cranky old dude

Good news: My bride had her surgical staples removed today and received her pathology report. No malignancies detected!! Her Oncologist intends to keep a close eye on her for a couple of years to ensure that nothing develops. She's getting stronger every day and it looks like she'll be around for quite a while yet!!

Thank you all very much for your prayers and kind words of encouragement. It was comforting to know that we weren't alone in this sometimes very frightening world.

Bad News: My chances of retiring in my 60's have dried up and blown away. Due to the probability of loosing my Health Insurance either through the imminent demise of my current employer or the most likely case of no more retiree benefits, I've decided to start looking for another job.

With my 41 years of service I qualify for full retirement. I was intending on retiring within the next 18 months anyway so the leaving my present employer part of my future is not much of a change. The change is needing to work until I'm 70 in order to provide my younger than me bride and myself with affordable Health Insurance. If I'm lucky I will find a job in time to maintain continuous coverage. Now I need to learn about resume and cover letter writing and job interviewing and such.

Bicycling related: I also need to forget about all the extended bicycling tours I was going to participate in during the next ten years. With three daughters just starting out in three different parts of the country, my two weeks vacation from my anticipated new employer won't stretch very far.

Summary: My wife is healthy and we have chosen a path foreward. Things could be a lot worse.

bruce19

As you know, that's the important part. Really glad to hear of the positive results. My best wishes to her and you. At the risk of being blamed for being "political" this is why I support universal health care. Hopefully, you will make it through.

Dan Burkhart 

Great news indeed on your wife's health issues. So glad that went well.
Many of us have long forgotten about the whole freedom 55 thing. I always joke that I'm on the freedom 85 plan, and while I hope that isn't true, I really don't expect to completely hang up the old spurs and sixguns in 7 years when I turn 65.
The upside is that the majority of us can reasonably expect to live longer and enjoy good health later in life than our predecessors did when 65 was, more or less arbitrarily chosen as the magic number.
That said, I understand your concerns surrounding health insurance issues. We here in the great white north tend to take our health coverage for granted. I truly hope you are able to find good stable employment with good benefits.
Best of luck to you.

Bikey Mikey

Super news about the wife. Fingers crossed considering the bad news.

Dudelsack 

No worries, that did NOT set off my "P&R" alarm. I think everyone would like to see universal health care. How we pull it off is another question...

The retirement issue is a bummer. I know there is no way I can think about retiring until 65, mainly due to healthcare coverage. Even then I'm not sure I can swing it. And I have to read all the posts about people and their 1200 km jaunts and stuff

NOS88

Thanks for the update, Cranky. I'd take your first bit of news and hold onto it for all it's worth, as I know you do.

Louis

Great news, Crankster!

The job news sucks; but the news about your lovely bride far outweighs everything else.

*bruce19* - Well said!

groth

Cranky - good to hear the light at the end of the tunnel got brighter!

- Ed

locolobo13 

Good to hear your wife is OK. Here's hoping you find a new career riding recumbents on tours for a 6 figure salary. Well, you can dream. Seriously I hope you find a good one.

John_V 

Glad to hear that your bride is going to be OK. The other part will work out for you as well.

qcpmsame 

Lenny,
This made my day, and probably my whole week to learn your wife got the clear from the oncologist and pathologist. She has certainly been through the wringer as have you, mentally. Hope the new job works out better than things look right now. I am just glad you won't be unemployed totally. Keep us posted on how things are going.

Bill

Artkansas 

Glad to hear that your bride is on the road to recovery. As far as the job situation, I'm glad that there appears to be a new employer on the horizon. You're not the only one of us who has seen retirement disappear as an option.

VNA

Health is everything--wishing the very best to your wife--and you are not alone in these predicaments--get on your bike from time to time it cleans the cobwebs between the ears!

Gyro

Glad to hear your bride is doing well. Hang in there.

lphilpot

+1

CbadRider

I'm glad your wife is going to be okay.

There is a thread in Foo about searching for jobs; it gives some good hints for resumes and cover letters.

billydonn

I'm glad to hear that good news.

Digital Gee

I'm delighted with your good news - that's truly uplifting! I can completely relate to everything else you said - I'm in much the same boat. My SEP IRA evaporated years ago, so it looks like I'll be working until they pry my fingers from a keyboard.

I'm adjusting my own work from client consulting to writing books on the same subjects, and have 3-4 titles out there now. Not getting rich on that - but (for me, at least) writing is one "career" that can be extended indefinitely.

And with two daughters in college, I can also relate to those expenses.

And, as for health insurance? Don't get me started. I had the bad timing of applying for a different (less expensive, higher deductible) plan exactly when I went to see my doc for a minor matter. Because he decided to order a test (which I subsequently didn't need and didn't take) the underwriter decided I was a "bad risk" for the less expensive policy. (I'm self-insured, by the way.) This despite the fact that I have barely seen my doctor for the past decade, am in generally good health, etc.

Anyway...

Good news on health is wonderful. As others have said, keep us posted!

Beverly

This is FANTASTIC news, Cranky! Hoping your wife has a speedy recovery.

missjean

I'm very glad to hear you & you wife got such good news!

tsl

Check with your town's library for any resources they offer.

I'm more familiar with what we have in the city. Central Branch downtown has the most stuff available. There's a whole department, the Job Resource Center (in the new B&L building), who can help. They can assist--one-on-one--with resumes, cover letters, and interview preparation.

On the main Job Information page, scroll down a bit and download the brochure on Personal Help With the Job Finding Process. Lots of help available there.

Many employers bypass the whole advertising process and list their openings exclusively with RochesterWorks!. They also offer help with resumes, cover letters and interview prep.

If I may suggest, remember Wegman's is ranked third in the Forbes Best Workplaces in America and has decent heath insurance. Our largest employer, University of Rochester has excellent health care coverage since they own the darned hospital.

I'm personally biased for government work. The NYS retirement system requires only 10 years of service before you can get a partial pension. Contributions are 3% of your gross. Except for teachers, who have their own pension fund, any employee of any state, county, or local government or government agency is eligible.

The City has pretty good health insurance. One of my co-workers is a Kodak retiree, lives in your town even, and she works part-time just for the health insurance. I work part-time and have no other income so I can't afford the health insurance, but you can bet your sweet bippy I'm enrolled in the state pension fund.

indycar

I am very relieved to hear that your wife is going to be OK.

I just can't believe that your country doesn't have a health care program. I am fortunate enough to live in a country that does. Yes, our taxes in Canada are higher, but it is very comforting to know that regardless of what my future health issues might be, treatment will be provided at no cost to me.

JanMM

Sounds like your good news outweighs the bad by a good margin. Just too bad it can't all be good.

NVanHiker

You made my day! Good luck on the job search - you may find our boomer work ethic, if not our skills set, is in demand.

By the way, if you're only 60-ish, you ain't old at all. Plus, when I look at my retired friends, I wouldn't trade places with them - most of them seem to spend a lot of time as as free babysitters. When I see all those guys about my age sitting around Mcdonalds in the morning, it gives me the creeps - I can't wait to grab my (senior's) coffee and get out of there and get to work! And vacations are sweeter when they're paid.

Re canadian health care - it covers the basics, but for extras like drugs, dental care, vision care, ambulance, etc. you need a job that provides an extended health plan like Blue Cross. Plus, we do pay (reasonable) premiums for our government coverage - mine went up 6% this month.

DEK

Very glad to hear your wife is getting better. Great news. That's the most important part. Hold onto that.