Last summer I blogged a bit about how a health crisis can (and does) send many people into dire financial straits and in some cases bankruptcy. (lets-talk-about-cancer-and-money.html) Its a scary thing. The changes to your lifestyle -- beyond the cost of your medical treatment -- can quickly escalate the line items in your budget. Organic food, natural cosmetics, specialized clothing and treatments that aren't covered or are beyond the scope of your insurance can quickly take an already tight budget over the edge. Since many of us are but a paycheck (or less) away from serious financial disaster, it is time for a reality check.
I have not been the best financial manager of my money in the past. However, after dealing with breast cancer for the past year and a half and realizing that its really up to me (and me alone) to handle everything that is coming my way, I am taking things a lot more seriously. It is really difficult balancing work-life issues with a chronic illness. It is even more challenging to navigate the financial strain that being sick can place on your life. Even though I am at a crossroad right now between going all out and following my dreams and remaining under the self-imposed pressure of doing the "right" thing... I am clear that the balancing act is possible.
When I was in the hospital for my surgery, I had a very memorable conversation with one of my nurses. She was a breast cancer survivor and a really sweet lady. A single parent of five kids, she worked the late night shift at the hospital. During one of my really down moments, she shared her story with me and helped me to see that despite the concerns that I was having at that moment, I was going to be okay. I told her that I was worried about the choice I had made in procedures and was wondering whether it would have been better to have implants. She had gotten implants and one of her implants was leaking and needed to be replaced. However, because she was the sole source of income for her family, she could not afford to take the time off from work to take care of her implant. She was monitoring it closely but she just was not in a position to stop and have things fixed.
How crazy is it that a health care worker cannot afford to really care for her own health? I thought about her for weeks following my surgery (and she still crosses my mind from time to time) because being sick is about so much more than health insurance to cover the costs of procedures and prescriptions... it is also about reduced money (assuming that you have and are eligible for disability payments), finding the strength (or the assistance) with your household duties while you recuperate and more. This lady probably had decent health insurance but it was the weeks off from work recuperating that were making her put her health on a back burner. Who would take care of her five kids while she lay in bed for weeks recuperating? Who would help her take care of her bills while her income was reduced?
I was, and still am, floored by how much this disease can take from you. How much it can alter your entire life story... in a moment. I don't have an answer to finding the balance between taking care of yourself and respecting your obligations... but I am searching.
In the meantime, I am preparing myself and tightening my belts and figuring out which dreams to follow first. And how I can afford to do so.
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