Hi all, this is Christine. You may know me as a music teacher, church musician, solo traveler, or even an Uber driver.

But now you may know me as a stage 3 colon cancer patient. You may have heard about the approximately $30,000 damage to my home just after I started chemo treatments

It's not the me I usually know. When I have an unusual bill -- I find a way to make a little more money. But this time -- I can't. Frankly, I don't have the energy due to the chemo.

Many of you know my work history. I was an elementary music teacher for many years, both in Denver and Jefferson County, Colorado. My longest home was Stober Elementary (go Stallions!). I'm a pianist/singer and have played for numerous concerts, churches (currently Evergreen Christian Church), and musicals -- my all-time favorite thing to do.

As much as I enjoyed teaching, I really wanted to work for myself -- which I've done a few times! But in May of 2021, with Covid changing many things about education, I decided it was time to retire and go full in on self-employment. I receive a small pension, rent two rooms in my home, and play piano for a church (I'm now their administrative assistant too). Beyond that, I needed to make about $1000 per month to keep at my current standard of living -- easily doable with my skills and abilities. I spent some time doing notary work and loan signings (quit the loan signings, though -- ugh) and got my credential as a life coach, which I love. I also am a self-proclaimed trivia master, and it's another joy in my life to research, write and host those games.

But let's jump to the chase and explain why I'm here.

It started with my emergency diagnosis and surgery over Memorial Day weekend. I went in for an intestinal blockage and came out six days later with 7" of my colon removed. In addition, I now had a temporary colostomy bag, and a bunch of new words and procedures that I'd never applied to myself -- stoma, colostomy, port, chemotherapy.

As someone with lifelong ulcerative colitis -- this was unexpected but not truly a surprise. The possibility of colon cancer was something I've known about since I was nine.

I've got good insurance with Kaiser Permanente and was well taken care of in the hospital, so my medical bills were tolerable for the moment. It was tight, but I could make it work.

However, I didn't realize how much the chemo would take out of me. I'm exhausted most of the time and have about four good days out of fourteen (my chemo cycle).

That was bad enough until...

One of my tenants overflowed a toilet. Big time. On the third floor. Before he woke me, the water the ceiling onto the floor below (dining room)t (one floor below), however, when I looked at how the damage had happened -- the toilet had broken when he clogged it -- it wasn't technically his fault.

Therefore -- it should all be covered by my insurance company.

But for the moment -- only part of it is.

The contractor I chose (from the insurance companies list) came out much higher on his estimate than the money I've received from the insurance company.

The difference between the two currently stands at $12,000.

The damage is primarily in the rooms that I rent out, which means a large loss of income until I can get it repaired (and the risk of poor reviews). Because of the fight, I can't even get the contractor to begin the repair work.

The next issue is the future. With my finances so tapped -- I start a new round of medical expenses on January 1st. My chemo will end on December 29th (barring unforeseen complications) -- but I still need to have two, possibly three surgeries, none of which can be done until after the chemo has left my system.

Speaking of chemo -- this is another issue. I can't work very many hours right now. Some days, I can barely make a meal, then lie on the couch. I've started turning down work that I would have typically done happily -- but I can't guarantee that I feel well enough to work on any given day. Most days, my dishes get half washed, and laundry never seems to get folded anymore.

So, reluctantly, it's time to reach out a hand and ask for help. Many of you wondered what you could do when I was first diagnosed, and thanks to all of you who extended support with meals, clean-up, rides etc.

At this point, my needs are financial. I need about $800 per month to make up for the loss of income until I feel well enough to work more hours. I'm still paying off the hospital bills ($3000 left). I need some help with the gap between my insurance company (in the end, I think it will be more like a $6000 difference - but that's a lot right now). And finally, some buffer for February 2023, when I have my colostomy reversed and my parathyroid issue finally resolved (I was supposed to have an operation on that in June 2022). I will quickly max out my deductible and out-of-pocket expenses early next year -- currently, that amount is $6,750. Giving it some buffer (and probably some things I forgot about), my total comes to about $17,000.

Making this decision has not been easy. It's not something that would have even dawned on me until it was suggested by a couple of friends (thanks to Kevin and Jess).

Like most of you -- I wouldn't say I like feeling vulnerable. It's challenging, especially when I'm so physically challenged.

Since the beginning of this short but intense journey, I've been trying to look at this event through the lens of empathy. Empathy seems to be in short supply these days, especially when seen through social media.

I certainly didn't get cancer to put more empathy in the world. But if this illness can help our world in any way -- helping each other is the answer. It's my turn to ask for a helping hand -- if you can, great. If you can't, no problem.

Thanks to all who have prayed, sent me healing energy, and bought me a meal or flowers. Your energy has sustained me through the last almost five months, and the end is in sight!

Thanks again --

Christine

PS: Feel free to share. I can only hope that my story can help others.