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I HAD MY SIGHTS SET on retiring at age 59. Not exactly FIRE—financial independence-retire early—but certainly a bit earlier than my peers, close friends and family. I wanted to seek new challenges after spending more than 25 years in academic research. Our financial plan was solid. My wife and I calculated we’d have more than enough retirement income.
But my plans were upended, first by the COVID-19 pandemic and then by two life-threatening health issues.
I’d spent three decades studying the immune system, with a specific focus on developing new ways to increase vaccine potency. The pandemic represented an opportunity to put all my theoretical knowledge to good use.
As a researcher, I was well positioned to lead a team seeking to develop enhanced and novel vaccines. As an educator, I had the opportunity to teach medical students about SARS-CoV-2 and introduce them to an entirely new class of therapeutics. How could I possibly retire? Needless to say, I put my retirement plans on hold and jumped into the scientific void.
I look back on the three additional working years not just with joy, but also with gratitude that I was able to contribute—at least in some very small way—toward helping the world work through the pandemic. I joined the scientific community on a common and exciting quest.
It wasn’t easy. The increased pressure to produce solid data in a short period of time took a toll on my health. Put it this way: There’s never a good time to have a heart attack, but that’s doubly true if we’re in the midst of a pandemic. Luckily, the care I received was top notch. I escaped with some embedded hardware and no permanent cardiac damage.
A year ago, with the pandemic in the rearview mirror, I returned to my earlier goal—embarking on the next phase of my life—and trimmed my workload to two days a week. It was scary to reduce pay and benefits by 60% in the face of volatile stock and bond markets. Indeed, to me, it was scarier than my heart attack. Still, I’d spent decades following a Boglehead-like approach to saving and investing, and felt financially ready to retire. My asset allocation and cash reserves gave me confidence that my plan was solid and allowed me to sleep at night.
My wife and I took the obligatory European trip, flying to Spain to view Gaudí architecture, and to enjoy sangria and espresso. We bought new hiking boots and made a small dent in one bucket list item: exploring new vistas in Texas State Parks. I was confident we were all set for a wonderful retirement.
Man plans. The deities laugh.
Seven months ago, I was diagnosed with a golf-ball-sized brain tumor. I’m grateful that the mass within my skull was discovered well before it led to permanent disability or death. Still, my world was turned upside down overnight. I made my living using my brain, and now my major “capital equipment” was in peril. It was ironic and tough to fathom.
From diagnosis to surgery was only two weeks—not a heck of a lot of time in the grand scheme of things. Two weeks is about the time it takes for newly planted radish seeds to sprout and lift their leaves toward the warming sunshine. Two weeks is half a moon change in the nighttime sky.
Two weeks is not enough time to get one’s financial affairs in order. That’s a long-term plan that takes years to develop and implement. Nonetheless, it was sufficient time to familiarize my wife with our investments and the financial firms we use, and to remind her of our overall goals in our investment policy statement. Since I do most of the bill paying, the two weeks were also enough time to give my wife a refresher course on those day-to-day financial activities.
There were other items to address over that two-week period. Advance medical directives. Medical power of attorney. Financial power of attorney. Update wills. Notarize aforementioned documents. Locate insurance policies. Confirm all accounts have updated beneficiary designations. We were fortunate that we’d addressed many of those items over the prior two years. Still, it was stressful double-checking all of life’s important documents.
We usually gift money to our twins during the first quarter of each year. We accelerated that move, so it happened immediately, rather than waiting until after the surgery. It’s not a heck of a lot of money. But we like how it helps them today, rather than receiving it years later as an inheritance.
The surgery was deemed a success. Most of the tumor was removed, and it was characterized as benign. A short course of radiation therapy followed, and I’ve since made a near-complete recovery. That said, the path post-surgery was challenging. I’m grateful for the community of friends and family that supported my reclamation of my body and mental functioning. My optimistic outlook on life hasn’t changed, though I readily admit my vision of how my next decade will unfold has.
I spent a lifetime planning for a happy financial ending, never considering that my health might derail those plans. Today, I’d urge others to follow their dreams as best they can while they can. This doesn’t necessarily mean retiring early. Rather, try to enjoy life along the way, so you don’t end up with regrets for having worked so hard for so long. During my career, I looked forward to work every day. The excitement of scientific discovery made me who I am. I truly have no regrets.
But I also have a long list of adventures and challenges I’d still like to complete—and I’m altering my plans to take advantage of the gift of additional time that I’ve been given.
Jeffrey K. Actor, PhD, was a professor at a major medical school in Houston for more than 25 years, serving as an academic researcher with interests in how immune responses function to fight pathogenic diseases. Jeff’s retirement goals are to write short science fiction stories, volunteer in the community and spend time in his garden. Check out his earlier articles.
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Dr. Actor,
Thanks for sharing your story.
You won’t remember me but you were my immunology professor back when I was in medical school at UTHSC. I appreciated all the time you would spend with us baby MS1’s and 2’s trying to teach us a very complicated subject in a simple fashion!
Never forget that you have touched more lives than you can remember through your tenure at the University.
Best of luck in your future endeavors,
Hunter
Hunter, Thank you for your kind thoughts. I’m truly humbled by your words, and grateful that I could contribute to you meeting your educational and career goals. For what it is worth, when I look back upon my career, it was the warm interactions with students that I think of first and foremost. Let me wish you success in the medical world; I am confident you are (and will be) an amazing physician!
Thank you for sharing your journey. I am at that juncture in life. I was a marathong runner and had to have a quarduple bypass in 2017, In 2021, I found out I had advance prostate cancer. I finished radiation recently and had a protectomy at the end of 2021. On november 3rd, I turned 62. I planned to retire in April of 2024. I have been planning on what I will be doing. none of it has to do with sitting down watching tv everday. I’ve done the best I can for my family and savings for retirement. It’s time to live life, and not wait. Lifes too short.I have learne to ignore all the articles that says not to take your s.s.early. If you try and walk in my shoes, you will think differently about life. I learn the following from something I read on the web. Here are some things to stop doing after 60.
Bobby, thank you as well for sharing. Definately, live life to your fullest. Your list has ideas that retires might consider as they move forward. Each of us should compile a list such as the one you provided, and personalize it to resonate how each individual’s life should be viewed moving forward.
We’ve been working on our plan for years and it seems to often need readjusting. This year, with higher expenses for medical equipment, we were looking for more income. However, our desire for a reverse mortgage and setting up for medicaid long term care will take some doing. A CELA or NAELA elder law attorney is what we need to sort it out. Also, along with a Living Will, one is advised to get a POLST from the doctor so you can opt for something between DNR and all procedures.
Mary, it can get complicated quickly, and it often appears the the proper medical desires documents are never fully in place. I found that a strong conversation with family to let them know my wishes was extremely important. Just in case.
Jeff,
I’m glad to hear your medical issues are not totally interfering with your career plans.
As one who decided at 45 I wanted a second bite at the Apple, I spent the next 10 years preparing my dad’s 50-year-old business for a major sale. The idea that our kids would take over was quickly dismissed. Looking back, that was 100% the right call for them due to a huge shift in my industry that was not apparent at the time.
Retirement is controlling one’s time, working or not is one of the great options.
Our health issues started in our early 70’s. As a result, we are changing our plan of living in place to, perhaps, moving to a new CCRC a few minutes away. It’s two years more before the complex will be ready. A lot can happen between now and then.
Advice to other readers, trust yourself. You’re much wiser now. My goal was “no regrets”.
Good luck and stay well.
Richard – Thanks!
Good reminder to get all of one’s legal and end-of-life planning done very early in life.
Doc – Agreed. Now the hard part will be to remember to update them every 5 years or so, without having an emergency deadline to meet.
Jeff, will your medical history and conditions keep you from hiking to the top of Guadalupe Peak? I hope not: there’s something truly exhilarating from standing atop the highest point in Texas and knowing that you’re heels and head above everybody else in the Lone Star State.
Compared to the numerous high points in Houston (I’m thinking, here, of either the Sam Houston Tollway Ship Channel Bridge or the Miller Outdoor Theater hill-like feature in Hermann Park), Guadalupe Peak is manageable, even for us older persons, and well-worth the four-hour or so hike up, in order to sign your name and maybe a pithy saying in the logbook up there.
Whether at Miller Theater or Guadalupe Mountains NP or at thousands of Texas places between: Happy park-ing!
Regards,
(($; -)}™
Gozo
Gozo – Guadalupe Peak is definately on our list! We hope to tackle that one in the next year or two. And, yes, it is certain to have a better view than Miller Outdoor Theater’s hill. 😉
Glad mind and body worked well enough to put this excellent contribution together. We are not teenagers anymore, whose sense of immortality is warranted by their health and vitality.
From warning symptom to passing away my husband had only nine days. Others die suddenly.
I find it unpleasant to work on these essential papers and delegations (as most do) but my husband and I did it and revised it twice. Good that your “dry run” has everything in order now. And today is an excellent day for your next steps in writing your stories.
It’s National Novel Writing Month after all
( NaNoWriMo.org ) and your local community most likely has coffee house meetings and write-ins. It’s one of the “fun” things I’ve added into my new life.
Thanks for your wise words and a reminder of the Gaudi architecture of Barcelona which I visited with my late husband shortly after he retired at 59 and a half. Happy memories and glad we didn’t wait till I exited the fulltime workforce after he passed away.
Catherine, so sorry for your loss. But I am glad to hear that you were able to share time exploring the sites of Barcelona. It is indded a memorable place, especially when the visit is shared with loved ones and/or friends.
Jeffrey, wow your story certainly puts things in perspective. I have been feeling sorry for myself since I contracted COVID for the first time last week. It kicked me in the butt and I thought I was stronger than that–got all the vaccines, doing all the right things. But that’s nothing compared to your health journey.
First of all, thank you for your contribution in academic research in the immune system. This will surely not be the last pandemic we see.
Second, a more personal question is did you feel any difference in cognition after your surgery/treatment? I worry about long COVID and the brain fog that comes with it. But brain surgery and radiation? My father had a large meningioma and had brain surgery at the age of 84.
I wish you and your family only the best.
I had covid for the second time. Brain fog and lethargy from the first time took awhile to get over. I got Paxlovid the second time and none of those effects! Try to stay hydrated and take B-12. Best.
It took a full 7 months before my brain was functioning at peak efficiency. I had a seizure, and the meds they put me on actively suppressed brain activity. The radiation therapy also set me back, until the residual inflammation subsided. Mostly, I was overwhelmed with too much sensory input. On the flip side, the surgery induced very vivid dreams for months afterwards, which were awe inspiring for me.
Throughout it all, I was able to retain my sense of humor. My family was grateful for that, even if I couldn’t always finish a sentence or complete a train of thought.
Thanks for sharing your inspiring story! Wish you a healthy and long retirement!
Thanks!
Illness can strike at any time, but more likely as we age. Partly why I’ve always been an advocate of more vacation time throughout life. Even if that means working a few more years. Teachers’ time off would be ideal but even 6 or 7 weeks would be enough to travel when one’s mind and body are young.
I noticed a big difference in my body when I turned 60. At 59 I felt like I could have been 40 or even younger. I still want to travel, but the energy and mental flexibility has degraded so I don’t see myself enjoying it as much.
I loved this story, thank you for sharing it. First, I am so glad to know that you’ve made a nearly complete recovery, and secondly, I think there are so many valuable lessons in your story. From the fact that being financially prepared is a long-term activity, to making sure that both spouses understand where the money is & how it flows, to the lesson that health is a big part of wealth. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Crystal, you are certainly correct. And health is ine of those big ticket events that is nearly impossible to predict and control.
Jeff,
I am very happy for you and your family.
We, too, gift our children money now. It’s nice to see how they enjoy it, rather than giving it to them as an inheritance.
Which brings up a possible side issue.
I decided to take my Social Security as early as I could. My reasoning was that the kids could inherit the savings we otherwise would have used. But they could NOT inherit my Social Security.
YMMV
Winston, yes it is nice to see the kids use the money now, and not as an inheritance. The trick is to treat it as a “gift”, and hope they make the right choices when using the funds.
Age 59 was my original goal as well. My excel spreadsheet calculations were really just crude extrapolations. While they looked great on paper they did not include What Ifs. My W.I. was a divorce that put me years behind my goal, but it all worked out for the best. I’m glad things worked out for you as well.
My wife had a similar situation with cancer. She retired slightly early while I retired three years later. Soon after I retired, she got cancer and went through surgery and months of chemo. The ordeal sent her to the ICU more than once. I was even told that she would not make it through the night but she did and recovered. Then after being told she was clear of cancer, it returned less than one year later. The second time, rather than using our local medical resources, I researched further and sought out the best cancer centers regardless of their location. She underwent surgery and two different rounds of chemo (both clinical trials) and has been cancer free for the past seven years now. We were thankful that regular Medicare gave us options to look elsewhere for help. This was also the trigger that “converted” me from being frugal to spending more generously, placing time and comfort over cost (assuming we could afford it).
We’ve been retired over 10 years now. One of our retirement goals was to see more of the world. Even before retiring, we visited over 20 countries. Since retiring, we gone to 27 additional countries, completing our travel bucket list. My parents both passed away relatively young. I recall they always planned to do this or that “after” retiring. My mother passed away at age 47 during my father’s military retirement celebration. That pretty much put a severe damper on my father’s plans. He didn’t remarry and passed away in his 60’s. That was a life lesson that taught me not to put off everything “until” retirement.
As we’re now all going through this Medicare renewal season together, this is a good time to speak up for the incomparable value of Original Medicare:
Almost everybody in the healthcare-insurance industry goes with “Original,” even if their careers were spent in selling the more-enticing, yet less-trustworthy “Medicare Advantage.”
Medicare Advantage has restrictions similar to those that constrain healthcare access through our working lives—even if it costs less, month-to-month, offers other “bells and whistles,” and even sounds too good to be true.
____________________
With the greater mobility most of us get after we retire, and the wider range of healthcare we are likely to need—and more and more and more, quite-likely, if we manage to live more and more and more—the benefits that Original Medicare provide far outweigh the HMO or PPO method, that requires a profit-motivated incentive for the Advantage provider to “Just Say No.”
If even the sellers of a product choose the alternative, you really need to question the choice we each have to make for the form of our healthcare insurance, as we get old-enough.
Regards,
(($; -)}™
Gozo
“Almost everybody in the healthcare-insurance industry goes with ‘Original.’”
Interesting. Do you have a source for this claim?
Snak123, I assume you had original Medicare that gave you the options for seek out the best cancer centers? I currently have Kaiser HMO but I’m not retired yet. I want to have the freedom to go to the best cancer center if I am diagnosed with cancer.
One of the great reliefs of reaching Medicare age was the opportunity to escape employer-based healthcare for Original Medicare.
Once you start going through some of the various healthcare-related matters that seem to increase along with one’s age in retirement, one appreciates how much better it is to conduct the bulk of your healthcare services and decisions—
not with a profit-centered insurance company, but—
mostly just between you and your doctors.
Regards,
(($; -)}™
Gozo
I was truly lucky (blessed) to have excellent insurance, and especially to have worked at a major medical school for over 25 years. I also had great friends/contacts to help me navigate the entire ordeal. In fact, the last thing I remember prior to surgery was that the anesthesiologist told me he was a former student, and how he thoroughly enjoyed my class during his first year of his training!
So glad to hear that your wife had a positive treatment outcome. I can only hope my wife and I can even come close to your travel experiences! And, sometimes, these events are the wake up calls we need to push us to achieve and make a dent in our bucket list.
Jeff, thanks for a great story, both uplifting and cautionary. Your description of getting your affairs in order is so important. When my Mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor, surgery was scheduled for a few days away. We had an attorney come to her hospital room on a Saturday and Sunday to update her will and POAs. Luckily we had a great attorney who was willing to handle this. It’s never too early to get things set up.
You have a great a great attitude that will serve you well. I wish you many happy years of retirement.
Rick, thank you. And I might add, after recovery, having all our documents (ducks in a row) in place gives us great comfort in case something else happens.
Jeff, my father had a similar experience with an hemangioblastoma at about the same age. He recovered, to live many more active years.
Indeed, I hope I too have many more years ahead!
Amazing story Jeff, and I like the lessons you take from it as well.
A story worth telling and worth learning from. I wish you a long and happy adventure filled retirement.
I often read about the plans of younger people who say they will retire in their 50s and have supreme confidence in their finances and their plans as if everything is within their control as long as their spreadsheet says so. Your real life story shows how plans may be beyond our control.
Thank you for the well wishes. I’ve learned
how to embrace uncertainty, and not sweat the small stuff (at least not agonize over life’s little problems).
Yes, when we’re young, it’s hard to imagine all the ways our plans can go awry.
Jeff, thanks for sharing your story. I’m happy to hear your surgery was a success and that your “capital equipment” is intact. Speaking of following your dreams, I’m curious: how is your goal of writing science fiction coming along?
Thanks for asking. I have the basics compiled for multiple SF stories, and am slowly working on flushing out the details. I will have to keep the HD community posted on my progress.