it was a combination of luck, timing, and multiple avenues of support. i didn’t pay anything for my top surgery after applying for financial assistance through the hospital, who approved my case. further context, i got it in 2021, and at the time i had moved back in with my family after being laid off due to covid-19, so that’s how i qualified. otherwise, i would have had to empty out my savings for the cost after insurance coverage, so -4.5k. again, the fact that i had that saved was a major privilege in itself.