Can You Be Poor and Have Terminal Cancer? - Obit-Mag.com

Why am I surfing at 2:51 am? I do not have a good answer. I get a little wired the first days after treatment. I was updating my pintrest board names according to a crazy idea I had to name all of my boards with song lyrics. Then I found it amusing that most of the lyrics/song titles are country so I wanted to fb my affinity for honky-tonk. I scrolled down to see how everyone is doing and came across this article. Can You Be Poor and Have Terminal Cancer? - Obit-Mag.com

Since my fight, round one, I have been amazed and intrigued by the cost of cancer. There are so many dimensions that you never know about unless you are poor and sick. During round one I was both! I was a college student, married with 3 kids. My then husband earned more than poverty level income but had some money management challenges we were trying to over come.

Insurance wasn't an issue, but the regular expense of co-pays (which don't go away even after you have met an out-of-pocket max.), medication- both regular prescriptions and unexpected prescriptions, medications to deal with side-effects, nutrition shakes to help with loss of appetite, electric blankets for bone pain, etc...... I wondered if we would find ourselves unable to meet our needs. I am so lucky this time around to not have most of these challenges. Actually, at this point I don't have any of them.

I appreciate the discussion this article begins about what is happening with those who have cancer, whether chronic or terminal, and the financial ramifications of an expensive fight. The indication that just months or short years ago these patients were average middle-class, educated citizens of our society rings true to my observations.

Back then I thought I could begin a non-profit to address some of these needs, but given the fact that everyone in my family is so into having food to eat and a home to live in that idea is on the back burner. Reading this article I am reminded of this old dream. I am still forming the concept of this 501-c-3 in my mind, but if the opportunity to do something about it arises I will meet the challenge.

What would you find useful in your cancer fight? Is there a gift or service you wished you had? Tell me about it by sharing a comment.