Thyroid cancer... 1 Member's journey of Thyroid cancer March 2020- May2021
About the patient:
Public patient with no medical card or Medical insurance. As this is an pre-exsisting medical condition I am not covered for medical insurance for a period of 5 years.
Medical Cost:
Over night Hospital €80 a night €55 blood tests with GP (every 3 months) €120 private scan (optional) All other medical expenses, specialists, oncology treatment, blood tests with these specialist etc has not been charged for.
Illness Benefit - Time off work:
I am extremely fortunate to have an amazing boss and colleague that has been fully supportive of my journey and allowed me to focus on my health and give me the time to get well. As I have been working since I have arrived in Ireland I have sufficient PSRI contributions to qualify for the illness benefit for the days/weeks when I cannot attend work. This is a very simple process applied on line welfare.ie with an accompanying GP certificate. I was approved with 24-48 hours after my application and payment was made every week. Your first 3 days is not counted in the sick leave. This is also not your full salary but there is a combination of things that are taken into consideration (dependent children, spousal earnings etc)
My Story: Referred by my local GP to the Ear Nose Throat Specialist in Cork and treated for an underacgtive thyroid with nodules for the past 18 months with no major concerns.
Fast forward to Early March 2020 just as the pandameic hit I had a needle asperation done on 2 of the biggest thyroid nodules (around 2cm). I had a team of 3 Doctors/nurses during the procedure and it is extremely painful. A week later we received a call that I need to see the specialist and my husband should accompany me. The devestating news that the results came back positive for cancer in 1 of the nodules.
A surgeon would be contacting me in a few weeks time to discuss the operation as everything had been postponed due to covid. The next morning at 8am I received a call to be at the hospital at 11 as the Head ENT Professor wanted to see me immediately. The Professor wanted to operate the next day but as I had a bad case of larengitus I was scheduled in for a week later. As we went into lock down my husband couldn't be in the hospital with me and I was to face this procedure alone. I had a full thyroidectomy done and was discharged 2 days later. The staff were helpful, extremely attentive and kindness was shown.
2 weeks after the operation I was dealt a further blow that they found more cancer on the other side of the thyroid and it was growing outside of the thyroid. I was now a candidate for further treatment under oncology.
The next step was not to be taken lightly and my case was sent to a team of Doctors to discuss in detail the steps going forward. As we were in a pandameic and face to face appointments were limited I had many phone calls from Drs and nurses checking on how I was coping and what they were doing, what was happening and what was going to happen.
The decision was made quite quickly by the medical board to continue treatment asap in the height of the pandameic and I was scheduled for Radioactive Iodene therapy (RAI), a treatment for thyroid cancer that not all thyroid cancer patients receive. From here on I was seeing 4 specialist at a time, my own GP for blood tests, the team of ENT Doctors, the Encronologist and the Oncologist at CUH.
3 months after my operation I had my first round of RAI which was a total of 5 weeks quarantine, specialised dieting, treatment and recovery (isolation). I was in treatment with the hospital for a total of 6 days (3 out and 3 in hospital).
A full information booklet was given to me as well as a warning card to carry for the next 12 weeks. Within the past year I have been to doctors/specialist appointments, scans, blood tests, my well being and mental state is constantly checked and my own GP has been amazing, incredibly supportive and is following up with all the Specialists without me having to relay the stories. It's incredible to see and to know how intuned they all.
I have as recent (a week ago) just had my second round of RAI and waiting my results with the Oncologist and then back to seeing all the other specialists after this. I am incredibly blessed to have a great team behind me (not just Doctors but family and friends too!) Each and every single medical profession I have met and dealt with has shown me guidance and kindness. My journey isn't completely over and I will be constantly checked until I am in remission and then it falls into a yearly consultation and hopefully cancer free in 5 years times.
Note on Oncology at CUH: As my type of cancer is treated differently to other cancers (no radiation /chemo I can't comment on them) I still had to attended the newly built Oncology Center at Cork University Hospital (CUH). This center is state of the art with angels dressed as staff and nurses. I have never met so many helpful and cheerful staff. It is very comforting and your family accompanying is welcomed too. A small canteen is there offering free sandwiches, scones, tea & coffee while you wait. As this type of diagnosis is none of us ever want to be given (!!), I am however grateful for the care I have received here, with hardly any medical bills and no need to be worrying about medical aid approval, finances, time off work and how will we manage. The support has been exceptional and somewhat a huge weight off my shoulders. For anyone that is currently in treatment: Always remember you are braver than you think, stronger than you seem and loved more than you will ever know.
Take Care & God Bless
Important links:
We have asked our members to share anonymously, their personal experiences of the Irish medical system. The medical system here is very different to SA and may for some be a major part of their move and how their current or furture health issues may be handled.
Some vital reading on this topic HERE:
Medical in Ireland - Medical in Ireland, how it works, where to get assistance, Maternity and Private medical
Habitual Residence, Means Testing, Benefits, Permanent residency and Naturalisation - What is Habitual Residence, Means Testing, Benefits, Permanent residency and Naturalisation
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HSE on Diabetes: https://www2.hse.ie/diabetes/
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