It seems to me that you are doing all the right things to get
ready for retirement. I have been retired for several years
now. My best advice--watch your spending and pay "as you go"
as much as possible. DH and I try to charge everything on
one credit card (groceries, gas, eating out, catalog/online
purchases, etc.) and pay it off at the end of the month--no
interest. Another time and money saver is that we pay our
monthly bills online through the bank--once it is set up it
is much faster and easier and no checks, no stamps! And as
another poster noted you will need less money to "live on"
when you are retired. Just be sure you have the right kind
of and affordable insurance (one Saturday afterno0n trip to
the emergency room for kidney stones cost over $6000!). I'm
so sorry that you have to work with so much pain. Heaven
knows that teaching is stressful and exhaustive enough
without any ailments or stress to go along with it.
I have ataxia, and while it does not by itself cause me much
pain (I also have arthritis), it has almost stopped me in my
tracks, I am using a walker now and we had a ramp built on
the front of the house last summer so that I can go in and
out without help -- hopefully later we can put one out back
too. But the ataxia keeps me off balance and my legs tire so
easily that I just don't go out very much anymore. I'm sure
a wheelchair is in the not too distant future.
I hope your medication "kicks in" soon and that you will be
able to endure and enjoy teaching for the time that you need
to. Best wishes!

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