First off, I appreciate all the good wishes and offers of monetary help, but perhaps I should do some clarifying as to my situation.
The medical issues facing us are several, the worst of which pertains to my wife Ellen. She was diagnosed with a malignant lump in her left breast about a month ago and has since had two surgeries to remove it and any adjacent cancer cells. That has been done, but she now faces a bunch of radiation sessions to make sure.
In the meantime, I have a pain just below my rib cage, which is normally a sign of gall bladder problems. Over the last two months, I have had an ultrasound, CT scan, barium x-ray, an endscopic procedure and just last week a HIDA scan, which takes photos of a radioactive liguid moving through the digestive system. So far NONE of the tests have revealed what is causing the pain. Last week, my GI doc basically threw up his hands and said there is little else he can do other than refer me to a surgeon to look at removing my gall bladder, even though he doesn't really know that's the ptroblem. DUH!.
I'm also still being treated for the bacterial lung infection that kept me in the hospital for nine days last Feb. I'll be on the expensive medications for two years and have to visit my pulmonary doc every six weeks.
AND...as I mentioned in the first paragraph, over the next month or so, I will undergo cataract surgery in both eyes, which is actually a GOOD medical issue. Once it's done I won't have to wear glasses except for reading. BUT that comes with a price. My insurance will pay for the standard cataract surgery, but because I have astigmatisms in both eyes, I need special lens replacements. The normal lenses would have cost me a co-insurance of $200 per eye. The special lenses are my choice and are an additional $1,600 per eye, which must come out of my pocket. It sure will be nice not to wear glasses after 30 years of doing so.
All that said, we are not quite yet destitude and in need of donations. We do have insurance, and although our medical co-pays and co-insurance costs are adding up, at this point we have enough money in savings to take care of them. So if I list something, please buy it because you need it and not for any other reason. Then I can use the money for the bills and leave our savings alone.
As for me selling all the gear, it's something I had decided to do a few months back anyway, regardless of the current financial situation. Most of what I'm getting rid are items I don't use, use very little or won't use in the future. IOW, I am keeping some basic need stuff if I decide to continue to hunt or fish.
So there you have it the clarification.