Kidney Cancer returned in my spine

kpq1918

I'm 56 now and had kidney cancer in 2008 and got my right kidney removed. In August 2024, I was diagnosed with stage 4 renal cancer that attached itself to my spine. The cancer was pushing on the bone and my spine was close to fracturing. I had 8 hour surgery to get screws and rods inserted to stabilize my spine.

I was too scared to get my prognosis from the doctor but they're still treating me so that has to be a good sign. In December, a CT Scan showed that all my other tumors were smaller and some shrunk up to 50%. My main tumor on my spine did not shrink, but i had surgery on it and radiation, so the doctor said that there are most likely dead cancer cells that are showing up.

I've been in pain and that doesn't seem to be getting better. The doctors prescribed me morphine and oxy for the pain, but I would have thought that the pain would be getting better, but it's not. I sit down most of the day, and try to work but I think I need to stand up more and walk more.

Anyways, it's been a really bad week for me and I'm starting to face the facts that this is my new life. I'm not able to work as much. I'm a freelance software developer and have a couple of clients right now. I'm hoping I'll be able to keep doing this, but I know my work hasn't been as good as it was before this happened and the bills are piling up. Does anybody know what kind of financial help might be available to me or where I should look? We currently get no financial help and don't know where to start to look.

AliceB1950

I think people who have any stage 4 cancer are eligible to get fast tracked for social security disability. There should be a social worker through your doctor or hospital you can talk to about that and any other assistance.

kpq1918

Thank you AliceB. I might look into it this weekend and mention it to my Oncologist. Unfortunately, I was/am a freelancer Software Developer and when I looked into Medicaide last fall, I found out that you to have full time employment to qualify for some stuff. Even though I worked over 40 hours a week, I didn't think I would qualify for it. I never looked into Social Security disability though.

I am able to work, but I can't work like I used to. I find myself getting too tired and usually have to stop at 4:00 or 4:30 with frequent breaks in between. I also need to bring home $4000 to $5000 a month to pay the bills. Somehow by the grace of God, we got Home Equity Loan about a month before I got diagnosed with cancer. We've been living mostly by that, but this is running out quickly.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my post, but my insurance rescinded my policy when I got diagnosed and so far we have over $140,000 in bills and there's a bill out there to the hospital for almost $250,000. We can't pay a penny towards all these bills and we've been trying to negotiate, but they aren't coming down by much. We spoke with a bankruptcy lawyer and she said try to work with them, but in the end, don't pay the hospital bills. They've recently passed a law where they forgive alot of medical debt. I read this and I'm not sure I qualify for it.

I wish I could try to fight the cancer more, but I've been spending the last couple of months fighting the scum at the insurance company (Allstate) and the billing people at the my hospital. After the company dropped my policy, my wife's company let me get on their insurance, but we have to pay 100% of it, so my wife is now mostly working just to pay hers and my insurance.

AliceB1950

I'm so sorry for the financial problems and how evil your insurance has been.