Cancer Ain't Cheep

Let's talk about the name of the blog today.  There is a lot going on with the progress of treatment and everything leading up to it but I think it is fair to talk about where "The Money Medic" comes from.  

I am a Paramedic by trade, you already know that, but I also have a passion for Accounting and Finance, so put it all together and there you go.  

I grew up poor, and I knew it because I was reminded often that we were poor.  Everyone's definition of poor is different.  Now we had Food, Water and Shelter.  So our basic needs were met.  I can remember back to school meant new Jeans and New Shoes.  It was my favorite time of the year.  I got to spend most of the day with my Grandmother, who I love more than anything.  We would spend the whole day driving over Rowan County looking for the perfect pair of shoes.  I knew I only got one pair a year and I could not wait to show them off on the first day of school.  

We would go to the Mall and to other shoe stores across town and spend all day trying on shoes and trying to find the right pair.  Most often we would go to the Show Show and I would find the pair I wanted, but I could never just make my decision that easily.  So we would go to Pay Less and Hibbett Sport.  Honestly I think my whole hold up was I never wanted to spend that much money on them.  I knew that money didn't come easy and I was not accustomed to someone spending $50 on me.  So I would keep looking for a better deal.  And the affection and love of being willing to drive all over town to end where we started was just the best.  It was a happy time for me and I loved it.  We even got to go to Chic-Fil-A for a chicken sandwich, and that was a real treat for me.  At some point during the day we would go to Belk's or JC Pennys and buy we a pair of Levi's, Husky to be exact.  I wish life were that simple now.  

One thing that my Grandmother taught me was to always be frugal with your money.  And to always pay yourself.  I have continued to live by this.  Except for about 5 years as I started college I have been very financially responsible.  I have always paid myself each paycheck and can only remember a couple points in life where I has stress waiting for the next paycheck.  I don't say all of this to brag or to boast but to highlight that the saying I heard my entire childhood is 100% accurate.  It is not about how much money you make it is about how much you spend.  Money never bought happiness and is a valuable resource that you have to be responsible with.  

So let's face it Cancer isn't cheep.  It comes with a lot of expense.  I have been to a doctor weekly, even twice a week since mid-July.  I have had Ultrasounds, Labs, Medications, CT Scans, X-Rays, Surgery, MRIs, PFTs, A PICC, Fertility Clinic Visits, and soon to be Chemo.  This all will be followed by Quarterly Doctor's Visits, Labs and Bi-Annual CT Scans to ensure that this does not come back and try to kill me.  So for the next 5 years healthcare is going to be a massive expense in my life.  

I am blessed that I have a wonderful employer with a wonderful benefits package. It is not lost with me how much of a blessing that is.  This limits my annual expense for Healthcare at $4,000 a year, of which I will get to spend each year at minimum.  I could not imagine where I would be without this blessing.  That being said I do believe that everyone should have access to quality affordable health plans.  I feel that everyone should have to pay for health insurance to their ability.  Growing up the way I did, I quickly have learned how having bought something for myself I treat it differently.  When something is just given to me I tend to not have the same respect for it as if I purchased it.  So the same goes for healthcare, if everyone pays in we will respect it better.  My belief is that is only needs to be affordable.  The level of affordability varies by person to person.  

In addition to the expense of it all there is the lost incomes that will and have already occured.  I will end up losing about 1 paycheck this year from my Full Time employer and 50% of the income I generally get from my Part Time job as a Paramedic.  So the income is affected and the expenses increase.  

I believe that too many people think it will never happen to me so I don't need to worry.  Well folks I never thought I would have Cancer.  Now, I am additionally blessed that this Cancer is highly curable and my prognosis is positive and well.  I have such a small chance of things not working out that my risk of other forms of disease are higher.  At least this is how I am choosing to view it.  So we can not go through life with the worry of what it, but we should have a game plan for the what ifs.  

I am a huge fan of Dave Ramsey.  The principles that he shares with others are solid financial principles and can eliminate a lot of stress from life.  Because I made the conscious decision to live like no one else now, I can live like no one else now.  With everything going on in my life I have not had to worry about missing work and losing my income.  This again has nothing to do with how much money you make, but how much you spend.  I made a very hard decision to create enough savings for myself to be able to withstand 3 months of loss incomes.  This took me YEARS to accomplish.  It started with getting out of debt which in itself changes EVERYTHING.  When you do not have the burden of paying others for things, saving for the raining day is easy.  Grandma always said "if you can not pay for it you do not need it."  And it is so true.    

So I kept my debt low and worked hard to get rid of it.  This was possible by living on a budget and living within my means.  I put every dollar to work and kept my eye on the finish line.  I found a buddy who was going through the same process and made it a competition.  I have always wanted to have a bigger nicer house, but I do not need it so I keep what I have.  Needs and wants are different and the sooner we can recognize them the better off we will be.  

We never know what is around the corner, and let's face it 2020 is a dumpster fire so who knows what will happen this month.  Whatever it will be, will be just that.  We will have little ability to change it.  But what we know is that we can prepare for it.  Because I have prepared for this I do not have the added pressure or stress of how to pay for this. 

I encourage anyone who is wanting to gain more wealth and might be struggling I am happy to take the time to walk you through the process I did to get where I am at.  It is hard work and take a lot of dedication and focus.  

I have thought through this process that I think I want to do something to give back to others who are going through this.  I am going to pay close attention to the organizations who are helping me throughout this journey and ask my friends to come together to make a donation to them in my honor.  So do not be surprised when I make the request.  

Tomorrow is a BIG day for me, I have test most of the day and get the PICC line placed, which I am not looking forward to but I will soon be grateful for.  A PICC is a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter for those of you wondering.