I am still helping out my "medically challenged" parents out of state and was hoping to possibly restart the "Thank you THR PIF" thread after retirement but now I too am beginning to be "medically challenged" myself and the reason for early retirement.
Believe me, choose your parents carefully. On top of diabetes, high blood pressure/cholesterol my parents gave me, I now have spinal stenosis with occasional back spasms and when I saw my eye doctor to get my progressive glasses adjusted (Yes, my right shooting eye was off and fuzziness was not due to scopes), he did an urgent referral and now I have glaucoma with optic nerve damage and a "touch" of cataract in my left eye.
And when I mentioned tingling and numbness of my fingers to the neurosurgeon during my follow up visit, he smiles and says, "Oh, that's carpal tunnel damage. Try not using your hands/fingers and avoid typing on keyboard. Do you use your hands/fingers and type a lot?"
I quietly told him thousands of rounds I reloaded and shot with various projects I have pursued for my wife, the neurosurgeon just looked at me and asked to come back when pain/numbness/tingling got really bad.
Do I use my hands/fingers a lot and type a lot?
Hmmm, let's see ... On a daily basis I cook, clean the kitchen, do laundry, take care of animals (dogs, chickens, turkeys, piglets) and "occasionally" do reloading/shooting stuff along with addressing my wife's growing project list. NOPE, I hardly use my hands or fingers.
As to typing, I guess I could learn to peck with a stick in my mouth.
And when I visited my parents 2 days ago, they are now entertaining moving to a city in another state to be closer to better medical facilities. (I mean we just finished their new house and got them moved in!!! Give me a break, for real!) Since then, I have been talking to wife about us moving too (My parents will need in-home care soon) and she goes, "Well, you will need better medical facilities too later in retirement".
Oh man, don't remind me ...
My advice, don't get old and yes, choose your parents carefully. < Now, what did we do with those moving boxes ... >