"You know what I want!"

There's a song on the Spinal Tap soundtrack called "Gimme Some Money!" (It was one of their early smash hits.) I kinda know what they were talking about.

When I was first diagnosed, one of my first thoughts was "how the hell am I going to pay for this?" I am only 35, live in one of the most beautiful yet expensive cities in the US (San Francisco), am independently employed (read - don't make much money) and am too young to have much of a savings or retirement account. I am lucky that I at least have health insurance. My surgical bills alone were over $80,000. I can't imagine going through this without health insurance or without help from my friends and family. Although, I would like to have some sort of law passed where all people who get cancer and have less than $5,000 in assets immediately get $100,000. Sounds fair, right? Oh well, we should probably cure world hunger first and stop the spread of HIV in Africa, but you know what I mean.

I think this is a particular problem for those of us that are young and facing cancer. Not that it's ever an easy financial burden, but when you are young, in addition to feeling like your life has somehow been stolen away, you are faced with this huge financial debt/burden right at the beginning of your adult life.

I'm not a big fan of amassing huge amounts of cash, but I understand better now why someone would want a nest egg. Because stuff like cancer happens.