Book: 2017 | Chapter: 1 | Page: 10
How my journey started.
COLLEGE!
I was the first person in my immediate family to go to college (or well maybe graduate -- my mom may have done one year or some?) So going to a college was REALLY important to me even though I wasn't a very good student I did (and still do) love to learn. I didn't want to take a year off to discover what I wanted to do in life because I felt like I would never go back... at least that's what we were pressured in school to think. Besides, I had life ALL figured out. I knew what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be and who I was going to become.
Till I actually started doing it.
I picked a college in NC about 1000 miles or so away from home in which I knew NOONE. But I loved it. I loved the campus and the opportunities it provided. Till I actually got there.
I never knew I was such a home body till I was so far away and couldn't get there regularly and then when I did it wasn't the same.
I spent 2 years at this college for Early Childhood Education before I got scared, missed home, and yes -- gave up. I moved home after spending 2 years on out of state tutition ($$$) and no degree. When I came home I did one semester at the local State University for Health Care and decided that was too much work for me and then I finally settled at the local community college and ended up getting my degree there for Administrative Business Management. What kind of degree is this anyways? Whatever. I finish A degree in just over 4 years ... it was just a two year degree that left me with just over 30k in debt to pay back... YEAH I was the smart one -- If I could only go back to my 18 year old self now.
I spent the next 15 years or so just doing life, racking up credit card debt, buying things I didn't need to impress people I didn't even like and deferring my debt due to economic hardship. Sad part is ... I created that hardship on myself.
Fast forward to last summer.
I had been without insurance for the last 5 or 6 years and finally decided to just bite the bullet and figure out how to pay for insurance through my work because I wasn't gonna pay that obamacare and I thought it was ridiculous that I was getting charged for NOT going to into debt to have healthcare when I'm fairly healthy ... IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
SO I grumbled with paying the $150 a month or whatever it is through my work ... just to be covered... I'M FINE.
But guess what ... insurance is there for a reason ... for when you need it and you don't think you do.
THE CALL
I decided I'd go for that once a year "Woman" appointment ... you know the one that everyone dreads because why not I had insurance now -- couldn't hurt at least.
I expected the test to come back normal as it always had. I had no reason for it to come back different. BUT IT DID.
I had to go back for some "Routine" exams and test and small biopsy's because sometimes the test is a false positive. Awesome okay we will go with that then.... FALSE Positive.
Except the second round of tests didn't confirm the false positive instead it said something else.
CANCER.
I don't remember much that happened that moment or the conversation that happened my mind kind of went blank. I had no idea what Cervical Cancer was or what it could mean.
So of course I researched and researched and set myself into panic mode.
The next few weeks were a bit chaotic. Had to get my mom to schedule a trip here as i'm basically all alone, more testing, and scheduling of pre ops and surgeries.
MONEY.
I was expected to come up with close to $2k out of pocket prior to the surgery. That's when I realized among everything else I was dealing with that I couldn't deal with that too. I live paycheck to paycheck or like I usually say less then paycheck to less then paycheck.
I was lucky that my mom spotted me at least 500 of it that absolutely needed to be paid and the rest I was able to charge out. When all was said and done I've got about 4k that I need to pay back for my portion of the surgeries and that's after insurance has already covered over 10k.
I will take a moment to say that in December I had my last post surgery biopsy and at this time I show cancer free. YES.
Even Cancer free I am sad. I am emotional at everything and stressed out. I can't seem to enjoy life. That's when I remembered a course I had taken from Dave Ramsey .. you know the guy that is entire debt free and wealthy? I mean who lives like that ...
So I dug out my materials that I kept, you know for the day I became in debt (Which I was already I just didn't want to face it) and got to work.
NUMBERS.
When you put all the numbers on paper for EVERYTHING you owe it's scary like HELLA scary. I owe about 50k or more in debt ... on a 30k a year salary. WOAH. And that doesn't include all the money my parents have given me over and above the typical parent kind of stuff ... it was time at 35 to GET MY SH*T TOGETHER.
So that's what I'm doing ...
2017 is the year I get my sh*t together --- and I'm more determined then ever.
#FollowYourArrow
As Always,
Brenda
