dh had (yet another) half day off for us to visit the bank and tell them about our new situation - my redundancy and my cancer.
Safe in the knowledge that I'd be doing more teaching this year, we took out a loan in May to pay to build a terrace on the back of the house (my big dream) and we were also planning to redo the back wall of the house with our neigbour so we didn't have all the big €€€€€s to do all of the work.
As it happens we hadn't started the work because the companies doing the work were all going on holiday and couldn't fit us in before the Autumn. Also, our neigbour's wife has been hospitalised for 7 months now and he is ill too, so things were put off a bit already.
When we got a cancer diagnosis, and whilst we were waiting for the results, we immediately assumed I would not be fit to work for a good while (didn't know how long, people on the internet seemed to have been instructed to take 6 months sick leave) and thus we would lose all my income and I would lose all my teaching for the academic year and have to start all over again next year. It felt very grim - if I don't work, I don't earn for my teaching. This is a real worry around cancer that nobody really addresses I feel.
So we went to see the bank. Our jovial bank adviser, Mr M was a little less jovial when I told him about the redundancy and almost (almost) speechless when I told him the other news.
However, all may not be lost. We can try to renegotiate the interest rate on our loan; he dictated the letter there and then so that might save us a bit on monthly outgoings. We had taken temporary incapacity insurance on the loan so that might be paid for us whilst I'm incapacitated. We also took out 100% insurance for both of us on our mortgage, so the mortgage is paid if we die, are totally incapacitated or in case of a 'grave maladie'. Whether this insurance policy is wasted money or not, now is the time to test it. Many people put 30% on the woman's life and 70% on the man's because blokes generally earn more than women (yes, in this day and age). But since our sil had a seriously awful type of leukemia and they had taken the 100% they had their mortgage paid during her long illness (she's ok now and has since had another child). We bought our house just after that so we did the same (although it's not the cheapest option by far).
We'll see if this insurance comes up with anything - they always find an excuse don't they? When our back door was smashed in by robbers dh had a huge fight to get that replaced by the insurers. Anyhow, I think mr M will try his best at least. Ever the salesman, at the end, he did ask about the kids and then try to flog us a mobile phone for the eldest one. Where do they train them?
It would be good to have someone to turn to regarding finances, someone who knows the law well who could advise because I'm convinced this is one very important factor that increases stress when someone gets ill and maybe a few helpful pointers could just ease the worry a bit.
The surgeon also encouraged me to carry on working as much as I could as it does help recovery keeps the patient (is this how I must see myself?) occupied and positive with something outside the home. I'll do what I can.
I strongly feel that we will be ok, we will get through. dh thought we might lose our house. I said 'over my dead body' which wasn't perhaps a good way of putting it.......if I die that is the one way he will never lose the house!
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