Originally Posted by Arachnodisiac
Actually, here is a personal story that could illustrate how routine medical care can save plenty of money and grief later.
When I was newly and very much unexpectedly a single mom, I really struggled to provide for my son. I was left with the mortgage, all the debt, and all of the child costs. (I eventually received child support later, but it took a while and it took the help of the government to get it.)
Anyway, I had left my full-time job permanently as a decision my partner and I had made so that I could care for my son. With our wages, paying daycare didn't justify what I would earn while also being away from my child. I worked part-time to supplement our income.
Of course, when I gave up the job, I gave up our health benefits.
Anyway, I really, really struggled for the first few months after he left. Our son was six months old at the time. I worked as many jobs as I could manage. I was exhausted, but I never missed a mortgage payment. I never received a penny of social assistance.
My son was lactose intolerant and I had to feed him with soy formula, which is much more expensive, and that was a real struggle too.
The lowest point of my life came when I ran out of formula three days before payday. I went to the food bank, and I brought whatever remained of my canned and dry food supplies with me. I refused to give them my name, and I insisted on trading them the food I brought for the formula I took with me. (I knew the value of it, of course.)
I bawled like a baby when I got back to the car with it. It was truly horrible.
We carried on like that for a few months and slowly started to get back on our feet. I had found a full-time job in my field, and I qualified for subsidized daycare. I still worked part-time at a restaurant whenever I could, but we were definitely coming along.
And then I had an even better stroke of luck - I found a way better job, though it took me out of the news realm of media and put me in advertising sales. But it meant much more money.
The weekend before I was supposed to start there, I became very ill. So was my son. God, we were so sick. We got to a walk-in clinic, and were both given prescriptions for antibiotics.
I went to go and fill them, and I only had enough to fill my son's. Filling mine was never even a consideration. I was so embarrassed. And the worst part was I would have had enough had I not bought a new outfit for my job interview. (Though I really did need it.)
Anyway, my son got better, I did not.
And then, because of the whole new job thing, it was a long time before I got paid again. At the time, I actually thought I was feeling better, but the infection has just travelled, I guess. My first few weeks at that job are a fog when I look back on it and I would never have dreamed of calling in sick.
My fourth week in, I ended up in the hospital with viral meningitis because my system was so weak. I had to miss two days of work, I was away from my son, and at first we did not know whether it was viral, or the potentially deadly bacterial variety. Very scary.
And all because of a $30 drug prescription. And I swear on my life I was doing the very best I could to take responsibility for myself and my son.
Sometimes sh*t just happens, and it doesn't mean that people asked for it.
|