Financial and emotional support after cancer diagnosis — all for the price of a few coffees a month
Admin Associate Helen went through the wringer during the pandemic, battling COVID-19 four times.
It was these multiple bouts of COVID her GP blamed when Helen first developed a stitch-like pain on the left of her chest towards her back. But what started as an uncomfortable twinge if she twisted while seated progressed, becoming more intense.
Struggling to be heard
Although Helen consulted her local surgery several times, in-person GP appointments were rare post-pandemic, so she was never seen face-to-face.
“Eventually, it became so bad it would take my breath away,” said Helen, who works cataloguing and scanning identity documents that prove customers’ identity so they can trade shares. She’s been there 11 years, mostly working the 3am-11am shift to catch the first post and get everything uploaded before trading floors open.
“It happened at work once and I needed to sit down immediately. Because the pain was so severe and on the left of my chest, my colleagues thought it was my heart and dialled 999. The paramedics took me to hospital, but none of the tests showed any issues with my heart.”
This continued for around a year — excruciating episodes where Helen couldn’t breathe. Yet whenever she consulted her GP, the doctor said it was probably scar tissue from multiple bouts of COVID.
The last straw
One day on her commute home, Helen experienced an episode so bad she had to pull over.
“Sat at the side of the road, I got so upset,” Helen recalls. “I just felt like I was hitting brick walls. I knew that something wasn’t right, but no one was listening.”
It was then Helen decided she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She went straight to her GP surgery and insisted on an in-person appointment, soon seeing a locum who gave her a thorough examination. Although he reassured Helen that he didn’t think it was anything serious, he agreed to refer her for a chest X-ray for peace of mind.
“At last I felt listened to,” Helen said. “Even though he only referred me as a precaution, it was such a weight lifted.”
Bad news
Unfortunately, the X-ray showed a shadow on her lower left lung — exactly where Helen had been feeling the pain.
“From there it’s a blur,” Helen said. “It was one test after another after another, including a biopsy.”
The first biopsy was inconclusive, so Helen had a CT-led biopsy to collect a sample guided by live CT images. Then she had a PET scan, where patients are scanned after an injection of dye that’s attracted to the rapidly-dividing cells associated with cancer.
“The PET scan lit up,” said Helen. “Then the results of the guided biopsy confirmed it. I had lung cancer.”
Swift treatment puts Helen on the road to recovery
The next step was a referral to a chest, lung and throat surgeon, who scheduled an operation in a month. Back at home, the hospital called offering the operation in a week instead but with a different surgeon. Helen jumped on the earlier date.
Post-surgery, Helen spent a week in hospital before being discharged. Even sleeping was difficult due to the pain from her incisions; at first, she had to sleep sitting up.
An overlooked insurance policy
During her recovery, Helen’s husband had to work, so Helen’s son, Tom, kept her company as he worked from home. They got talking about sick pay and how long Helen thought she’d be off. It was then Helen remembered she had Group Critical Illness Insurance from Unum.
“My colleague Dave persuaded me to get it ages ago,” Helen remembers. “He’s very much a ‘just in case’ person — a bit of a doom merchant! I didn’t feel I needed it, but Dave persuaded me to check our work benefits portal. I found that the Critical Illness Insurance my employer was offering wasn’t that expensive — the equivalent of just a few coffees a month. To get peace of mind for that price, who’d say no? I arranged the cover right there.”
Yet even after getting lung cancer, Helen didn’t think she could claim.
“Although I quit smoking years ago, I’d convinced myself that an ex-smoker’s claim for lung cancer would just be denied. But Tom pointed out that there were no questions about smoking when I took it out, so did it matter? I decided to send in the claim forms.”
Tom was right, and Helen soon received a lump sum from the Group Critical Illness policy to support her during recovery. We provided Helen with regular email updates throughout the claims process via her claims assessor. This helped Helen keep up with the claims process even when she wasn’t feeling “100% with it”.
Help from Reframe Cancer
Since diagnosis in January 2023, Helen has been supported by Reframe Cancer, a Unum partner that provides our Critical Illness Cancer Support Service.* For Helen, this was the best part.
“Don’t get me wrong, the money was a massive relief,” said Helen. “But the people at Reframe are amazing — worth their weight in gold. They do so much for you. I can’t thank them enough. I’m still in touch with them as you get support for 2 years after your diagnosis. They even messaged me recently just to check in.
“Reframe helped me translate medical jargon in letters and appointments, stopping me spiralling into panic when I heard terms I didn’t understand. Margarida, my dedicated Cancer Nurse, was there whenever I needed her. Reframe can even help book medical appointments when you just can’t cope with spending all your time on the phone on hold or feel like you’re being passed from pillar to post with no answers.”
“With Reframe, they’re just there for you”
Reframe helped bridge the gap between immediately after Helen’s surgery, when she recovered under the NHS, and longer-term recovery, where the NHS offers less support.
“Ultimately, the NHS is great,” says Helen. “But they’re so pushed for time. Unlike Reframe, the NHS can’t be there just for a chat or if you need a friendly ear.
“With Reframe, you get someone on the other end of the phone whenever you need support. As professionals who know cancer inside out, Reframe also helps you keep the worst of it away from your family so you don’t pass your worry on or show them you’re scared. They let you be the family member you were before cancer because you’re not unloading your worries onto the people you love.”
Karen Turner, Chief Operating Officer of Reframe Cancer, comments: “We're deeply moved by Helen's feedback. It reflects the dedication of our cancer nurse specialists and support managers. They understand the immense challenges of a cancer diagnosis and are there to support patients like Helen throughout their journey.
“From navigating complex healthcare systems to demystifying medical jargon and providing personalised support, Reframe Cancer is proud to partner with Unum to offer the comprehensive care they deserve.”
Stepping towards recovery
After her operation, Helen couldn’t move very far at all because the operation had removed a quarter of her lung capacity. She required intensive respiratory physiotherapy at the lung clinic, which she began in May 2023. From barely managing to walk to her front gate, Helen soon made it to the end of her road and beyond, growing stronger with each step.
“Anyone who gets a cancer diagnosis knows that it’s terrifying,” said Helen. “It feels like a matter of time, that there’s only so much longer before the cancer comes back and gets you. But the walking really helped with that.”
Helen now hits at least 15,000 steps a day. At her most recent appointment with her respiratory nurse, the nurse said Helen had a better lung capacity than her!
After her surgery in March 2023, Helen’s surgeon gave her the all-clear. Her most recent PET scan remains clear and none of the lymph nodes removed during surgery indicated the cancer had spread.
Critical Illness Insurance: in Helen’s own words
So what would Helen like to tell people about Critical Illness Cover?
“If you can take up employee benefits through your work, just do it. It was so easy and, for the price of three coffees a month, so worth it. Critical Illness Insurance from Unum and the Cancer Support Service from Reframe Cancer have made an enormous difference to my life. I’m so thankful they were there.”
* Cancer Support Service is provided to Unum Limited customers by Reframe Cancer. This service is entirely separate from any Unum insurance policy, is not part of the insurance contract, and is provided by Unum for no additional cost to its customers. Unum can withdraw or change the service in the future. Cancer Support Service is available to UK residents only.
Reframe Cancer is the trading style of Harley Street Concierge Ltd. Registered address: The Square, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK RG21 4EB.