Time >>> $

[HI Bill]

I received stunning news today from a dear family friend, who had just retired 3 years ago, at age 64. He has Stage 4 cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Based on a quick internet search, it's unlikely he'll live another 5 years, and will likely require palliative care sooner than later.

I had been talking to him and his wife for at least 15 years about my early retirement plans, and while they were interested, it was clear that they hadn't saved enough $, and needed to work until full retirement age to qualify for pensions and SS.

They've had three great years of travel and family visits, and hiked more than 500 miles in Europe. We were fortunate to get to visit with them this year.

You never know how long you have on this planet. If you have enough, and have had enough, this is a stark reminder that while you can always continue to w#rk and earn more $, you can never gain more time. You never know how long you have. If you can, and you can meet your desired standard of living, I'd high recommend FIRING on time (no more OMYs), and enjoying the time you have left! I waited too long, and COVID hit, destroying my dive travel plans for the first two years of ER. You never know...

 

[Teacher Terry]

A good friend of mine died from cancer at 59 so retired because of the cancer about 9 months before she died. Yes life is short. I am so sorry about your friend.

 

[FlaGator]

Yep, one never knows what’s around the corner.

Sorry about your friend. Good that he has some notice, as others I have known.

Easy to roll the tape backward and ask yourself “what if?” Try to avoid that as you think about him and his choices.

IMO, the important thing is live your life as if it could end before you expect. For some that is working and doing what they they like, for others, it’s that without getting paid for it. Evaluate at the end of the day if one is happy with how it was spent. If not, adjust the next day you wake up.

Sh!tty deal all around.

Best wishes to you friend in the closing stages, and to you as you reconcile it. It ain’t easy.

 

[Retired Expat]

We lost a very good friend to Pancreatic cancer this past month (@67) I retired very early, almost 10 years ago now. Talked often with our friend about his retirement, travel and traveling together with him and his wife but while I think he could afford it, man he felt a responsibility to his firm and his clients and never pulled the plug. The past 2 years with Covid and declining health didn’t make his final years exactly great either.

You never know when your time will be up or illness will rob you of your strength and vitality. Determined to really enjoy my life from here on out and say no to things that don’t spark joy or will better my life for the remaining 30 years or perhaps 3 given the fickle finger of fate. And I miss our friend terribly…..

 

[street]

The past few summers I been helping an elderly lady do her yard work and some small tasks every so often. She is 87 and has found out in October she has Pancreatic cancer. She is a very wealthy lady and has had a luxurious life. Pancreatic cancer isn't good.

I have seen many people pass on under the age of 65. I do agree Time is greater than money. I just was talking with an old friend that has just retired and he said the same thing, life is too short.

 

[aja8888]

Two guys I worked with over the years were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Both were gone in a matter of weeks. Deadly stuff.

 

[Car-Guy]

I've posted this a couple of times before on this site, but I've known 3 people that had Pancreatic Cancer. My barber had PC that was found very early during testing for an unrelated problem. He had surgery and other post-op treatments and is still alive today about 15 years later. The other two were diagnosed in later stages and both were gone in less than a year. One was in his late 50's and still working the other was in his mid 60's and had been retired a few years.

 

[skyking1]

Bill I am sorry about your friend. My grand nephew's future DMIL has it and is on palliative care now. My sister is on hospice now and we were so fortunate to have one more holiday gathering with her. Time waits for none of us.
We are so going to move our date closer rather than farther away. It will be leanFIRE but doable, in my calculation. I have taken these words to heart, every time I read them.

 

[badatmath]

PC moves very very fast IME. It sucks.

 

[RobbieB]

Took my first wife 16 months after diagnosis. They gave her less than a year. Chemo gave her the extra time.

 

[Koolau]

Two close friends and several acquaintances have died of PC. I wonder why there isn't better screening since PC is so deadly. I got a "heart check" to look for coronary heart disease. The test is essentially a very focused (and therefore relatively low dose) CT scan. Wouldn't a CT scan of the pancreas be worth the radiation risk? I have no idea if once in 10 years (maybe 5) would be good enough to show early cancer or not. There must be some reason that such tests are not done. Too bad there isn't a chemical marker test like there are for some cancers. Early detection is the only hope in most cases but YMMV.

 

[pacergal]

HI Bill--I am sorry about your friend. Best thing you can do is continue to be there for him and his DW.
And yes, Time>Money in my opinion.

 

[Winemaker]

My 66yo cousin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over 15 years ago, he is still alive today; but he has had several other cancers in the meantime. Luckily, he has survived them all; but he lost his DW to breast cancer about 12 years ago when she was 52. His son has survived testicular cancer, when he was in college. Ya just never know.

Three weeks ago, my 64yo cousin lost her husband, and two weeks ago, I lost a 65yo cousin, who was an avid bicyclist and hiker. He had a cardiac event while playing video games. Ya just never know.