I’m a run-of-the-mill divorcee in my 50s who has worked hard and never learned how to monetize my stellar work ethic or skills. I was just getting by day by day, week by week, year by year, going all the way back to disaster recovery at the World Financial Center, across from the WTC right after the 9/11 tragedy. Fast forward, I got diagnosed with liver cancer (HCC) in 2019. Finally got clearance from hepatology for a transplant in early 2023, but a newly discovered heart condition (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) meant a no-go for surgery. My heart wouldn’t hold for a liver operation, and my liver wouldn’t hold for a heart operation. Fast forward again, I’m one of less than 500 people in the last 40+ years to have had a successful concurrent heart and liver transplant. The surgery happened in mid-April 2024, just over a year ago. My health is improving incrementally day by day, so I’m definitely grateful for that.
But what about the bills? Insurance covered most of the approximately $500k for the surgery, 9-month hospital stay, and physical therapy recovery, leaving approximately $20K balance. My old employer has hired me back as a contractor, which is not full-time, and I have not been able to find another job since January of this year. Insurance money ran out, and I cannot imagine lapsing on my COBRA health insurance. I have applied for 9/11 health funds, and I’m confident that I can participate, but the process takes time. I bit my lip, swallowed my pride, and created this page without any expectations. In the meantime, I’m working part-time, taking care of my health, and spending as much time with my 11-year-old awesome son, doing as much as my condition permits and trying to build a decent person and lots of memories in the process.
To whomever happens to read this, take care of your health and do whatever you can to be happy. Take it from an expert, stress will get you to bad places.
Thank you.