There are resources available to help you cope with financial stress of cancer, whether it's you or a loved one facing the disease.
PUBLISHED August 14, 2019
Diana M. Martin has been an adjunct professor in The Writing and Reading Center at Montgomery College in Rockville, MD, for over 15 years. She has a MFA in Creative Nonfiction and has published articles in the areas of parenting, health and cultural arts. When her husband lost his battle with cancer of unknown primary, later identified as bile duct cancer, she became the sole caregiver for their adult son, Alex, who is autistic.
Whether it is you or a close family member who receives the diagnosis, eventually most people wonder: How are we going to survive financially? It's been almost four years since my husband passed away, and I still have moments of insecurity when it comes to me being the sole breadwinner. We survived on his salary and health insurance while I worked part time and cared for our son with autism. While he was in treatment, all of that changed.After the diagnosis, the first financial step we took was to notify his place of employment. Luckily for us, he had saved up vacation and sick leave. The organization he worked for had a program where people could donate their leave to help others in need. We took advantage of the program. Keeping him on the payroll was essential to our survival. His supervisor also allowed him to work from home when he could. This were blessings that I know are not available to everyone. And even with this good fortune, I knew it wouldn't be enough to keep us afloat.
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