Almost two years ago, I was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), an extremely rare progressive, incurable lung condition with no known cause. Since then, I've done everything I can to keep working and keep things as normal as possible — I took a leave of absence right after my diagnosis in 2024, then went back to work in early 2025, and pushed through some tough side effects for the last year. This past June, I had to stop working again because of those same medication & disease side effects.
My doctor and I are working on some options that could help, but we won't know if they're making a difference before my short-term disability runs out on August 30th. That means I'll be transitioning to long-term disability, which comes with two hard realities: my income will be cut in half, and I'll need to pay over $800 a month just to keep my health coverage through COBRA.
I'm lucky to have my partner of 10 years, Travis, by my side and being so supportive. But even with him working 6 days a week, the combination of lost income and COBRA costs is more than our regular budget was ever built to absorb and is not something we can sustain. With increased medical expenses over the last 2 years, our finances have already taken a hit, making this new situation especially scary.
I'm asking for $8,000 to help bridge that gap over the next several months while I go through the long-term disability process and figure out an alternate solution for health insurance. Finishing the year on Cobra makes the most sense even with the premium cost since my deductible and out of pocket max have already been met for the year. Whatever you're able to give makes a real difference, and even sharing this post helps. Thank you for reading this and for being part of my life, whether we've known each other for years or you're just someone kind enough to care. I will definitely pay forward your kindness and generosity. I look forward to reaching a better quality of life and soon returning to the career I’ve worked so hard to build.
