The highest and most moral purpose of irony is to show the importance of the present by showing the futility of the past.”
-Author unknown
My oh my oh my. Irony is most certainly laughing at me now.
Not long ago we wrapped up May with By Failing to Prepare…… an introduction to June’s Pet Preparedness Month. I then followed THAT up with Pet Preparedness Month: Insurance and Finances.
As fate will have it, you truly never do know when emergency will strike.
I just didn’t expect it to strike…this soon!
It’s like how they teach 16-year-old first time drivers not to adopt the “it won’t happen to me” attitude.
I knew darn well that I was not exempt from emergencies…I’ve been through several. Blade broke his leg. Colic. Choke. Illness. Other issues along the way.
But here I was in July facing a giant emergency and going through everything I laid out in the previous articles.
As soon as Stanley’s eye problem started to get worse, I kept thinking about what can I handle? How much is this going to cost me?
Remember I chose not to have major medical insurance. We have ColiCare through Smartpak. I have a high yield savings account to sock money away in. I TALKED about Care Credit.
I am very lucky that I have a horse savings account. It’s not quite as beefy as I would have liked but I have an additional backup rainy day fund for emergencies. These accounts were opened for situations like what I found myself in.
We then decided it was time for Stanley to be hospitalized.
Uh Oh.
I TALKED about Care Credit but I never actually opened an account.
The day we rushed Stanley to Rhinebeck Equine I applied for CareCredit. Luckily, I was approved immediately and just like that I had a Care Credit account to help provide some short-term stability.
As things heated up with Stanley and his developing eye case, I was increasingly glad that I opened my account (but admittedly wish I asked for a higher limit). One night at Rhinebeck cost us over $2000 alone.
With Care Credit the promotional financing allows me to pay the minimum for 6 months interest free. This six-month grace period gives me time to make the money if I need it, gain interest on it (even if it’s a little bit), and finally pay it all off in a few months with no interest.
I have also been incredibly busy building away with Wahbee’s Woodworking. All of the money I make in profit from my woodworking business is put directly back into supporting my vet bills.
Stepping Back to Reflect
I’m happy and comfortable with my decisions during this time. The cost of Stanley’s care for sure hurts. We are talking about five figures of bills. Unless you are incredibly wealthy, $10,000+ will be tough on anybody.
Some people may think I dropped the ball on getting insurance and being covered…that I made the wrong choice not to get major medical. Use my experience as a lesson to help find what works for YOU.
I don’t regret not getting major medical at this time. I put the money I WOULD have spent on insurance into the horse account. It’s not enough to cover the bill (yet) but I truly hope that emergencies like this are not a yearly event. I know that I will continue to cushion that account over time.
I regret not having the Care Credit sooner and not getting just a wee bit more in my maximum allowance on it. It all worked out, but I truly don’t recommend putting it off until the emergency is upon you.
Take Away Lessons
Don’t wait. Don’t EVER wait to develop your emergency plan. Take the time and sit down and TRULY THINK about what you would do in an emergent situation.
Your plan doesn’t have to look like mine. It just has to work for you so you can make sound decisions and know you’re covered in the most stressful moments.
The Green Horseman 
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