How a Chronically Ill Person Does Money: Crohn’s Disease, The Billfold

Summary: “When I was 13, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract, and from that point on nearly all of my major life choices have been made with it in mind, including picking a college major that would result in a job with health insurance,” my friend Carly Medosch wrote on The Billfold a bit ago. “I’m the first person in my family to earn a college degree. I was a good student who took the advanced courses offered at my high school, but dealing with a chronic illness didn’t give me enough time or energy to reach the top of my class. I missed over 30 days of classes in one year, and the school district tried to force me into their home school program. … I fought this and was allowed to return to school and work with my teachers to make up my work. I made the decision to move out of my parents’ house for undergrad, but my choices were limited between two in-state schools due to financial and medical considerations. One school offered early admission, so I paid that single application fee and was accepted. … My college was a two-hour drive from home. … My middle class family wasn’t able to qualify for need-based programs, and my grades weren’t in the top percentage needed to win a lot of scholarships. I ended up taking on about $30,000 in student loans, which is an amount that is probably comparatively reasonable, but makes me want to barf when I think about it now. In high school I loved art and drama, but knew the life of a starving artist wasn’t compatible with a life of chronic illness. I needed a job with sick leave and health insurance, so I opted for a degree in graphic design.” Carly Medosch, “How a Chronically Ill Person Does Money,” The Billfold.