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Dang that exam reminds me of our 3 cars going in for a PA state emissions/safety inspection (2006, 2007, 2011), without the, “now, cough!”
Retiring early... Geographic arbitrage
- Thread starter Vil_Riker
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And of course viagra is nearly 0 and mail order.
Years ago, due to machinegun fire about 0 inches from my right ear.........I damaged my right ear drum, needless to say.......I have issues with my right ear. Very painful. I have issues with buildup in that ear, not sure if it is connected.........
I went to a quick care a while back, maybe 5 years ago, had pain in my right ear.........before they even look at a thing, touched me, had a doctor come into the room, they were asking me where I wanted my prescription filled. I of course asked.....what makes you think I need a drug? "I think you have an infection".
Again, what a joke.
Didnt realize you were so "old"
You cant get something from nothing, I mean really, where does all the millions and millions come from to build all these new hosptols that look like palaces?
Everything is a conspiracy on this forum. I mean really.....
This topic has been repeated so many times. We have to find new things to talk about. Respectfully-I'm not going there. Let's talk about something else-again.
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I suggest that an important criterion is access to high quality health care. I'm a healthy, physically active older guy. I was in my usual good health during breakfast Saturday morning a few weeks ago. When I got up from the table I felt weak and while holding onto the counter slid down to the floor. I felt better in a few minutes.
That was the first of a series of weak spells, 3 with loss of consciousness. To cut to the end of the story, I had a cardiac pacemaker installed a few days later. During those few days I don't think I would have been allowed (or wanted to be) on a commercial flight and I don't think I would have survived another week without a pacemaker.
You don't want the most modern pacemaker made (if they even have one) being installed by someone who has never done this before and who isn't sure how they work. I had access to excellent cardiac care following a 30 minute drive. [For the record the cardiac assessment, hospital stay, and procedure cost $22 Cdn - for parking.]
My point is, even if you are apparently in good health, bad stuff can happen without warning. There are many attractive places in the world where I would not want to have been when all this started. I'm not making a case for limiting yourself to first world countries - just make sure there is "first world health care" available within a reasonable distance.
Some of those places would include Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, anywhere in western Europe, South Africa, and many many others. As one example a retired Canadian physician friend is confident in the health care available to him near his home in Mexico. The medical staff in that facility are all US or Canadian trained. His wife had emergency surgery there.
That was the first of a series of weak spells, 3 with loss of consciousness. To cut to the end of the story, I had a cardiac pacemaker installed a few days later. During those few days I don't think I would have been allowed (or wanted to be) on a commercial flight and I don't think I would have survived another week without a pacemaker.
You don't want the most modern pacemaker made (if they even have one) being installed by someone who has never done this before and who isn't sure how they work. I had access to excellent cardiac care following a 30 minute drive. [For the record the cardiac assessment, hospital stay, and procedure cost $22 Cdn - for parking.]
My point is, even if you are apparently in good health, bad stuff can happen without warning. There are many attractive places in the world where I would not want to have been when all this started. I'm not making a case for limiting yourself to first world countries - just make sure there is "first world health care" available within a reasonable distance.
Some of those places would include Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, anywhere in western Europe, South Africa, and many many others. As one example a retired Canadian physician friend is confident in the health care available to him near his home in Mexico. The medical staff in that facility are all US or Canadian trained. His wife had emergency surgery there.
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Look at your stock portfolio for an answer.
As one of my physician colleagues says, "There are no normal people, only people who haven't had enough tests yet."
There is quite a lot of truth to that. If a physician looks hard enough they can always (or almost always) find something 'abnormal'.
A side bar in the Globe and Mail a few months ago showed the population who were over 80 years old and had no serious health concerns at all was almost 0%. There is always something - a touch of heart disease, blood sugars persistently high, recovering from a bout of cancer, arthritis, etc.
The puppet masters control 100% of all the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries….
I think I understand your point.
I'd say that if a person is actually paying cash for treatment, with no insurance, the costs involved drop markedly.
Retired 2.5 years now, life’s good, all our ducks are in a row. Except ****, my kidneys are in poor shape (autoimmune disorder). At age 61 I’m hoping for an active next few years, not counting on it.
My point, for younger viewers of this thread, is that unless you’re loving your career, save judiciously so you can retire when you want to, not when you have to.
My point, for younger viewers of this thread, is that unless you’re loving your career, save judiciously so you can retire when you want to, not when you have to.
Yep. Good advice.
I am 61.
At 59, a medical event made me ineligible to work. Happened when I was skiing in Colorado. I was fine from every perspective except one - that of the FAA. The next couple of years, I spent a lot of time skiing, working out, pursing hobbies, spending time with family, all after the event, and I don’t care to discuss the details, but the point you make is the one I would make.
My career was taken away from me, by a completely unanticipated medical condition (hereditary, auto-immune) when I was 59. For nearly two years, I was not sure if I would ever work again.
But because of investment and planning that took place decades prior, we were OK. My wife retired from her job while I was on disability. We didn’t need her income. We lived our lives as we had been. No change.
I just went back to work in October. Not because I needed to, but because I wanted to. I like, check that, love, what I do and I am happy to be back. I work because I choose to, not because I need to, and that, my friends, is freedom.
No amount of diet, exercise, avoidance, or prep could have changed this condition that happened to me. It might help to know that I was a varsity athlete in college, in two sports, and a Navy fighter pilot. I had a strong physical/athletic background, and the most rigorous medical oversight on the planet. I’ve stayed in shape. I have worn the same size jeans since 1984, for example.
Still happened.
For the younger viewers, I would add - you can not know when your day will come - that day when you become unable to work. It will happen. Better to plan for it to happen early and be wrong, than the opposite, when you are up the creek, with no paddle. No options.
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I've felt that in life, there has almost always been an, "except."
I know with my dad, and mom for that matter, they always had the mentality to keep working well into their late 70's.
My dad had a heart attack, and he worked for that huge health care that recently fired their CEO. His entire team sent him a get well soon card. Of course. Once he returned back to work from STD, they fired him after 2 weeks. He was devastated. I tell this story because there are times I wonder if "we" think we're more important to our work than we really are, and as a result we work super hard and with the utmost integrity, driving the company's bottom line and our own bonuses. But at the end of the day, what's it truly about?
Sorry to hear that. Same here, I hung in 'till age 60.
Like you, I was athletic in past years and tried my very best to carry that into my later years. Until my muscles just stopped working. (autoimmune)
I made oatmeal cookies yesterday. I could not finish stirring the ingredients. Muscles failed.
Like Astro, I also caution the younger members here. The chance of a major health issue by age 60 is 95%. And that stat includes women, who are generally more healthy than men in later years. In my case, it did me in. Maybe you'll be lucky. Diet and exercise are not cure-alls.
I maybe able to find a medical treatment that provides muscle endurance. But that's no substitute for being young and healthy.
I love the health system and would not want to be treated anyplace else. I think the bigger joke (not you) is the pathetic ways Americans take care of themselves and then expect the health care system to fix their poor exercise and eating habits. The cost of health care would go down in the drain if as Americans we actually took an interest in staying healthy. Then those with real non preventable afflictions would have faster access.
Good god, I cant agree more ... trust me, they will change their mind should they need the system to fix their cancer or some other serious illness they have no control over.
My wife and I just went to one of the top cancer clinics in the USA. We met with not 1, not 2 but 3 cancer specialists in their respective fields for over a two hour period, just exclusively for me to get opinions on the three types of treatments I can chose from and their consultation on where they think I am at. My cost was $40
5 days before Christmas through the amazing efforts of what will become my local specialist I had the latest PSMA PET SCAN (just available starting in 2023) to scan my body for specific cancer my cost $10. It hasn't spread.
5 days after Christmas I met with my local specialist and about to pull the trigger on the treatment I have selected based on all the input I have received. Let me tell you, when any of these complainers have an affliction that they had no control over, the USA is an AMAZING place filled with good doctors who treat patients with a passion. The treatment is not going to be fun but my confidence in these doctors, it was easy to pick up on their passion treating their patients. I would not want to be in any other country in the world for what I am about to go through.
PS! When you are struck with a serious illness, walking into a beautiful looking treatment center CERTAINLY makes you feel more comfortable and confident vs a run down clinic in some overseas land.
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Agree 100%
If you've never had a life threatening medical emergency in another country and experienced healthcare outside the USA than you wouldn't really know.
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