Should I have known that it was too good to be true? I was gloriously out of credit card debt for two weeks. Then it happened. The health problem that I’ve been telling you about decided that it didn’t want to wait for me to save up an emergency fund. It sent me to the Emergency Room instead.
It was a 7-hour all-night ordeal of which I will spare you the gory details. The first three hours I spent in the waiting area at the point of tears and in utter pain. I’d never been to an Emergency Room before and let me tell you, that the stereotype of the crowded, underfunded, understaffed ER department was true in my case.
Finally, I was taken into a room where a procedure was performed to relieve the immediate pain. I had some bloodwork done and was given a CT scan. The underlying health problem was confirmed by the scan. Surgery will be required in the near future along with visits to specialists.
After some deliberation about whether I would be kept in the hospital overnight, I was finally allowed to leave around 4:30am.
Thankfully, I have insurance, but it is a high-deductible plan. I don’t yet know what the bill will be for my emergency room visit, but needless to say, it will be much more than the $2k that I have managed to save so far. When the bill comes in, I will be updating my numbers. Hopefully, I will be permitted to pay the bill on an installment plan. If not, it will have to go on the credit card. Sigh.
At least by the time I have the surgery, I will have met my annual out-of-pocket limit. Hopefully, my insurance will pick up the tab from that point forward.
Well, I knew that this would have to be dealt with sooner or later. I suppose fate has brought it forward.
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“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)
Double Debt Single Woman 
Don’t beat yourself up. There are three things in life you go into debt for: your home, an education and your health. Take care of yourself or you cannot take care of anything else. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
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Thanks for the kind words and the perspective. Yes, health needs to be a priority. Without it, nothing else matters.
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Sorry to hear about your medical dilemma. Hope you get well soon!
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Thank you, Maria.
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Yes, definitely don’t beat yourself up. I hope you feel better soon!!!
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Thanks. Yes, I will try not to.
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Do you have an HSA? If so, you can put money in pre-tax. I’ve been using mine as essentially a health emergency fund.
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Yes! I forgot about that in my post. I do have a small HSA. Thanks for the reminder.
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I think this will prove to be a minor hurdle and will be gone in 3 or 4 months maximum. Can you set it off against next year’s bonus and then it’s like it doesn’t exist?
Good luck with continuing to liberate yourself from the tyranny many of us have experienced.
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Thanks, Paul! I’m certainly trying to do so. 🙂
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Looved reading this thanks
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