So Thankful

Yesterday I received a blessing that many people may not think about or worry about, however, this worry has been in my life constantly for the past 12 years. I have not had any medical, dental, vision, or any kind of insurance since I went off of my parents at age 19. I took a year off of school after my first year of college so I was not able to stay on their insurance. Once I got my job at Olive Garden at age 20, they offered benefits, however, their coverage was little to nothing and we figured out that I would end up owing thousands of dollars in taxes at the end of the year since I was a server and only made 2.33/hr. I checked into private policies like BCBS, etc, but they were all unaffordable for me because I was a college student and only able to work part time. At one point I did have state insurance (for 11 months), but I had to cancel it when my premiums hit $325 a month. I just could not afford that only working part time, and yet I wanted to finish school. 

I am so beyond thankful to God for being with me every single day the past 12 years and watching over me and keeping me healthy essentially the entire time. God does work in mysterious and surprising ways -- proof being that I did have a few medical issues come up (two sprained ankles that required x-rays, two wisdom teeth that needed to be extracted, mole removal and an excision, and a CT scan due to a suspected kidney stone) and somehow they all occurred within the 11 months that I was covered under the state insurance. I know that God was watching over me and I am so grateful to Him for keeping me safe and healthy.

My poor mom was a basket case any time she though about me needing a possible unplanned surgery such as an appendectomy, a cholecystectomy, or something unforeseen like that. A surgery like that without insurance could have put me in debt for my entire life. 

As of last night, I was able to register for medical, dental, and vision insurance through my work!! I am so excited and this is a goal that I have been working towards literally since I began nursing school. I'm so blessed that I made it through being uninsured and I will always be thankful to God for bringing me through that time.