I thought I was invincible …

I was 41 years old and happily married with two children. I enjoyed my job and made my health a priority by working out, eating right and getting annual mammograms. But my happy world turned upside down when I found a lump in my breast. I immediately called my doctor, and after some preliminary tests, he confirmed the worst: I had breast cancer. My diagnosis led to lumpectomy and mastectomy surgeries – and then several months of chemotherapy and radiation to eliminate the cancer that spread to my lymph nodes. Fortunately, my treatments were successful, and my health insurance plan paid for most of the medical bills. But my family’s budget was stretched by the deductibles and out‐of‐pocket costs not covered by insurance. We also had additional expenses for my wigs, scarves and new clothing I needed since I had limited use of my arms after the surgeries and breast reconstruction. My story has a happy ending. I now serve as an advocate for other women suffering from breast cancer. I’ve been an American Cancer Society Reach for Recovery volunteer since 2007 and my “Breast Friends” support group created a website to tell our stories, provide resources and share tips for those dealing with breast cancer. My advice is simple: If you are faced with a critical illness, let people help you and do what you can to help yourself. Purchase Critical Illness insurance and set aside money in a flexible spending account because you never know what’s going to happen. No one is invincible.