Some good ideas here, my situation changes up some of the possibilities.
About 7 years ago I was diagnosed with MS as i lost feeling on large portions of my body and lost fine motor control of my left leg, a year after that I had another significant attack that fucked up the control of my right arm and left me with some cognitive weaknesses and chronic fatigue. My employer was super accommodating to my limitations for years, I was a Sr. Sys Admin so half my work was off hours anyways, but I was allowed to be flexible with my schedule and telecommute as I needed.
Fast forward to 3 years ago and my boss decided I needed to be in office every morning at 8am in case the HelpDesk needed any assistance. Its probably because I was at the point where I would publicly call him out as a main reason I could not get us HIPPA compliant. Upper management took his side and I was forced into retirement on disability.
Spent the last couple years establishing medical proof so I could get my student loans forgiven and my disability insurance provider to list me as permanently disabled. Now I have 3k a month income (tax free) until I am 65, I have ~50k from my 401.k that got rolled into a IRA, I bought my house at the bottom of the housing market and still owe about 120k. w/ a 3.7 rate.
After I secured the disability income, I worked on a discrimination suit for my former employer that is, or is about to be, filed. Asking for 2.2 million in damages, if I end up with enough to pay off the house i'm in great shape, if i clear a million after taxes and fees I am not sure what to do with it so i have been asking for ideas all over the place.
Some good ideas here, my situation changes up some of the possibilities.
About 7 years ago I was diagnosed with MS as i lost feeling on large portions of my body and lost fine motor control of my left leg, a year after that I had another significant attack that fucked up the control of my right arm and left me with some cognitive weaknesses and chronic fatigue. My employer was super accommodating to my limitations for years, I was a Sr. Sys Admin so half my work was off hours anyways, but I was allowed to be flexible with my schedule and telecommute as I needed.
Fast forward to 3 years ago and my boss decided I needed to be in office every morning at 8am in case the HelpDesk needed any assistance. Its probably because I was at the point where I would publicly call him out as a main reason I could not get us HIPPA compliant. Upper management took his side and I was forced into retirement on disability.
Spent the last couple years establishing medical proof so I could get my student loans forgiven and my disability insurance provider to list me as permanently disabled. Now I have 3k a month income (tax free) until I am 65, I have ~50k from my 401.k that got rolled into a IRA, I bought my house at the bottom of the housing market and still owe about 120k. w/ a 3.7 rate.
After I secured the disability income, I worked on a discrimination suit for my former employer that is, or is about to be, filed. Asking for 2.2 million in damages, if I end up with enough to pay off the house i'm in great shape, if i clear a million after taxes and fees I am not sure what to do with it so i have been asking for ideas all over the place.
I have been fairly exhaustive in my medical testing and evaluations and feel pretty confidant I am in the right place medically. My 20 year family doctor, and 3 different neurologists think its better for my health to not try to hold competitive employment, I had an RFC test done and I do not qualify for sedentary work, and my insurance provider had me do a full day of neuropsychological testing where the doctor noted the testing indicates a 6 point loss in IQ from the damage in the brain. Consensus is preventing additional MS attacks is the number one thing for my health, that means avoiding stress, heat, and over exertion.
Anyone who hires IT can tell you the guy who thinks he's a rock star and wants to work from his cabin in the Adirondacks never gets the job.
Iv'e been retired 3 years now, I garden, host game nights, play competitive Magic, argue politics on the internet, and i'm working on a web site so people can play with my dog via the web so i can sleep more. I don't miss my job, just trying to cope with memory problems while paying your bills can make for an exciting day.
I would want to put a Dumb Waiter into my house, and maybe get it raised so the basement is more usable. But then are you better just building a new house? I looked at repatriating (going over seas and living like a king) but I think I would lose my income, maybe if the settlement is big enough to offset the loss?
Other option is sell the house and travel, but fuck that makes me tired just thinking about it and I like having a place where people come by to hang out and play games with me.
I'd want to make the backyard into a lower maintenance rock/water garden but is getting a place out of the city with land to do a pond right better?
It probably varies by person, but I'm about 3/8 of the way to retirement now, looking at maybe 6 more years. It's already incredibly difficult to give a shit. If I were to get fired, we could probably last 10-12 years.
I think for some people that'd be incredibly freeing, but for me it's just very demotivating to actually coming to work.
I can't even imagine how complacent I become when I'm a year or two out.
I would buy a Dunkin Donuts franchise.