this feels really really weird for me to write but i need money. i've started college recently, in massachusetts and i've gotten in with a doctor for HRT that has been absolutely wonderful so far. unfortunately, my parents are unwilling to pay for HRT and associated care, and i am currently unemployed because my previous employer pivoted to short form video and i'm waiting on my college to open more jobs.
my family is well off, i'm not in any immediate financial trouble except for in this one specific area because my parents won't pay for this. we're well-off enough that i wasn't awarded federal work-study based on the FAFSA, and my school (rightly) prioritizes students who have work-study and need to work when hiring for student positions, so i'm more or less kicked to the back of the line.
i have good health insurance, but even still, i suspect the initial bloodwork that i need to start HRT will cost at least $250 dollars, even after insurance.
i need the following tests done within a month:
- Estradiol
- Lipid panel
- Testosterone, total.
- Dihydrotestosterone, Serum
- Hemoglobin A1c test
- Prolactin
- 25-OH vitamin D
i've only been able to get estimates for four of those tests, which comes out to costing $137.60, not accounting for the other three that i can't get an estimate for. the average cost per test, then, is 34.4, multiplied by 7, the total should be somewhere in the ballpark of $250 bucks. unfortunately i suspect it will be much more because all the unaccounted for tests are pretty Weird and Niche.
so i'm asking for $500 USD. my hope is that this will cover the bloodwork, even if it's more expensive than expected, and also any co-pay i owe my doctor, and the co-pays on the HRT medications. the next time i'd need bloodwork is in about three months, so hopefully by then i'll have a job. if i can't scrounge together enough cash on my own for this, i will probably have to basically embezzle money from my parents, which i really don't want to do, for fear they catch on.
i feel profoundly awkward asking for money considering i come from such a privileged background, but i really don't know what else to do. if anyone can spare any money and/or share this post, i'd really really appreciate it. i would also be happy to edit video for you in exchange, although i don't think that's really the kind of thing people generally just happen to need or want at any random time. idk i could make a silly shitpost for you. my cashapp is $pastellexists.
also, i know there are some people on cohost who work in healthcare or otherwise know more about it than i do. if anyone knows how to get discounts on bloodwork and medication, or if there are any short-term personal grants i could apply for, or even just how to get a more accurate estimate, i would really really appreciate any tips.