My Wife’s Emergency Health Concern Exposes a Failure in Me

Medical expenses again

For two weeks commencing on November 18, 2013, my wife had to visit the hospital almost everyday. She discovered 4 mass around her neck. She was so nervous about it. I understand her why. Her mother’s death came because of lymphoma. Lymphoma is a lymph node cancer. Nobody wants that.

Anyway, this article is not meant to tackle what my wife might have on her neck. My subject is mainly how was I, with her, coping up with the financial demand attending her two-week hospital consultations.

My wife stays in the province. But she has to make it to Manila for her medical checkup. Various expenses had to be expected. This included the budget for transportation, food and outpatient medicines.

The hospital medical procedures and laboratories were not included in the budget. These expenses were well covered by my health card. I was somehow lucky to have listed her as my dependent. If it were not, she could not have even come here. For sure I can never afford those medical procedures.

So, my budgeting was focused on transportation, food and medicines. My expense estimate stands at PhP17,000.00 for two weeks. It was nice that I and my wife managed to survive, albeit I was really financially drained out.

Luckily my wife brought some money with her. And I got some too. She twice told me that she was running out of money. So as I. But I assure her that money can be earned back. What was more important was for her to be checked by the doctors and be healed whatever is on her neck.

Looking back, I can smile a bit. My profits from my prior “sidelines” helped me budget the emergency health concern of my family. My salary was not really enough. I must admit that.  Without my sidelines, where the hell would I get the money for my wife’s medical checkup?

A healthy family

It is really good to have some money for any emergency. But this recent medical spending brought me back to zero on my emergency savings. Honestly I am zero right now. That exposes one of my continuing financial failures: the failure to save enough. It could have been better if I have an ample source that can not be drained.

The apparent problem I just mentioned just drives me more to improve my existing sources of income and to come-up for more efficient sidelines for me to save more. My financial battle story could be your financial story too.