Hi Pink 66
I agree with you about "find a cure" but in the meantime those of us living with Secondary Breast Cancer are living longer and need to live as well as possible. While we do so, our financial situation gets worse. I prematurely left work, went on income insurance because the company where I worked for 22 years did not honour a part-time position. This caused a ripple effect that today makes life tricky financially.
Here is a hypothetical, if I was able to go part-time, I would not have used my income insurance at that time, I would have been contributing pro-rata to my superannuation and I would have been earning income.
Workplace relations need to change. Cancer is considered to be a disability under anti-discrimination laws so an employer has to make reasonable adjustments so people living with cancer are not disadvantaged. I don't believe this is understood by employers. If this was adopted, I would not have cashed in all my chips and would not be living on a disability pension. My husband would not be working 6 days a week.
Those of us who are living well, should have the opportunity to earn an income.
On the medical front, I am aghast that we do not know how many people have Secondary Breast Cancer. We need a national data base that capture patient statistics that allow doctors and medical policy makers make informed decisions about drugs that demonstrate a clear patient benefit and treatment outcomes that significantly improve quality of life or improved symptom control. This is needed more than ever as many new targetted drugs become available which are not available on the PBS.
In closing, I have highlighted a couple of areas that needs attention so I think we need awareness to highlight issues that effect people with Secondary Breast cancer.
Take care and live well.
Karen Cowley
