Hello! I have breast cancer.

This is a challenge, of course -- and it’s been a fascinating challenge so far.

The problem is, I have to have chemo and surgery, and my job only covers 60% of my income while I’m out.

I have tremendous support from family, friends, and my partner Francis. I'm privileged: I’m educated, I'm as safe as anyone can be in St. Louis, I have great health care. My appearance and identity don’t make me unusually vulnerable to harm. 
I work at Washington University, for pete’s sake...
which pays me about $2,000 per month.

So…

Typical income for living
- 40% in lost wages
+ cancer costs
= gofundme time.

The first time I looked at the amount I owed on my health insurance, after I saw doctors and had scans -- and before I had one drop of medicine -- the total was $16,000. Now that I’ve started chemotherapy, it’s up to $62,000.

I don't pay all that, of course, because health care in the US is strange and illogical and broken.

But no matter how I budget, I can’t budget for cancer on 60% of my income. I’m sure many, if not most people out there couldn’t!

[check out my wild gray cowlick!]

I’m excited to bring together all the ideas I’ve always had for living a healthy life, but which I wasn’t completely doing. Good eating, exercise, mental health, fighting unhealthy vices, connecting more intimately with people, spending time more wisely, immersing myself in this juicy and multifaceted life.

[Landon, Oliver, Amber, Lillian, and Emmy are amazing barbers!]

The cancer is a triple-negative tumor (meaning it is not fueled by estrogen, progesterone, or a protein called HER2). This means there’s limited ways to treat it, and that it’s an “aggressive” type. I’ll have 5-6 months of chemo, and then a mastectomy, and then possibly more chemo or radiation. They say I’ll be healthy in a year. If I were to assign a reasonable and accurate amount to my lost income over that year, it’s about $10,000. So that’s what I need to ask for.

I don't want to ask for money. I want to earn it, at my job, which I love. Help me get back to it, so I can then pay it forward by helping patrons at my library, sharing times with other humans, and donating to others' gofundmes when they need help staying alive in this convoluted world.

Thank you for considering donating! 

[My partner, helping to keep my soul from goin' under. <3 ]