47 Year Old Cancer Disabled Woman Seeks Grant Money For Debt Relief And Education
by Nina P.
I began my career in Health Information Management in 1984 as a file clerk on the night shift. By 1994, I had worked my way up to the highest paid non-managerial position in the department, Medical Record Coder. That same year I earned the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) credential. Most hospitals require this credential to qualify for a Coding position. In 2000, a consulting firm hired me. I was sent to various hospitals from the Coast of California to Virginia, as far north as Michigan and as far south as Texas. I travelled for five years, only coming home to Northern California on the weekends. I made $28 per hour. I didn't have a lot, but I was comfortable. In 2004, I rented a large house so I could take in my sister and her three teenage children. I basically supported them for 1-1/2 years until she went back to her husband. In April of 2006, I bought a house for $330,000. I was surprised I qualified. I knew it would be tight but the realtor convinced me I would be able to refinance in six months and bring the payment down. I bought that house two months too soon because the housing market crashed soon thereafter. I was stuck with a $330,000 mortgage and no one would refinance it. Now comes a very personal part. September 18, 2006 I began hemorrhaging (I won't get more graphic than that). I made an emergency trip to my GYN who did a biopsy. The results came back positive for adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. A month later, I had a hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy. While in the hospital I had four units of blood transfused. The good news was it hadn't metastasized. I asked my supervisor to not put me back in the field. I felt exhausted from all that travelling and I was concerned about my health. She offered me a job as a "remote" coder. That's doing the same job except electronically via the Internet.) The job paid $8 per hour less than the travelling position. Finances became worse and in June of 2007 the bank auctioned my house for $124,000. I moved into a rental and in October of 2008 the bank repossessed my vehicle. I haven't had a vehicle since then. I was desperate for help. No one in my family could help me financially. An older sister would buy groceries for me once in a while but with all the help I gave to members of my family in the past, no one could help me when I needed it the most. In August of 2009, I moved to Texas to live with my niece, who is like a daughter to me. Her husband is stationed here in the Army. My finances have been such that I've been upside down in my checking account and just can't seem to get ahead. I made the mistake of getting payday advances. I wound up paying more in interest charges than getting the cash to actually help me. I'm still employed full-time but I can't seem to get ahead, much less be able to buy a vehicle. I owe my niece nearly $2000 in rent and the IRS nearly $2000 in back taxes for which the IRS is levying 1/3 of my wages starting June 1. I'm stuck inside all the time and I'm growing more and more depressed. My credit is in shambles; no one will approve a loan. I am working with a law firm to clear my credit report but there is no guarantee that it can be cleared. I have actually placed postings on "help, I need money!" websites hoping someone out there would trust me enough to give me a loan or a donation. There are so many scams out there, so I can't blame people for not trusting. So here I sit in my room, desperately searching the Internet for help, applying for loan after loan and getting absolutely nowhere. I would use the money first to get caught up with rent and taxes and second to further my education in the Health Information Management field. If I were to add an RHIA credential to my CCS, it could help me become management and greatly increase my salary. Please help.
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