08-16-2009, 08:57 PM
I'm very sorry to hear about your situation. My family is also dealing with a similar situation. My fiance's mother has late-stage small cell lung cancer and has had to leave her business for over two months. Here are some suggestions, but also I send you my good wishes and prayers:
The first thing I would look into is what your mother's insurance covers, if she has insurance (I'm assuming so, since you're talking about possible chemo). My mother-in-law's insurance covered treatment in one of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. There's several around the country. CTCA is super easy to contact, and they will fight your insurance company FOR you to get coverage. You just hand them the info. and they take care of it. Check it out here: http://www.cancercenter.com/ My fiance went with his mom and said that they are truly an amazing place.
The best part is, patients get to STAY in the center for as long as they're being treated, AND they pay for the patent's flight to the center. You wouldn't have to worry about driving her. It's really a good idea, because the centers are so awesome and have totally organic food, 24 hour care and ONLY cancer specialists working there. They focus on healing patients not just with drugs and machines, but spiritually and mentally. My mother-in-law chose to have acupuncture, daily prayers, physical therapy, a visit from a family member who flew in, and a counselor while she was there-- all covered by the insurance because CTCA fought for her.
Okay, sorry, I didn't mean to advertise for them, they have just really helped us through alto of stress. If your mother stayed there, you would have more time to get your schooling done. However, I would say that at this moment, the important thing is going to be your mother's health, even if putting your career on hold hurts. Financially, there are other alternatives than the CNA/LPN route. I know it's hard to get a job that pays the rent these days, but putting all your effort into getting that job rather than schooling would help more right now. Even getting those certifications, provided you were able to pay for and pass the courses, doesn't necessarily mean you'll get a job in that field. Stick with the more sure bet (a regular job) until your financial situation improves or your mom's health becomes less of a problem.
You can contact your state government's job center for resume help and job searching, an employment/temp. agency like Manpower, or search for jobs on line at WNW.craigslist.com, where there's tons of job listings, temporary gigs and where you can even post your resume or offer your services.
If and when you're really facing eviction, you can apply to be a live-in nanny, an on-site apartment maintenance person/caretaker, or a house-sitter. Some banks and mortgage companies are allowing or even paying people with good references to stay in empty, foreclosed homes to do basic maintenance and prevent vandalism.
I also suggest contacting the American Cancer Society. They're a research and charity organization that offers a great deal of support to cancer patients and their families.
Good luck!
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