I was retired when I was diagnosed, but I saw examples in my district where the person with cancer remained employed working when she could and when she ran out of leave days, many of us in our district donated some of ours to her. She could not have had access to medical care without staying employed. I had worked long enough to have qualified for long term medical leave. Fortunately, I was also on my husband’s company insurance so it would not have been an issue for me.

His employer went beyond what was expected and necessary to keep him insured. He was extremely fortunate. Most employers would just say "I'm sorry, goodby".

Ron had announced his retirement shortly before his diagnosis. When he revealed it to the owners, they were shocked, saddened, and immediately went into "How can we help?" mode. Once we discovered what the cost of the drugs would be on Medicare, they upended the retirement plan and reworked his position so that Ron could continue on the company's excellent insurance while he pursued his application for 100% VA disability. A year later he was finally able to retire, well into treatment, feeling good and incredibly blessed.

I almost checked out a couple of times back in 2017, but at least my former boss was helpful and understanding. I feel very lucky and blessed. Myeloma is stressful enough without worrying about finances and how to pay for care. It's crazy that a non profit treated you so terrible 😢

My boss was wonderful. She got me on short term disability right away. It was through the company I worked with. I was truly thankful🙏💖