When you hear those words, "You have breast cancer" you look for anything and everything to make you feel better. You face the fear of death, chemo, the effects of chemo, the loss of "your girls" and the fear of the unknown. But the one thing you don't fear is losing your home. I'm there now.
OK, cancer is a catastrophic disease. We know that. What we don't know is just how limited the financial help is out there. If anyone needs financial security, it's cancer victims.
I have lived in the same home for nearly sixteen years. I raised my children in this home choosing to rent instead of own because I am NOT able to fix the things that tend to go wrong in a home. Renting, paying on time and being a "good tenant" is the best thing to do...gives you credibility. Well...
When I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, I found the best professionals to care for me, my mind and soul what didn't happen was the financial care and advice I was led to believe would be there. Then my area sold to a company in North Carolina and suddenly, I was notified I'd need to pay $425.00 regular rent and then another $400.00 by the fifth of May or they would start "legal proceedings to have me evicted." In fact, the new manager came by last night to "collect."
Suddenly, the $425.00 I had wasn't enough. The entire $825.00 was required by tomorrow...May 5th, or I would quote, "need to start getting my shit together and get out."
I am still in treatment, bald and now broken hearted because one of my biggest fears has always been that one day someone would come to my home and say "Get out!" That day has come.
I literally have nowhere to go. My sons live pretty far away and their "significant others" DO NOT want me moving in no matter how temporarily it would be. There are no homeless shelters in my area and the worst hurts have been "radio silence" from my sons and a refusal of help from my church. Adding insult to injury, all I really need is $250 and all will be well. The problem is all my remaining cancer bills...as I call them have now been paid leaving me with just enough to pay the electricity bill. I never thought the $425.00 I had would be refused and they WILL not wait for June when my finances finally start getting back to normal.
Friends are gone, my faith is shattered and I'm trying to borrow the $250 from various loan places who tell me "they can't take the chance." Also, there is no sympathy for a breast cancer patient about to be thrown out of her home. At least I can live in my car...til June 3rd...my next payday.
Sisters...and brothers, pray for me as I go through the hardest part of my recovery. No, I won't be able to buy my meds but I'll survive. No, I won't have a home...but I'll survive. Just in case I on't, I have lived a wonderfully adventurous life, became an ICU/RN and just because I'm one of the few that fell through the cracks, I've met YOU! Any and all readers...pray for cancer patients, pray for me and take care of yourselves and those you love.
Don't pity me...learn from and pray for me, too!!
Love and Peace
Dyane
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