Life After Diagnosis

October 2026 | Hair Chair Diaries

Nobody really wants to talk about insurance, do they?

Life insurance, critical illness cover, income protection. It's hardly the most exciting conversation, especially when you're busy living your life, working, raising children and paying the bills.

But something has really stayed with me following two recent conversations on Hair Chair Diaries.

I sat down with two incredible women, Mel and Helinka, who both experienced bowel cancer. Two different women, two different journeys, but one thing that really stood out to me was the financial impact of becoming seriously ill.

Because here's the thing. When life changes overnight, the bills don't suddenly stop.

"I thought we had insurance"

During my conversation with Mel from Friends with Stomas, we spoke about her diagnosis, her treatment, her career and what happened when she was no longer able to work as she had planned.

Mel had life insurance. In fact, she remembered having two policies.

But when she went back through her paperwork following her diagnosis, she discovered that she hadn't included critical illness cover.

Imagine that for a moment.

You've just been diagnosed with cancer. You're trying to understand what treatment you'll need, what happens next and how life is going to look.

And somewhere amongst all of that, you're searching through insurance documents to find out whether you have any financial support.

Mel also spoke about her car finance, the personal bills she had always paid herself and how difficult it felt to suddenly lose that financial independence.

Her husband was working and supporting the household, but that didn't remove the worry she felt about her own commitments.

And that really got me thinking.

How many of us have taken out insurance years ago and couldn't actually tell someone what it covers today?

"I didn't expect to be ill at 46"

Then there was Helinka, founder of Unspoken Rosebud.

Helinka was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 46. She spoke openly about her treatment, her stoma, the challenges that followed and the years it took to regain a quality of life she was happy with.

At the time, she had been running a business and hadn't arranged insurance to replace her income.

She explained how accessing benefits helped remove some of the financial pressure, allowing her to concentrate on her recovery and her family.

What stayed with me was how easily we assume serious illness is something that happens later in life.

But neither Mel nor Helinka was expecting a cancer diagnosis.

And neither of them could have known just how much their lives were about to change.

Life insurance isn't the same as protecting your income

This is something I really want more women to understand.

When we hear the word insurance, we often think about life insurance.

But there are different types of financial protection, and they don't all do the same thing.

Life insurance is generally designed to pay a benefit if you die during the policy term. Some policies also provide a payment following a qualifying terminal illness diagnosis.

Critical illness cover can provide a lump sum if you're diagnosed with a specified serious illness and meet the policy conditions.

Income protection is designed to replace part of your income if you're unable to work because of illness or injury, subject to the policy terms, waiting period and benefit limits.

They're three different things.

And understanding those differences before you need them could be incredibly important.

Why aren't we having these conversations sooner - Life After Diagnosis?

As a mortgage and protection adviser, life after diagnosis is something I feel quite strongly about.

We spend so much time looking at what we can afford to borrow, what our monthly mortgage payment will be and whether we've saved enough for the deposit.

But what happens if one of those incomes suddenly disappears?

What happens if you're self-employed?

What happens if your sick pay runs out?

And what happens if you're still very much alive, but you're unable to work for months or even years?

I'm not suggesting everyone needs every insurance policy available. Protection should be considered around your personal circumstances, existing arrangements, needs and budget.

But I do believe everyone deserves to understand what the options are.

Because you cannot make an informed decision about something you've never had properly explained.

It's about more than money

One of the biggest lessons from both conversations was that financial worries don't disappear simply because someone is dealing with a serious illness.

In fact, they can become another thing to carry.

And when you're already coping with appointments, treatment, uncertainty and recovery, the last thing you need is the added worry of how you're going to meet your everyday commitments.

That doesn't mean insurance would have solved everything for Mel or Helinka.

It wouldn't have changed their diagnoses or taken away the challenges they faced.

But their stories show why conversations about financial protection deserve to happen long before life takes an unexpected turn.

One thing I'd love you to do this month

If you already have insurance, dig out your documents.

Have a look at what you've actually got.

Do you know what it covers? When it would pay out? How long it would last?

And if you don't have anything in place, perhaps it's worth finding out what's available before deciding whether it's something you need.

Not because something bad is going to happen.

But because understanding your options is never a bad thing.

A huge thank you to Mel and Helinka for sharing their experiences so openly. These are exactly the conversations I hoped Hair Chair Diaries would create.

The chair was never just about hair.

Real life. Love. Money. Real conversations.

Chantelle x

Listen to their stories

Episode 3: When Life Changes Overnight with Mel

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pv16-D3yjJ0

A Part of Me, Not All of Me: Bowel Cancer, a Stoma and Unspoken Rosebud

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pv16-D3yjJ0

Important information

his article shares personal experiences and general financial education. It is not personal financial, medical or insurance advice.

As with all insurance policies, terms, conditions and exclusions apply.

For personalised mortgage or protection advice, contact a suitably qualified adviser. Regulated advice, where appropriate, is provided separately through PD Finance Ltd.

For cancer-related practical, emotional or financial information, visit Macmillan Cancer Support at www.macmillan.org.uk.