Early this week, I realized the wolf was at the door; looking very hungry, and snarling menacingly.
My bank balance had reached rock bottom, hovering dangerously close to zero, while I was distracted with other things. Things like "AHHH, I AM GONNA DIE SOON", "What can I as a non-medical professional / regular patient do to keep the tumor at bay and survive Glioblastoma?", "How does one Implement a Custom Rails Cache Store with Mongoid 6.0 if one were inclined to do so?", "I gotta train for and finish the full 26.2 miles distance at the LA Marathon", etc.
It was a matter of a few days/weeks before checks issued on my bank account started bouncing like nobody's business, and spread general misery and ill-will among the people who have business relationship with me.
I had seriously started entertaining the idea of having a fund-raiser soon, adopting the line that now is the time for everyone to chip in to help a fellow out of a financial hole. I also weighed the option of touching a few close friends who had offered to help me with money for a loan/private donation.
In the end, I decided against both these options, and instead pulled money out of my retirement account to deal with the current crisis.
The main reason I decided against a fundraiser now is because this is not a real medical crisis induced by Glioblastoma. This is more of a self-inflicted crisis by being careless about my finances and freelancing career.
Also, I had one fundraiser last May, and had spectacular response from my family, friends, and people in my wider community circles. I asked for $11,000; ended up getting a total of $34,693.12 through the fund-raiser.
That amount raised was very helpful; I paid up all the huge bills coming up my way from my hospitalization for the brain surgery, and subsequent ongoing treatments. I also was able to pay off the huge amount I was owing to the IRS for the previous year's taxes.
Doing another fund-raiser less than a year after the previous one, and the possibility of making this an annual tradition does not appeal to me.
I am still in a very healthy shape despite the underlying ever-present brain cancer, and am able to work and earn my living. I can work towards earning enough this year to not only pay my bills this year, but also replenish my retirement account with the amount I took out of it.
Given the expected timeline for a Glioblastoma patient, there could be a time very soon when my mental capacities decline and I would not be in a position to work to earn my living; that would be the right time for the next fund-raiser.
Besides, if I am to die in the next couple of years, right now can indeed be considered as my retirement stage, and it makes perfect sense that I use my retirement savings for my needs now. 😅
As the old kannada saying goes: Beeso DoNne Tappisi Kondare Saavira Varusha Aayassu
ಬೀಸೋ ದೊಣ್ಣೆ ತಪ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಂಡರೆ ಸಾವಿರ ವರುಷ ಆಯಸ್ಸು
That can be roughly translated as: "If you escape the current threat, you will live for a thousand years."
I have escaped the current threat. Now on to the business of living for a thousand years. 😇
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