My Experience With Short-Term Disability, Out-of-Network Hospital

The final stage of life-saving cancer treatment includes paperwork and waiting for the bill

Many employees may not be aware of supports available to them as they face a cancer diagnosis, including being able to apply for short-term disability more than once in a year. fizkes/shutterstock

Cancer is one of the most common diseases of our age, and yet those who face it rarely know what’s about to happen to them beyond the broadest terms. “Cancer up Close” is an open recount of Michele Goncalves’s cancer journey from pre-diagnosis to life after treatment.

When I was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer two years ago (almost to the day), I really didn’t think about the consequences such a serious illness could have on my job, my finances, or what my disability benefits were.