Elaine may get remarried at some point. Would that change the calculation? There is not a standard period of mourning for a loss, and for her sake I hope she derives a bigger dividend of the heart over money as consolation.
I am shocked to hear about the untimely diagnosis, but I'm also relieved to hear about your plans going forward. As a culture, we whine about the inevitable "death and taxes" but seldom plan for either. Since discovering your site, I have habitually included links to some of your guest articles as part of the "end of life planning" for my elderly patients and their family. By elderly, I mean those 65 or older. Why not. Death is inevitable (ha!). As I share with my patients, it does not matter if I put down cancer or heart failure or old age or boredom as the cause of their death on the death certificate. What matters is the meaningful planning and actions we take to embrace it, own it, and live it until the end. We shall celebrate it the way we plan and celebrate births, weddings, and other milestones in life. Imagine this, in 2020, a now much regretted gender reveal party in California ended in a wild fire that lasted 71 days, burnt down 22k acres, and caused the death of one firefighter. What a celebration! With that, my friend, I applaud you to not go gentle into the night, and I thank you for lighting the fire in the reader's hearts. Cancer is but an idea, like compound interest. The reveal party is on, and we all drink in your honor!
Great post shipmate! To that I will add to #3 that the military is apolitical. On #9, unintentional or intentional pregnancy also takes the lady fighters out of the fight. I spoke this truth as a mildoc and got my hand slapped. That's the new gender equality reality.
As a medical intern, I watched for weeks as four generations in the family struggled but failed to understand that their patriarch, sedated and intubated in the ICU with terminal cancer, was already dead long before we shut off all the life sustaining measures. In your case, I would say any advanced preparation is one step closer toward a good and dignified death. Such efforts also bring closure to the rest of the family sooner rather than later. Well done and thank your for sharing your experience. I shall share your article with my patients who would benefit from end of life planning.
I suffered the same fate as a green USMC officer in 2000, probably with the same company. Early mistakes turned out to be less costly and a good lessons learned. It was not until much later that I learned about behavioral psychology and investment history. Better late than never.
Great insights from a humble lifelong adult learner! Thank you John. I recently retired from the military after almost 28 years of service. It was fortuitous that Uncle Sam funded all my 13 years of higher education (BS, MS, and MD education). While I never had a student loan, I paid my dues twice over with the salary differential and much travel away from the family. When I was a young officer, I got suckered into the First Command front-load mutual funds. Then I learned a painful lesson with my first home purchase during the housing bubble. Thankfully I have not yet suffered a financially catastrophic divorce that plagues many in our generation. Some lessons cannot be learned from the For Dummies book series, and these I shared with my younger colleagues in both medical school and residency. Cheers to the humble lifelong learners!
Comments
Elaine may get remarried at some point. Would that change the calculation? There is not a standard period of mourning for a loss, and for her sake I hope she derives a bigger dividend of the heart over money as consolation.
Post: Death Benefits
Link to comment from October 19, 2024
I am shocked to hear about the untimely diagnosis, but I'm also relieved to hear about your plans going forward. As a culture, we whine about the inevitable "death and taxes" but seldom plan for either. Since discovering your site, I have habitually included links to some of your guest articles as part of the "end of life planning" for my elderly patients and their family. By elderly, I mean those 65 or older. Why not. Death is inevitable (ha!). As I share with my patients, it does not matter if I put down cancer or heart failure or old age or boredom as the cause of their death on the death certificate. What matters is the meaningful planning and actions we take to embrace it, own it, and live it until the end. We shall celebrate it the way we plan and celebrate births, weddings, and other milestones in life. Imagine this, in 2020, a now much regretted gender reveal party in California ended in a wild fire that lasted 71 days, burnt down 22k acres, and caused the death of one firefighter. What a celebration! With that, my friend, I applaud you to not go gentle into the night, and I thank you for lighting the fire in the reader's hearts. Cancer is but an idea, like compound interest. The reveal party is on, and we all drink in your honor!
Post: The C Word
Link to comment from June 15, 2024
Great post shipmate! To that I will add to #3 that the military is apolitical. On #9, unintentional or intentional pregnancy also takes the lady fighters out of the fight. I spoke this truth as a mildoc and got my hand slapped. That's the new gender equality reality.
Post: Learned in Uniform
Link to comment from August 23, 2023
As a medical intern, I watched for weeks as four generations in the family struggled but failed to understand that their patriarch, sedated and intubated in the ICU with terminal cancer, was already dead long before we shut off all the life sustaining measures. In your case, I would say any advanced preparation is one step closer toward a good and dignified death. Such efforts also bring closure to the rest of the family sooner rather than later. Well done and thank your for sharing your experience. I shall share your article with my patients who would benefit from end of life planning.
Post: Dying at Home
Link to comment from August 12, 2023
I suffered the same fate as a green USMC officer in 2000, probably with the same company. Early mistakes turned out to be less costly and a good lessons learned. It was not until much later that I learned about behavioral psychology and investment history. Better late than never.
Post: Why We Get Fooled
Link to comment from February 8, 2023
Great insights from a humble lifelong adult learner! Thank you John. I recently retired from the military after almost 28 years of service. It was fortuitous that Uncle Sam funded all my 13 years of higher education (BS, MS, and MD education). While I never had a student loan, I paid my dues twice over with the salary differential and much travel away from the family. When I was a young officer, I got suckered into the First Command front-load mutual funds. Then I learned a painful lesson with my first home purchase during the housing bubble. Thankfully I have not yet suffered a financially catastrophic divorce that plagues many in our generation. Some lessons cannot be learned from the For Dummies book series, and these I shared with my younger colleagues in both medical school and residency. Cheers to the humble lifelong learners!
Post: A Costly Education
Link to comment from June 30, 2022