 
Paying Off to Move Ahead
River Huston, 49, never thought she’d live long enough to face the realities of her mounting debt, let alone the need for retirement savings. Speaking with POZ’s Kellee Terrell, Huston looks to her financial future.
Two years after learning I was HIV positive, I was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow condition and was on and off treatment for almost 13 years.
Dying at any time was a reality, and I lived my life accordingly. I accumulated 42 credit cards, bought a house out of my range, bought an expensive car and tons of stuff, all while paying for my health insurance and HIV meds without help.
Six months ago, I was cured of my bone marrow condition, which was great, but then reality hit me and I fell into a deep depression. I had to face this enormous pile of debt—$70,000 and 30-plus years of paying off a mortgage. My husband and I had to start getting creative. We have cut back on our expenses and have discussed the possibility of selling our house. I called the credit card companies and had them lower the interest rates to help me pay my balances down.
Honestly, I cannot save for the future with a debt this large so we are going to pay it off first. The reality is, I’m going to be working until the day I die.
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