Doctors Cost Money!

So, I'm embarrased to admit that once I almost killed myself.  No, I wasn't suicidal and no I wasn't depressed.  What I was/am  was "broke".  I had recently gotten my first real job after college and still had another month before I was elligible for health insurance.  Well pneumonia is not on a fiscal calendar.  After almost a week of symptoms with increasing severity, my former roomate came home to find me laying on the bathroom floor wheezing and trying to open the child-proof top on a bottle of tylenol.(My struggles with child-proof tops will be discussed at a later date.)  Our conversation went a little something like this:

Roomie: What are you doing down there? 

 

Me:          Praying

Roomie:  Oh, makes sense cause you look like you are dying.  You should go to the doctor. I'm tired of listening to you cough all the time.

Me:         Doctors cost money.  My health insurance kicks in next month.  This will pass. (wheezing heavily at this point)

Roomie:  Look at you.  I am not going to explain to the Minister (my mother) how I watched  you die in our bathroom.  If you don't go, I'm calling the Minister.

 ( Calling each other's parents was a cover your ass last resort.  To my caucasian friends I will explain that the most dangerous thing to do in the world is explain to a black mother how preventable harm came to their child in your presence!!! Trust me you don't want to go there!)

Me: You wouldn't dare!!

Roomie: I'm dialling now!!

Me: Tattle-Tale!!

So she did call.  And the Minister ripped me a new over the phone then ponied up the money for me to go to a doctor the next morning.  Turns out I had pneumonia and my lungs were very inflamed.  The doctor debated on whether or not to hospitalize me for a few days.  Of course I did some quick talking to avoid that because "hospitals cost money!"  When I look back it seems so stupid. I knew my mother would give me the money if I asked but I didn't want to ask.  Sadly this was not my first or last stupid decision motivated by money or more specifically my lack of it.