Lisa's Battle with Cancer
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After being diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma in April 2014, it became more difficult to pay the ever increasing mound of medical bills let alone the everyday living expenses.
Initial surgeries and going through the Intron immunotherapy clinical trial seemed hopeful, but the burden of the high copay for the medication, doctor visits and travel (approximately an hour each way) did not ease our family's financial sitiation or my stress level. This situation is also not helping our family's credit history. We're unable to obtain any form of consumer loans to consolidate these expenses.
Due to experiencing varing levels of side effects and not knowing when I would be able to return to my place of employment, I was let go, which did not help matters but did open options for applying for some benefits.
Earlier this year, 2015, my husband lost his job, which then left questions of where we would find medical insurance. We could have continued with the high cost coverage through cobra, instead sought assistance through the government's reformed medical plan which we do pay for out of pocket.
Just a few months ago, the cancer had come back and I had to endure yet another operation to remove the tumor. After being given a few short weeks to recover, I had endured 4 long weeks of radiation treatment to my upper left groin area. Later to find that a tumor has yet again sprouted in one of my lungs and had grown since my lasts CT scans. I'm now finding myself to be on chemotherapy for the rest of my life or until another source of treatment comes.
My wish is to obtain some assistance with offsetting medical costs and searching for rehabilitation assistance so that I can return to becoming a productive member of society once again. I would also like to see about having the home we are currently renting to be renovated in hopes that someday we will be able purchase it.
Since being challenged in this new way of living, my eyes have opened and I've been able to see things with more clarity. There are many things that I've always longed to do and hope to be able to cross off my bucket list. I'm also stopping a little more often not only to smell the roses, but to stay a while and enjoy their beauty.
I also hope that my experience can offer some inspiration to others going through challenging times to continue on and search for healing and peace in their lives.
Initial surgeries and going through the Intron immunotherapy clinical trial seemed hopeful, but the burden of the high copay for the medication, doctor visits and travel (approximately an hour each way) did not ease our family's financial sitiation or my stress level. This situation is also not helping our family's credit history. We're unable to obtain any form of consumer loans to consolidate these expenses.
Due to experiencing varing levels of side effects and not knowing when I would be able to return to my place of employment, I was let go, which did not help matters but did open options for applying for some benefits.
Earlier this year, 2015, my husband lost his job, which then left questions of where we would find medical insurance. We could have continued with the high cost coverage through cobra, instead sought assistance through the government's reformed medical plan which we do pay for out of pocket.
Just a few months ago, the cancer had come back and I had to endure yet another operation to remove the tumor. After being given a few short weeks to recover, I had endured 4 long weeks of radiation treatment to my upper left groin area. Later to find that a tumor has yet again sprouted in one of my lungs and had grown since my lasts CT scans. I'm now finding myself to be on chemotherapy for the rest of my life or until another source of treatment comes.
My wish is to obtain some assistance with offsetting medical costs and searching for rehabilitation assistance so that I can return to becoming a productive member of society once again. I would also like to see about having the home we are currently renting to be renovated in hopes that someday we will be able purchase it.
Since being challenged in this new way of living, my eyes have opened and I've been able to see things with more clarity. There are many things that I've always longed to do and hope to be able to cross off my bucket list. I'm also stopping a little more often not only to smell the roses, but to stay a while and enjoy their beauty.
I also hope that my experience can offer some inspiration to others going through challenging times to continue on and search for healing and peace in their lives.
Organizer
Lisa Kraft-Holloway
Organizer
Talladega, AL