning to use this forum if I may for some support. This is all horribly new and confusing to me.
User
Hi Corrie
sorry you are joining the prostate cancer club... as a daughter I can confirm it affects the whole family.
I can’t offer any medical advice as such but my dad has had advanced prostate cancer the past 2.5 years, ok under hormone injections for 18 months, but sadly abiratone did not work so no treatment now.
Sorry I cannot advise on medical insurance but I would just say, grab every chance , enjoy life, if you want to go on holiday and your husband feels well... do it now (or when we can due to Covid), don’t delay.
best wishes to you both
anne
xx
User
Hi Anne,
Thank you for the quick response. He has advanced prostate cancer spread to lymph nodes and bones although his consultant has said his age is in his favour. I just don’t want to be a widow so young and we were going to do so many things. He looks normal. He has a CT scan next week to baseline him and then start on his treatment.
I am really really scared.
User
Hi Corrie
I can’t blame you... cancer is a total **** ...
My dad has extensive spread to pelvic lymph nodes (he is 85 but super fit until cancer came calling!), he had some radiotherapy before Christmas and it made a huge difference to his current quality of life.
i think there are lots of options and treatments which can keep advanced prostate cancer under control for many many years.
best wishes to you both
User
Anne, thank you. I am holding onto your words ‘many many years’.
I need to just steer in another direction I guess. My parents are still alive, I thought I was going to go through this sort of thing with them. It’s funny how life has a way of getting its own back when you think you have done it all your own way.
User
If your husband is feeling well and healthy this year then go on your holiday and enjoy yourselves... none of us know what’s around the corner and most of the time things work out ok!
xx
User
Hi corrie,
This thread discusses the issue.
https://community.prostatecanceruk.org/posts/t21596-Travel-Insurance-so-high
When I suggested avoid the USA, I was going to qualify it "unless you have, family or a compelling reason to go". I decided my post would be a bit long if I did that.
As a general rule I avoid insurance, but rlast year had a short break in the former USSR state Georgia. It was about a year after treatment and I decided to get insurance and not exclude PC. Now I'm more comfortable with the treatment outcome and no serious side effects for a couple of years, I would be happy to exclude PC and get the lower premium.
As I said earlier PC is not likely to spring any emergency surprises on you during a holiday. I would say the main reason you need medical insurance on a holiday, is things like road traffic accidents, so if the premium, is much cheaper without PC cover that's what I would get. But if it is not much more to include PC then I would get that, so the insurers have no excuse the try and avoid paying claims if he had a kidney infection, or some other problem they would attempt to blame on the cancer.
As others have said get yourself on holiday, as soon as you can where ever you will enjoy yourself.
|
User
People have had good results with the Nationwide Flex Account Plus, where travel insurance for the family is included in the bank account package for about thirteen quid a month.
They do charge extra to cover cancer, from just a few quid up. Also I think you can elect to be covered for everything BUT cancer, and as Dave said, your Old Man is unlikely to have a sudden change of health because of it.
The ‘wonder drug’ Enzalutamide costs £100 a day, by the way!
Best of luck.
Cheers, John.
Edited by member 23 Jan 2021 at 01:32
| Reason: Not specified
User
Hi Corrie ,my husbands cancer is incurable N1M1 Gleason 4+5 .He’s now over 5years from diagnosis,still working and enjoying holidays when permitted ! I’ve just renewed our annual worldwide insurance with Nationwide flex plus account for an additional £132.00 a year .That’s on top of the monthly £13 that covers other things etc .
Best of luck and go out and enjoy your holidays .
Debby
Edited by member 23 Jan 2021 at 07:03
| Reason: Not specified
User
All, you don’t know what a difference all your replies have made to me. We have been to many many places over the years, Mauritius, Cape Town and Winelands, all of the Far East, went to Australia for our honeymoon. I am a bit of an expert in digging out good prices. Got some Virgin Upper Class tickets for £995 return to New York and they are normally £££. Valid for 2 years but I need to pay any difference if I choose another date.
Sorry for wittering on about things that really shouldn’t be a concern at present.
Dave,
You are right. Once we can see how treatment goes we think it’s going to be a little boring for a while and then I will pounce. I keep looking at the stats for his grade. I shouldn’t do that should I?
You don’t know how much all these sensible responses mean to me.
With regard to Nationwide account. He banks with them. He has advanced prostate cancer that has metastasised to his bone and lymph nodes. Wonder if they will still cover. Not feeling unwell and still working (for himself) but it is of course very early days.
Thank you.
User
Merrivale has told you that her husband has almost identical diagnosis to yours - that's what the N1M1 means
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
Thank you Lyn. Husband just has Flex account. He is fine to pay £13 pm but once we have a formal diagnosis I will speak to them and see if we can include his cancer. It might be that you need to be an existing customer in order to get cover for cancer. Some of the online quotes for 1 week to US were £1600++
User
"As I said earlier PC is not likely to spring any emergency surprises on you during a holiday. I would say the main reason you need medical insurance on a holiday, is things like road traffic accidents, so if the premium, is much cheaper without PC cover that's what I would get. But if it is not much more to include PC then I would get that, so the insurers have no excuse the try and avoid paying claims if he had a kidney infection, or some other problem they would attempt to blame on the cancer."
While it is true that PCa is unlikely to spring a holiday emergency in most cases, there are some things like a bone with mets fracturing unexpectedly - it wouldn't matter whether the bone had been broken in a normal fall ... the insurer would be unlikely to pay out if mets were present.
To me, the most important thing about having full cover rather than with PCa excluded is for the time between booking and travelling. If you have to cancel, you are usually liable for part if not full cost and travel insurance can then refund your losses. If you get cover excluding PCa and then die (even from some unrelated cause but PCa is mentioned on the death certificate), or break a metastasised bone and can't fly, or develop lymphodema and are advised not to fly, or the HT isn't controlling the cancer and the oncologist decides that you need to start chemo 3 weeks before you were supposed to go on holiday, then you have to accept that all the holiday costs will have to be covered yourselves. For some people that wouldn't be an issue but our Sunday paper money supplement is frequently populated with people who had an illness or bereavement and then discovered that they weren't covered for the loss of their life savings on some dream holiday 😥
The last time we took John's mum to Australia before she died, her flight cost £3k and the insurance was a mindblowing £4.5k but we decided it was worth it for peace of mind! The insurance for John and I was less than £100 😂
Edited by member 23 Jan 2021 at 11:06
| Reason: Not specified
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
The trick is to speak to real people rather than do it all online. If you speak to real people and can answer the questions, the quotes are usually more realistic. On the Macmillan website they have a list of recommended insurers for people with cancer. We went with Insurewith and they have been brilliant throughout, but John isn't metastatic.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
Corrie
Another vote for Nationwide insurance. They covered me for our trip to Australia last year, had to pay an additional premium of £115 on top of the £13 a month.
We were sailing back to Singapore from Sydney but got turfed off in Fremantle due to the Covid shenanigans but Nationwide paid up pronto for our replacement flights.
They quoted me an additional £125 for this year but I've declined as we don't plan to go away until we've both had our vaccine.
I'm in Group 5 my wife in Group 7 so I reckon we've a few months wait then I'll contact Nationwide again.
User
Could my husband just open the Flex plus account now knowing his diagnosis? Wouldnt you have to have the insurance under normal circumstances before you upgrade to include cancer cover?
He has been with Nationwide for years but we normally buy annual travel insurance elsewhere.