Drowning in Paper

Boy, cancer requires a lot of paperwork! And so does poverty. I have a big box right here in the living room that is full of file folders. It's the Cancer Box, and it includes...

Medical bills.
Medical test results. Every month I have an elaborate version of "a poke and a piss," and get 3-5 pages of results.
Insurance statements. I gave up trying to pair these with the medical bills, and just created a separate file.
Insurance correspondence. Everything but statements.
Food Stamps. Boatloads of paper for twice-annual "re-certification." It requires any combination of utility bills, bank statements, mortgage statements, medical bills, vehicle registration, tax returns, birth certificate, etc.
SS Disability. Everything Food Stamps requires, and much more. I've received my "automatic" denial; 8 months later, I'm in the process of my first appeal.
Financial Aid. With a very high deductible (yeah, hindsight, eh?) and no income, whatever assistance I get makes a big difference. I owe thousands of dollars to three hospitals, and they all require tankerloads, aircraft carrier loads of documentation.
Leukemia Society. Big hugs to Foodie Lynn for telling me Multiple Myeloma is one of their cancers. I have also applied for financial assistance from two different funds they administer.
Drug Company Brochures from the company that makes my chemo drug.
Attorney. The first thing I did after getting my diagnosis -- and I mean the next day -- was get my Ducks in a Row.
Misc. General info about MM, treatment overviews, caregivers guides, etc.
Extra copies. I try and save myself time by having extra copies on hand of tax returns, utility bills, drivers' license, birth certificate. Doesn't matter; whatever someone requires is always the one thing I don't have in the file.

A couple of months ago, a friend came over for a visit, bringing her little dog along. With barely a glance at Molly, he marched right over and peed on the Cancer Box. My thoughts, exactly.