Thyroid cancer and critical illness cover
You’ve probably heard of the word thyroid before and maybe you knew you had one. But for most of us, this little butterfly shaped gland is a mystery - so let’s talk about thyroids!
Thyroids - they’re kind of important
Your thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland located in the front of your neck and is responsible for some pretty big functions in your body.
Thyroid’s have several jobs including producing the hormones that help manage the body's metabolism, growth and development - so it’s safe to say this little gland plays a pretty big role in making sure your body functions properly! 
Louise’s story
It’s true what they say - no one thinks it will happen to them. Which is exactly what farm trader Louise Clark thought too. Louise was just 26 years old when she found herself faced with the dreaded C-Word and most people's worst nightmare.
After accidentally finding a lump in her neck, Louise got in touch with her GP straight away who told Louise that although it appeared to be a benign lump, they couldn’t rule out cancer. Following several tests and procedures, Louise eventually received a phone call from her GP with good news - the lump was benign. However, they wanted to remove the lump as a precaution.
Right before new year’s eve, Louise had half her thyroid removed as precaution. However, she still felt on edge as she hadn’t had a diagnosis. The next time Louise had to visit the hospital she was encouraged to bring someone in with her. Louise was told at this appointment that she had two cancerous lumps which were follicular, meaning they were highly treatable.
In all of the trauma of her diagnosis, Louise had forgotten all about her critical illness cover. After initially arranging her policy with Busy Bee in June 2020, Louise never expected she would ever need to make a claim on her policy - no one ever does. But the pay-out was able to ensure Louise and her now husband, Elliot, could tie the knot! To read Louise’s full story, click here.
Spotting the signs and checking your neck
Cancer is an ugly word, one that is associated with so much sadness and anger. But by taking five minutes of your day to simply check your neck, you could detect any cancerous lump early. As a result of detecting any growths earlier rather than later, you could get treatment as soon as possible.
According to Cancer Research UK, 9% of thyroid cancer cases in the UK are preventable. A quick search on the internet provides many ways in which you can 'check your neck’, follow these steps to correctly check your neck:
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Grab a mirror and stand in front of it
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Extend your neck, slightly pointing your chin up, towards the ceiling
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Swallow a sip of water
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Look for lumps as you swallow
- Feel for any new bumps or enlargements (for males this would be below your Adam’s apple)
Check your neck - it could save your life!
Critical illness cover
A critical illness policy is a type of life insurance which can financially protect you in the event of you becoming diagnosed with a critical illness specified within a policy's terms conditions. This cover could financially protect you by paying out a lump sum.
One of the main pros of having a policy like this in place is the peace of mind it can provide, not only for you but peace of mind for your loved ones too.
How can this cover actually help?
As we’ve mentioned, peace of mind is a huge factor to consider when thinking about taking the plunge with a critical illness policy. But aside from that, the lump sum that this policy could pay-out could be used to contribute towards so many things, such as:
- Home modifications as a result of your diagnosis
- Travel to other hospitals for specialist treatment
- Your bucket list
- A nest egg for your loved ones
- Replacing any lost income, if you have to take time off work
The above are just a few examples of what this policy could help with but there’s all sorts that you could do with the pay-out. In Louise’s case, herself and her now husband were able to use the pay-out from the policy to be able to tie the knot. 
Who needs it?
We’ll be honest, there’s no one size fits all when it comes to critical illness cover which is why it is essential to speak to a protection specialist so that they can look at your circumstances and see what’s best for you. However, critical illness could benefit some more than others, for example:
- Anyone with little to no savings
- Parents If you’re self-employed
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If you have anyone financially dependent on you
Our calculator
If you’re still not sure about starting your life insurance journey and want a little taster before you get on the phone to our friendly team then you can try our calculator!
Our critical illness calculator can provide you with a free instant estimate of what your policy could cost, in just 30 seconds. Simply pop in your age and the amount of cover you think you’d want and you will receive a quote on your screen, right there and then. Click below to try out our free calculator now!
Why Busy Bee?
Our specialty is all things life insurance and with over 200 years combined experience in life insurance - we like to think we know our stuff.
When you get your free quote from Busy Bee, one of our protection specialists will get in touch with you to discuss arranging your policy. During your initial phone call, we get to know you and your needs.
Getting to know you is a crucial step in finding you the right cover, as once we know more about you then we can use the information we find out to create a tailored policy best suited to your needs. Click the button below to begin your life insurance journey today!