This is not a plea for donations. I'm not giving out my home address and I hope no one goes to look up my work address (this could really cause problems at work).

This is a notice to everyone that our current health system sucks.

I know that most doctors cringe and rail at the thought of socialized medicine in the U.S. I can understand why. They go incredibly into debt to become physicians and specialists. Nearly all of them have HUGE student loan payments. Those exorbitant prices they charge for a ten minute office visit are exorbitant in order to pay off those loans. Yes, many of them golf, have nice cars and take some long, nice vacations. But look at the long and often really goofy hours.

I understand all of this.

What I'm asking people to understand is how many people are denied health care because they can't afford it? Or they're afraid they can't afford it so they just don't go to the doctor? How many people are afraid to get a test done not because they're afraid of the results, but they're afraid they can't pay for it?

What good does it do for the U.S. to have such wonderful health advances if those advances are only used for the wealthy or the elite?

When people are seriously ill, why should they have to divide their attention between getting better and paying for medical bills as well as how to pay for food and shelter?

I realize that this is a hot button for many people. Any mention of any kind of socialism in the United States is often met with looks of disbelief and scorn.

But for a country that also tries to be humanitarian, we're not taking care of each other very well.

I tried several different resources to help with some of the money matters. I didn't qualify for anything. I'm a single female who was 31 at the time of the diagnosis. I was given each of these reasons for receiving no aid:

No children, no money
Too young to give money to (only gave money to the elderly)
Too old to give money to (only gave money to children or tweenagers)
"Your family will help you"
You make too much money
You haven't missed a rent payment yet
You're still working

Because I continued to work despite my illness, I qualified for nothing. Because I tried hard to keep up with all of my regular bills, I had a choice: no groceries or let the medical bills go. I chose to let the medical bills go and again that left me out of some programs.

Beginning Round Two of Chemo >