Mine was a long time ago back in the early days of bc and I had just had bad news that it had spread. True to form I got back in the car and headed for a bit of retail therapy. Managed to find a few treats and headed back to the car only to find I had a parking ticket!!! I had completely forgotten to pay & display.
Out came the cancer card and explained I must have been in quite a state as I had just had this bad news etcetc. SUCCESS 
Dawn
xx
When I was dx earlier this year with both primary and secondarys all at the same time I had just sold some surface pattern designs via an agent usually my agents take 3-6 months to pay (I know absolutely ridiculous) they like to hang onto my money as long as possible so they get as much interest on it in their account (this job is not for the faint hearted as you live by what they manage to sell and the stress is just stupid) anyway I played my cancer card with my agent and boy did she jump told her I was skint and that I was dx with breast cancer stage IV she paid up straight away, since then I told other agents that I have acquired and as soon as the designs are sold they pay up straight away RESULT!!!
I don’t feel bad about playing the cancer card with her as she’s been one of my agents for 3 years and only just sold the designs to tesco’s, working from home and in a remote location its easy for these ‘middle men’ to have the upper hand, not any more.
By the way great thread.
Love and light
sarahlousie xx
At the end of September hubby and I went to watch the ‘Girls’ Night Out’ which was a night-time walk through Bury St Edmunds to raise funds for St Nicholas Hospice in Bury. Becky Jago of Anglia News fame supports this and took part in it, and my hubby is her number 1 fan so we went for him to see her, and for me to support the walk as I had some friends taking part. I would have loved to have taken part but the side-effects of my chemo made it too difficult. Anyway, the event was reported in the local paper and the following came from the report:-
“I also spoke to a lady who’s having chemo so she can’t do it herself, but she came to support others.”
The lady she spoke to who was having chemo was me! And I have the photo of her with hubby to prove it! We both received a hug from her and hubby hasn’t come down from ‘Cloud 9’ yet!
Mind you, I don’t really think that I played the cancer card in getting a photo of Becky Jago with hubby as one of the charities that she supports is ‘Keeping Abreast’ which is a breast cancer reconstruction support group.
Well done to you all, I have no qualms about using the cancer card, why should we, there has to be some benefit to the raw deal with have been given!
Crabbit - go for the school place, I think any special considerations are counted first, before having siblings in the school and children living closest to the school. So he would have a very good chance of being accepted!
I have actually successfully played the cancer card to get my son into a school. He originally went to a high school not attended by any of his friends and really struggled socially, with a bit of low level bullying. I tried to move him to the other school, but they turned him down as they were oversubscribed. Then when I got my secondary diagnosis I really laid it on thick, about how he needed all the support of his friends (even stating that I was unlikely to still be around by the time he left and he would then be with my Mum, who does live in the catchment area.)…It worked and he is really happy at his new school.
Keep on posting some good suggestions!!
Well it didnt work for me tonight! My chemo has been stopped after only four cycles as my neutrophils are dangerously low, even after the Neulasta injections.
I was told by one of the nurses to try and get bloods done today and rushed through to see if I am still neutrophenic. I rang the path lab results line to see if there ready and they are. The doctors receptionist is refusing to call saying shes too busy and I will have to wait until tomorrow, even though she knows I have been having chemo and have low white blood count. Really not happy tonight, as want to know what my bloods are doing as to whether to stay in away from people for fear of getting a bug and ending up ill in hospital!
Sorry it did not work SGL!
I use the cancer card to get wonderful treatments from my local hospice. They help primary and secondary bc. Reflexology today, it was lovely!
Sadie Xx Xx
Hi SadieL,
I go to my local hospice and receive spiritual healing and reflexology both or absolutely fantastic and make me feel great at least for that particular day.
love and light
sarahlousie xx
SGL I would have asked if the duty gp could call you back when he was free… And if she wanted to know why tell her it’s about your cancer treatment… It’s not up to her to decide whether your bloods are urgent or not… If the nurse and path lab do them urgently they are doing that for a reason! I would also make a complaint when you next speak to your doc and nurse… 
Sadie glad you enjoyed your reflexology
i have been after a transfer with work to an officer nearer to home, 10mins instead of 30 mins, this has been a definate No, No until now, HR are now considering phased return for me at local office, they’re not promising permanant transfer, but for me a step in the right direction. And once i got my foot in the door, i’ll be playing any card i have to hand to stay there
Gill x
Gill - under the Equality Act your employer has a legal obligation to make “reasonable adjustments” so you shouldn’t have to play any cards. Good luck with your return to work.
thanks Puffywhiteclouds
i’m just not sure that they would consider a move of office reasonable adjustments, it’s working for an employer but different dept within the structure. Complicated DWP!
Hi everyone love the thread well done Judes.
I rang my council a couple of days ago as we had what is called a Home Dry System installed in the loft about 2 years ago but we hate it and have been trying to get it taken out but council would not even consider it, but I used the cancer card this time and they are arranging for someone to come round and see whether or not I can have it removed, woohoo.
Jean xx
Sounds a bit mean but it gave me quite a warm glow playing the CC.
One of my tenants was really pushing her luck, wouldn’t pay rent because she had “other priorities”, basically everything but rent. She forgot I was one of her facebook friends and could see that she had recently got sky multiroom, a new Iphone, gym membership - all things I can’t afford! So went round for a chat, she got all ‘drama queen’ on me, oh I’m almost suicidal!!
Did I tell you I’ve got breast cancer?? She has started paying her rent. It does feel a bit odd but hell, if it works…
Great thread.
S
Well done Judes for this thread some good advice/ideas
For those who may be struggling with the idea of ‘playing the cancer card’ try to look at it this way:
All you are doing is: Informing them of the relevant facts so they can make an informed decision 
Sky TV, I wanted to upgrade box in bedroom to a HD box (had very old Sky box and wanted Sky+ so I can record). I’ve already used up all my freebies with moving and upgrading (one per household) earlier this year. Rang Sky to discuss and told ‘as an existing customer blah, blah, blah it will cost £99 unless you take out HD package (£49.99 for box + extra £10/mth, 12mth contract)’, reply ‘oh well I’ll have to leave it then cos I’m off work at the mo and can’t afford that! Never mind, after my chemo I’ll just have to drag myself downstairs to watch my recordings in the middle of the night when the steroids are keeping me awake!!’ (very very nice Sky man) ‘When would you like it fitted? I’ll do you the HD package for 3 months free and as long as you cancel before the 28th Jan (30 days notice) you wont have to pay anything. Is Monday ok for fitting?’. The next bit blew me away and really was ‘going the extra mile’ he said ‘Let me speak to my supervisor and see if there’s anything else we can do’ off he went and came back offering the full package for 6mths at half price. RESULT
At the end of my chemo i went out for a meal with some friends to “celebrate”. It was during the summer and I had given up wearing wigs so my bald head was on display. When my friend went to pay the lady serving her asked what we were celebrating. My friend told her that I had had a bit of a rough time lately and had just finished chemo so they took my meal off the bill. I was quite touched. Didn’t intend to play the cancer card that time but it worked!
This week another friend of mine wrote a letter about me to David Hasselhoff who I have a huge crush on (please don’t judge me for that! lol) and who is playing in panto just up the road from where we work. She dropped it in at the stage door and within a couple of hours his PA called and invited us to the show and to meet David after. I’m soooooo excited. We have’t been yet but are hoping to go after Christmas. Nothing like a good cancer sob story to get what you want I say. There are few perks with this disease so why not?!
Hi Ladies
Spent the day with my daughter and she told me a story that made me smile and think of the cancer card.
I only wear bare escentuals make up and my daughter went to John Lewis to buy me some mascara as one of my Christmas presents. Whilst discussing which mascara to get she told the assistant that ’ my mum is living with cancer’ which prompted a response of free samples with a bag! She bought me some mascara but since then, I’ve learnt that I’m going back on chemo starting 21Dec and will lose my eyelashes,so her sister-in-law is now getting the mascara as I won’t be needing it for a while and she’s had to re-think my present!
Good news - I still got all the free samples and the bag!!
Liz x
Well I had to use the CC last night.
I went to my work Christmas night out which was knackering but lots of fun to see all my colleagues and catch up… It finished at 1am and 5 of had booked a taxi to collect us then so we all sat outside waiting for it to turn up (after a drunk man fell into me and knocked my over in the street… But thats another story!) 15 mins later and still no taxi so we called to see where it was and they said it would be 10 mins… Then a taxi turned up for somebody else but there was nobody there so I whipped my wig off and asked if he would take us as it was late and was having Chemo… So we cancelled his pck up and took us!
Bit naughty I know
Lulu x
The cancer card failed me yesterday, twice!
I went out on my own (first time since last chemo on Wednesday) I was driving along in my little old banger, up a very busy hill that leads to the M25, when my engine cuts out. Tried to restart it but nothing, arghhh! I had a bus behind me, with traffic starting to queue each way.
Luckily, a highway maintenance van pulled over to help me, followed by a police car to direct traffic around me (how embarrassing!) The highway maintenance men towed me to a petrol station only 50 yards up the hill and I thanked them for being so helpful (no mention of the c word needed)
This is where the goodwill ended, the police came to check I was ok so I told them that I was only a week past last chemo and shouldn’t really be out. The said, “ok love, but you are off the road now so we will leave you to it!” Great, thanks!
So I called the AA, told them what had happened and they said they would be there within 2 hours. I explained about chemo, and she just repeated herself and hung up!
The AA rescued me eventually after an hour and a half. I decided not to mention the c word to the AA man and he was amazing! He fixed the car, gave me some helpful tips and was really fast and friendly.
I have decided after yesterday that maybe some people are just kind and giving whether you have cancer or not (and others are just mean!)
Kate xx
this is how I learned about the cancer card…
I had arranged to go for lunch with an elderly gentleman friend, who also had cancer. When we arrived at the restaurant (where he went often - the staff knew he had cancer) he marched over to his favourite table in the window. A waitress rushed up and said ‘i’m terribly sorry, this one is reserved’ at which point he went pale, sort of swayed a bit and clutched the chair back and said ‘are you sure, I am really not feeling too good…’ so she immediately said ‘no, take it, we will sort something out’. I was a bit concerned, so after she left I asked ‘are you ok, you seemed fine a few moments ago’ and he leant forward and said ‘absolutely fine, I just wanted this table…’
Sarah
I had another success yesterday… After a lovely shopping trip into town with my mum but after a couple of hours walking around the shops i got very tired and my hips and knees started to seize up, so we went to get a bus home but all the bus stops are changed because of the disruption from the tram lines being put down in Edinburgh city centre and we walked to where we thought the bus stop was but the bus was almost going past and I was waving at him… He eventually stopped and told us this wasn’t his stop and it was about 500 metres up a steep hill! No way I could manage that anyway he took pity on me probably seeing my bald head and let us on the bus.
Lulu x