Healthcare

It is 4 am for the third night in a row that I cannot sleep.  I am sick with worry because I do not have health insurance for next year.  'Obamacare' in my state will only cover some doctors in my state, not doctors in the neighboring state which is where my Doctors and the cancer hospital I need are located.   

When I walk each night, I have so many thoughts of blogs that I want to write.  I thought that my next blog would be aimed at supporting those who are alone;  one can get through cancer alone if they find that their life has taken them to a place in which they don't have the support of a partner.   Friends are irreplaceable in reminding us that we are loved.  Children, brothers, sisters, parents, cousins have warmth and love and happy memories to bring back in to our lives.  Like our friends, they will run to our side when and if we need it. Our doctors, nurses, PAs, administrators are caring people who remind us at each interaction that we are not alone.  

You can get through cancer without a partner if that is where you are in your life. You can't get through cancer without health insurance though.  Every two weeks I go to get a chemo shot in my stomach.  It costs almost $30k.  My bone marrow transplant this summer was over $1 million.  I hope that if you are reading this, that the "lack of proper healthcare in this country" that we all heard about when the Affordable Care Act was being passed is still something abstract in your life. 

Although I have little income, I do not qualify for medicaid.   It is a very scary place to be and I would not wish this on anyone.  If you know someone who is sick, reach out to them and make sure that they have good health care coverage.  It is really scary to imagine being without it.  


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