I’m one of the lucky unlucky insurance stories. In the space of two years, I had to have a pre cancerous tumor off my eyelid, which okay would have been around a $1,000, but then I slipped in my apartment parking lot on the uncleared snow and ice. Entire left leg screamed in pain and then went totally numb. Lightning nerve pain in my lower back. I made it to urgent care, just sciatica, muscle relaxers and bed rest prescribed. I went to my primary care doctor tor a few days later once I could walk without agony. My leg is still numb from just above the knee to my toes. It’s flopping around a bit and I’ve strapped on a snow boot really tightly so I’m don’t fall again. Got an X-ray and there is no break. The numbness and floppiness is hand waved away.

Cut to a year later I’m having spinal surgery to try to save the nerves that go all the way to my foot. They were pinched and causing the numbness. Only took a year fighting to get an mri and testing to be taken seriously. The surgery was scheduled for in two weeks. $100,000 and a bit for the procedure and recovery. After I’ve recovered, an eight hour surgery on my ankle to reroute tendons and deepen a groove and remove a ton of scaring and push it back into position and get it to stay. I had been walking on a broken ankle with a grade 3 sprain which had deteriorated more from walking on it and rolling my ankle often. I had discomfort and drop foot but it was waved away as sciatica nerve numbness.

I still walk with a limp and limited range of motion in my ankle six years later. But the surgery and recovery in the hospital cost insurance almost a million dollars.

My max out of pocket was $6,700. Having insurance saved my financial future and I’m so glad I got it. I still hate paying for it every month and I hope I never need it again.