December 10, 2001 ~ Brother-In-Law Update
I am really really really busy, so I don't have time to think of something witty and entertaining to write about. Some of you sent concern and condolences in regards to my brother-in-law, Stephen (see this entry), and I wanted to thank you, and also give you an update.
The last of the tests came in, so it is now official and certain that he has Multiple Sclerosis (not that we had much doubt before). So they put him on a medication that he will have to take for the rest of his life to help prevent attacks (which could lead to all sorts of nasty things like paralysis, brain damage, death, etc.).
This medication costs $10,000 a year, on top of the thousands of dollars in hospital costs. We don't know how he's going to manage. He probably doesn't either. That's far over half of Morgan's and my combined yearly income (including excess student loans).
Stephen doesn't have any insurance, so he's applying for every sort of aid that he could possibly qualify for.
Anyone who has ever been in the position of having no health insurance (and no money) knows the terror that is the possibility of being diagnosed with something really horrible (and expensive). I know that whenever something goes wrong with my body, I am seized by that fear, that uncertainty, I don't have any insurance or money... What if this is something serious? I had that cancer scare a little while back... and that was terrifying. The sad thing was that it was not the possibly of cancer that scared me so much, but it was the reality of paying for cancer that terrified me. Luckily, I didn't have cancer; I only have a chronic yeast infection, and my treatment costs only about $15 a month in natural preventative remedies. Stephen was not so lucky.
So Stephen is in that position of uncertain and staggering medical debt right now, except that there is no inexpensive treatment. I'm afraid there is no happy ending to this story.
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