4/11/26

just a quick update because I try not to be online much these days for the sake of my mental wellness.

I paid off a chunk of this, but still owe about $4300.

I don't have any good news because, the job that forced me to relocate last year (per the story below) laid me off first week in August.

So thumbs up emoji

Baby girl is doing just fine and has continued to do just fine.

Hi All,

I decided to start this fundraiser as this is an abnormal situation that would not have occured without a series of unfortunate events happening all in a row.

I had spent the last 6 years caring for an elderly relative, and late 12/2024 I relocated to LA for work. Shortly after I left, my relative fell and had multiple strokes. On top of going through most of my savings to move, I was driving 2 hours each way back to check in on my relative multiple times through Jan & Feb until they ultimately passed in March. In addition to that, I fell ill for two weeks after. Needless to say, my finances were completely devastated, including the emergency funds I kept.

On 5/1, after coming home from the office, I realized my cat (legal name: Loa, actual name: Baby,) was acting very odd and there was clear vomit puddles throughout the apartment. I grew up with multiple pets, relatives and family friends with farms, so I knew this wasn't the typical 'cat with a hairball' and rushed her to the emergency vet down the street. What I was hoping was something stuck in her throat she couldn't get out, turned out to be a severe obstruction in her intestines.

With my previous pet, I had insurance, and I got insurance for Baby the day I adpoted her. I had gone through the process of submitting a claim for the previous pet and knew I would get reimbursed (partially) for the vet bill. Unfortunately for me, the bill for an emergency surgery at 1am was $8,900.

I was lucky that the insurance, Nationwide, approved the claim in a decent amount of time. I was unlucky that, Nationwide had recently changed their insurance "style" and I did not realize the severity of this change. Previously, with the other cat, the style had been 'reimbursement up to 70% of the total bill,' but now, they are on a 'benefit schedule' where the company will only pay up to a certain limit. Without experiencing it, I had no way to anticipate an $8,900 bill on a gastric surgery that Nationwide will only pay up to $1,750 for. I received the reimbursement in the mail and deposited it yesterday.

In any other time of the year, even by August this year, I could have paid the difference from my emergency funds. Hindsight 20/20 and all that. I exhausted every option before deciding to make a GFM- I spoke to the vet (in person) yesterday to see if I could get any of the exhorbinant fees removed (I could not,) I called Nationwide to see if they could cover anything else per their benefit schedule (they would not.) The only benefit to Nationwide is I am not locked into a contract and can leave at any time- I will be setting up new insurance with either Trupanion or Pet's Best within the next month (still deciding between the two.) I am also pursuing a promotion within my team that will have a positive financial impact, and if not, I will consider other options.

Thankfully (or not) I was able to put the balance on CareCredit with a "if you pay it off in one year you will not owe interest." This is how CareCredit makes money- if you do not pay it off in one year, they asses interest on the full balance of the original purchase regardless of what you have paid off.

I will make do, I always have, and I do not expect anything. This is a horribly stressful time economically for everyone. But I recognize the absurdity of the situation & chain of bad luck. Even though I realize it is ok to ask for help when you need it, I am struggling even now to write these last few sentences from the guilt, but no person can manage everything on their own 100% of the time.

Enjoy a few more pictures of Baby and her brother Stinky as a thank you for reading.

Thank you,

saku