If you are totally lost and don't know where to turn, please check out http://nfcc.org/ It is the national foundation for credit counseling. Follow the links to no/low cost certified counselors in your area.

As for advice, you didn't give enough info in your post. Do you and your husband have jobs? If so, how much do you make. 35k is a mountain if you make 25k/yr but a molehill if you make 250k. Do you own a house/owe a mortgage? Are you giving money to your kids? Can you afford the current monthly payments? Have you talked to your creditors?

I've included the link and it is helpful!
Good luck...

Michelle Singletary, who writes for the Washington Post, suggests paying the lowest balance (card) first for a sense of satisfaction, then the next, etc. But FIRST, you will need to contact every company to inform them that you need to work out a payment plan. That's where the credit counselor can help.

I'm sorry about the diseases. Hope your kids are paying their own way through college. They will take studying a lot more seriously if they do (I know from experience.)

Good luck.

Most of these companies just leave you with one debt at an inflated interest rate which is not getting rid of the debt only postponing.

Debtors Anonymous is a 12 step program for people with spending problems. From what you posted, that doesn't sound like what your problem is. If you have racked up debts due to poor health, that is entirely different from people who are in debt because they love to buy fancy clothes, new electronics and eat out all the time.

Again, please check out http://nfcc.org/ and find a free counselor in your area. Do this BEFORE you start calling/writing credit card companies. These people will help you create a workable budget and free up some money to pay your debts. They will also give advice on the best way to deal with your creditors. It sounds great if you could get a cc company to cut your interest rate, but that isn't going to help if you can't afford the minimum payments still. What you need is someone to help with the "big picture" before you negotiate all the details. That is the only way you are going to make a plan that you can stick to and that will get you out of your current situation.

BTW - I think it is admirable that you want to pay your debts in full. Please take advantage of counselors who will help you do that. It probably isn't going to be easy and it won't happen overnight, but it is amazing what determined people can accomplish.

If there is some reason you can't use their service, no matter what, DO NOT use one of those for-profit, advertised companies. They just want to prey on your desperation.

Talk to your credit card companies about lowering your interest. DON'T pay off the least amount you owe first. Instead pay off the one with the MOST INTEREST. That extra money that you pay in interest will go a long way toward paying down the rest. You can do it!!

Think about it---paying someone to get you out of debt is just adding to your debt so you'll never get out from under.

You've asked for and received good information here. Bill posted the site where you can get help right in your area. And its a good safe place to start. It's interactive and easy to use.

Mona's site is full of info, and safe.

Odds are you have already "done a number" on your credit score, as you have painted the picture. Credit repair and credit enhancement are the two-pronged approach you must follow even before you can effectively pay off your debt. Once you have a handle on your credit scores and reports, you can begin to work powerfully on the debt. You will continue to work on this while you approach your debt, but this must start first.

First, as seen earlier, you must understand how you are using money now. Record every expenditure, no matter how seemingly insignificant, on a small note pad you can keep in your pocket or purse. Do this even for large payments like the mortgage, and for small ones, like the Coke(r) at the Seven-11(tm).

Second, yes, stop using your credit cards for non-essentials. That is not that same as not using them. If they are still open and active, you can profitably use them for anything (like groceries and gasoline) where the vendor will accept them. In fact, once you have gotten your spending habits under control it is essential that you use them like this.

Third, if you have no money left over at the end of the month, or worse, if you have month left over at the end of the money, you will have to cut back on your discretionary spending. That may mean eating beans'n'peanut butter, but, as others have said, there is a limited amount you can do with this approach.

Fourth, you need a better plan than "pay off the highest interest-rate or smallest-debt first". That will work, but it does not work nearly as fast as other methods. And it wastes your financial resources, which are probably in short supply as it is. What that plan might be is so dependent on your specific situation that going further might prove dangerous.