Early Retirement

Last April, dh stopped going to work. He simply could not do it anymore. You see, he has a nasty form of arthritis called Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and has had it since he was about 16.

He has had chronic pain ever since I've known him (we were high school sweethearts). His dad had the same disease and was disabled because of it. AS causes loss of disc space in the spine with resulting kyphosis (hunched over appearance) and loss of height. The spinal vertebrae actually fuse together so there is subsequent loss of mobility. AS not only affects the spine, it also affects all of the major joints and causes systemic problems, such as organ damage. There are varying degrees of the severity of the symptoms and dh has had a very difficult time over the years.

After a terrible exacerbation last spring, he was unable to get more than a few hours of sleep at night. He was up during the night off and on, taking hot baths and/or showers, using the heating pad, taking antinflammatory drugs and on more than one occasion I had to get up to assist him up the stairs. He started walking with a cane and was really having a lot of side effects from his medication (he will only take ibuprofen or aspirin, nothing stronger). He started experiencing a lot of stomach cramping, skin rashes, dizziness, weight loss and many other symptoms. He has missed a lot of work over the years due to his disease.

So, after much prayer and discussion, we decided that he would be better off at home where he could manage his disease better (when he's inactive he gets stiffer, so he exercises which results in more pain, a very vicious cycle). Thankfully, he worked for the City of Springfield and they were very accomodating when he gave his notice. He was able to draw all of his remaining ill time which gave him a paycheck for 3 full months, then he was able to apply for partial retirement based on his disability. We have worked for many years toward living without debt so we were in a position that he COULD stay home.

I am happy to say that the LAGERS union approved his disability after reviewing his medical records and Dr's recommendations and he is now officially retired.

DH is now doing better. Not having to get up at 5 am allows him to get more sleep. He no longer has to drive around in a vehicle all day which caused him significant pain and stiffness. He is able to exercise in short stints throughout the day which helps him maintain mobility in his neck, hips, and lower back. He is able to focus on eating wholesome foods and that seems to help keep inflammation at bay. Remarkably, he looks fantastic and has a six pack on his abs that is to die for!