Last summer my wife was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. We were told it was a very aggressive form of cancer and needed to be treated as such-a few months ago she turned 51. Cancer took her mother when she was 56.
Since then my wife has gone through two major surgeries, the most aggressive cemo they have, radiation treatment, and is about to start taking a pill which is basically chemo in bottle form. Which, by my count, makes 10 different pills she will be taking.
Knowing what would be coming as far as medical bills are concerned. I asked her about starting a fundraiser page a few months ago. She is a very private and proud woman and wasn’t very keen on the idea so I left it at that, figuring that we would deal with things as they came.
Since then the bills have started to come in the mail and some are very expensive-she has four doctors she sees now. And things have gotten even worse…..
Six months ago we were given a low mileage car by a kind neighbor. While on her way home from work last month that car overheated VERY badly. So badly that I had to buy a junkyard engine and am attempting to rebuild it. As of June sixth I have put over $2500 into it and am still waiting for the cylinder head to be reconditioned-which will cost $850-with a discount.
With the new car literally apart-it’s going on four weeks-we have had to rely on the 200,000 mile car we had already and that started making engine noises a few days ago-after six years of taking good care of it. It sounds as if a wrist pin has gone. But, whatever it is neither one of us feel safe driving it. And there is no way I can afford to rebuild another engine, both financially and physically. So, we are now relying on our son’s car and that has a questionable transmission.
What has made matters worse a few days after I took the engine out of the new car I cut my finger badly with a hedge trimmer while going to help the nice neighbor-six stiches, cut to the bone, etc. We haven’t gotten the bills for that yet, but they are coming. Another reason I avoid the mailbox.
Hence, here I am typing up a fundraiser page.
I, myself, am on disability and even before my wife was diagnosed, I had very little money with which to contribute to this family and with all of the cars breaking down our savings are rapidly vanishing.
After the diagnosis I had at one point envisioned taking my wife to France to show her the things I had seen when I went there years ago when she got better- the furthest we have ever gone is across state lines for a day. That dream is long gone though. I can’t even afford to fix our dishwasher now. And want desperately to give her a nice and reliable car to drive in when she goes back to work.
We have been together for 32 years. And in that time have weathered some serious storms. I KNOW she is going to make it through this. What I don’t know is how we will survive financially and my stress is starting to show on her.
For the first several months she remained positive and upbeat, but the pills, doctor visits, the memory of what happened to her mom, medical bills, side effects and now the vehicle problems have really worn her down. And thanks to my medical condition I am of very little help to her these days.
Anything, and I mean anything, would help us look forward to brighter and happier days to come.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Her husband.
