Overcoming Challenages
Who would have thought that overcoming challenges would be so incredibly hard and never ending. As a young woman, I was raped, which resulted in my getting pregnant. An incompetent doctor aborted the pregnancy. I was told because of the complications from the abortion, I would never be able to get pregnant again and if I did, I certainly would not be able to carry it full term. Twenty months later, I was blessed with a baby girl.
My husband and I wanted another child and tried for quiet some time, finally we were blessed with news I was pregnant, however I lost that child. My local doctor found I had early stages of cervical cancer and that my birthing years were closing fast. So fast, in fact with 3 months, and at the ripe old age of age 23 I had a complete hysterectomy. My husband wanting more children left me for another woman who could give him that. (Another blessed event in disguise)
All was well for a few years then my daughter got sick, she had diabetes and I almost lost her. Although raising her alone was in itself a task, I managed to get it done. Finally at age 46, having worked two jobs most my life to make ends meet, I was offered the job of a life time. It took me to Africa where I lived and worked for 14 months as a civilian contract worker and made a great deal money.
One fateful night, I fell and broke my right arm. I was sent back home for surgery and physical therapy. Unfortunately, the doctor had placed me in a full-length cast and sent me on my way back to the U.S. After 21 hours in the air and 13 hours in lay over’s, I arrived home only to find the cast had restricted the blood flow from my forearm down, and I was told I may have lost permanent use of my hand. After 19 months of therapy, and only recovering 50% usage of my right hand and forearm, I was left, with no income, no possibilities of future work in any of the three professional trained areas to which I could support myself. Now, even though I recently starting working, and earning ignorantly less than my cost of living, my insurance does not cover my medications for first 12 months of my employment, and they can deny any cost of these medications as long as they see fit. How nice it is too know I have been working all my life and now at age 49, I cannot even take care of myself financially or medically. I have never had to ask for help, now I have to ask for some type of help almost daily.
Kim M,, Boise, Idaho