Betty

Tuesday afternoon, I was sitting in my office when the phone rang. It was one of my former patients from the Diabetic Clinic.

She had been a patient here for at least 5 years – besides diabetes, she had an ovarian mass that we had been watching closely.

She and her husband both work; she works at a nursing home. Neither of their jobs offered insurance. Her husband suffered a heart attack last year, so they are paying hospital bills for that. She came in to see me in November to look at healthcare through the Marketplace. She picked a plan that fit into their budget with low monthly premiums, but a higher deductible. She was thrilled to have insurance that would start January 1, 2014.

So, when she called – my first thought was that she had found the high deductible to be more than they could afford. But, no – what she called to tell me was that she had been diagnosed with cancer. I assumed it was the ovarian mass, but was wrong again. She has been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus, liver and lung. She is 55 years old.

I felt physically sick.

Glad that she has access to care; glad that she wanted me to know; a stark reminder that none of us knows what tomorrow brings.

Please keep her in your prayers.