Speaking of the economic impact of illness, here is an excerpt [removed info that could ID her as she was/is well known in my generation] from an email I received from a classmate today. We are both in our mid-60s:
...I have no complaints. I only wish that my body had cooperated a little better. When I was working and had full health benefits, I was relatively healthy, short of one bout with cancer in '73. I underwent two series of radiation and two series of chemo and low and behold I survived to "go round" one more time with that evil "big C". This time it is breast cancer. A radical mastectomy, a secondary lymph surgery and only one treatment available to me which is Arimidex - an estrogen stopping drug - hopefully keeping the cancer at bay. So far I am holding my own. All of this occurred after having been down for almost two full years of recovering from edema .... The edema was not properly diagnosed and before they knew it the misdiagnosis had destroyed my kidneys and my liver. Ever since then it has been a battle to keep me afloat medically speaking with medication that is "liver friendly" and that in itself has been an ordeal. Right now the Arimidex is the only treatment available to me since I have already maxed out the radiation treatment plan and my liver could not withstand a chemo treatment. The Arimidex has bad, painful side effects - severe bone, joint and muscle pain - untreatable with pain killers - I just try to keep using my muscles, doing exercises (like I was shown during my year and a half of physical therapy) in other words - use it or lose it no matter the discomfort. I'm not as tough as I use to be - but I am a survivor. The financial burden has been overwhelming. The savings went quickly, the retirement went next and even now my health insurance and Medicare do not pay the medical bills. I have four series of tests performed over a year's time. Every three months it is a battery of tests: MRI's, ultra sounds, bone scans, blood toxes, etc., just to track the cancer - to make sure it does not metastasize to any other location in my body. The first three series are paid for by insurance and Medicare - the final series every year is out of pocket - putting us right back in the hole at the end of each year. A vicious circle. Like I said I am a survivor. I am surviving. ...