My nightmare began on Oct. 8, 2018, when I learned what I thought were fibroids turned out to be a nine-inch cancerous tumor.
A week later, I was put in the hospital and spent almost three weeks there to treat not only the tumor but also pulmonary embolisms in my lungs. I started to worry about how I was going to pay all the medical costs. I knew I needed to complete nine weeks of chemotherapy, then undergo a complete hysterectomy and removal of the tumor, and then have another nine weeks of chemotherapy.
I’m the head of a household of four that includes my 86-year-old father, and I have a mortgage to pay. I looked online to check my health benefits, but was getting myself more and more stressed out so I decided to call my union.
I spent two hours on the phone with a rep from the UFT, Tanisha Franks, in the Staten Island borough office, and she gave me all the facts I needed to know and walked me through it. Then she called me back. I had 52 days in my CAR, enough to get me through Christmas, and she told me I could borrow 20 additional days, which I didn't know. But the big surprise was when she told me she was going to donate some of her own CAR days to me so that I could qualify to apply for a health sabbatical starting on Jan. 31. Now I am able to stay out the rest of the year at 60 percent of my salary. I have never even met this woman! I cried my eyes out. How special is that?
The union-provided medical coverage has been amazing. I went to the hospital of my choice, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and chose my doctors. I paid nothing except some copays — nothing that adds up to anything. Also, at the recommendation of my chapter leader, I applied for catastrophic coverage.
My doctor said I should have a complete recovery and that I will be my old self again by June. This has been a tough experience, but because of my UFT benefits — and especially my angel from the union, Tanisha — it’s been much more bearable.
Margaret DeSimone is a peer collaborative teacher at the Staten Island School of Civic Leadership.
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