No. One year out of retirement my DH learned he has the same genetic disease that killed his brother. (His other 2 siblings escaped that fate). Expect a decline to death timeframe of 4-7 years.
I grieve for him but I grieve for me too. I trained and worked as an electrical engineer and high level project and business manager for 20 years, then spent 11 years handling elder care for a father with rare disease and a mother with cancer, cutting my lucrative career short while taking on flexible side work. I then got a 7 year break (where I served others as condo President in a FL community of seniors older than me for those years - ie more "caregiving"), and then this happens.
Hubby doesn't drive any more and the earliest part of caregiving is starting up again. Like the previous poster, finances are fine, so I grieve in a gilded cage too.
I often ask God why I even spent the time in my postgraduate endeavors and business ambitions. Because it seems I was put on earth for caregiving. Even my daughter has 50% odds of being afflicted. She's weighing getting tested but since she's divorced I suspect I'd be caregiver again!!. My main concern now is protecting my health at all costs.
Fortunately we've had a great marriage and have adjusted to living in the moment.
So no my retirement got broken into pieces.
I grieve for him but I grieve for me too. I trained and worked as an electrical engineer and high level project and business manager for 20 years, then spent 11 years handling elder care for a father with rare disease and a mother with cancer, cutting my lucrative career short while taking on flexible side work. I then got a 7 year break (where I served others as condo President in a FL community of seniors older than me for those years - ie more "caregiving"), and then this happens.
Hubby doesn't drive any more and the earliest part of caregiving is starting up again. Like the previous poster, finances are fine, so I grieve in a gilded cage too.
I often ask God why I even spent the time in my postgraduate endeavors and business ambitions. Because it seems I was put on earth for caregiving. Even my daughter has 50% odds of being afflicted. She's weighing getting tested but since she's divorced I suspect I'd be caregiver again!!. My main concern now is protecting my health at all costs.
Fortunately we've had a great marriage and have adjusted to living in the moment.
So no my retirement got broken into pieces.
Statistics: Posted by Hebell — Sun Oct 27, 2024 2:34 am — Replies 89 — Views 7257