Dealing Financially with Cancer

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By Jessie Oberg Photography

Some of my readers know that my summer was turned upside down when my 22 year old daughter was diagnosed with Stage IV terminal ovarian cancer. She had her entire life in front of her. She had just finished graduated with honors from college and was about to start a new job while she waited to apply for physical therapy school. Married for two short years, her hope was to finish physical therapy school and become a mother. Those hopes were dashed when she lost her reproductive organs through the surgical removal of her cancer. Not only was her life turned upside down, but that of her husband and family as well. As a parent, the possibility of losing your child is the one of the most heartbreaking things you will have to endure.

Just weeks after my daughter completed her four years as a collegiate runner, we found three large masses in her abdomen. Those masses turned out to be large ovarian tumors. Unfortunately, the symptoms she had been in to a doctor to ask about are the same symptoms of so many other diseases. During those appointments, the idea of a 22 year old having ovarian cancer never came up. That is why ovarian cancer is referred to as the silent killer. Just months later, my daughter had lost all of her hair to chemotherapy treatments and had a new role to play; that of a cancer patient. While one of her high school competitors was running in the olympics, my daughter was watching from the chemotherapy infusion room.

Fortunately, my daughter was lucky enough to have health insurance under her parents plan as one of the provisions of Obama Care. Since her husband is still a college student and she had to pass on her job offer because she couldn't make it to the first day of work, their financial situation became dismal to say the least. She did have a little money saved for school, but that account was quickly depleted for rent. As her mother, I am willing to spend every last dime I have for her treatments. Even with insurance, cancer treatments can add up quickly. Within 6 weeks we had to come up with $10,000 for our yearly out of pocket maximum. Next year, we will have to do over again. This will drain our savings quickly. Obviously, my daughter feels bad about her parents draining their retirement fund for her care and wants to help.

My family has been awesome in trying to raise funds. My nieces and nephews went door to door selling ice cream, cookies, etc. just to help with gas money. My daughter has to travel 180 miles round trip to treatment once a week. Little things like this can take a financial toll on cancer patients and family members. My family encouraged her to start an online fundraising event to help with out of pocket expenses on Indiegogo. That campaign can be found here:

http://www.indiegogo.com/falleninchocolate?a=1112565

Though it's hard to ask complete strangers for help, I would love for some of the companies I have helped with promotion as well as my blog readers to consider donating $1.00 to her cause. This will help her with long term out of pocket expenses

Her plight can be found on her blog. http://www.sterlinaclegg.blogspot.com. For anybody in the Salt Lake City Area, her aunt is organizing a Falling In Chocolate 5k for her. Yes, there will be chocolate at the end of the race. Feel free to go to the contact me button and email for the race details. Online registration will open within the next few days and a link from my daughter's blog will take you to the online registration. By the way, the shirts for the race are really cute, thanks to my awesome brother in law.

I want to publicly thank my awesome extended family and friends for all of the support my daughter and son in law have received at such a difficult time in life. I also want to thank my daughter for having a positive outlook and making me laugh.

Chemo does funny things to the hair.