Long Term Financial Destitution Ending Life

lexrochefort9

Diagnosed with Breast Cancer at age 40. Complications from treatment caused long term damage to intestines, nerve damage, cognitive issues. Had to go on disability and declare bankruptcy (medical debt). Hit 5 yr mark. But nothing to celebrate. Barely making it. Have been homeless twice. Cannot afford dental and need it. Have no help. Single, no kids so don’t qualify for much else (waiting lists for everything). Did not fight and survive hell of cancer to live like this. Don’t drink, smoke, or drug; so many prescriptions. Copays. Had Covid 3 times in 20/21. Now homebound. Not making it financially. Desperate for help!!! Social workers can only find me a few dollars here and there - less than $50 in SNAP, Internet my town cannot support, copay assistance that doesn’t work with Medicare, $20 in fuel assistance. Rent takes entire SSDI check. Being single - like I don’t matter. Starting to wonder if I want to stay alive. Cry everyday - Need Help! Why NONE of millions raised for BC go to survivors???

KARWER2030

I can just empathize with you. I had breast cancer at age 49 (intermediate/high grade DCIS, bilateral mastectomy since I did not get (and could not afford) reconstruction) in 2020. I am also a veteran with assorted other health issues. The VA lost my community care case (referral to breast care center) in 2020, and I can't get quality care from them, especially for female related cancer followup. I am now bankrupted, since I could not find employment that I could sustain throughout 2020 to 2022. I now found a job, finally, but may not be able to keep the job, since it requires a credit check. I thought the VA would have some type of useful resources for people on the verge of homelessness, but they do not. They require someone to already be homeless, to get a shelter bed, but they do not help people almost losing their housing. I am now rated as 100 percent disabled on the veteran side, but the disability pay does not pay enough to cover much more than rent in this state. All I can say is: I empathize and the system is just really messed up. I do not have kids either. I feel similarly, that it seems too tough to survive cancer and then be in this place where one cannot afford to live. I will be lucky eventually just to rent a room (if I can find one), and won't be able to afford my own apartment, if this keeps going on, and I can't keep the job I just tentatively have. I did not qualify for food assistance (food banks had limited hours too in the counties I lived in), and tried working at various physical labor jobs (after two cancer surgeries), since no one wanted to hire me for anything else despite two master's degrees. I could not sustain the physical labor jobs. I am trying to get rid of belongings, so that I can just put whatever is left in storage, if I do not have a place to live. I may get a part time job and hope to keep going that way, but inflation and the high cost of living is crazy. My last ditch effort will be to move to Baja California, where rent can be much less, but one must be able to show $3,600 in income per month for 6 months and get temp residency (it is a process) from a Mexican consulate. That thought, of leaving this country, is what keeps me going. The system here is very cruel.