First four months

It is hard to believe. After so many years of working, to know that I actually pulled it off and was able to retire...You know whodoesn't let me call it retirement. It's too jarring for her to think that someone actually gives up a medical practice...or any type of job for that matter. For me, it was easy despite my age (56). But I did it. I'd been slowly reducing my involvement in the practice over 5 or 6 years. First not doing night call and weekends, then not seeing patients in the hospital, and finally no more office patients to see and no stress tests or echocardiograms to read.

I spend 15 or so hours in the gym per week "putting out fires" in the cardiac rehab program, but that's it. In another 2 months that program will evaporate as they move to a hospital and no longer need a physician's constant presence. I am working on getting a part time job at Social Security reviewing charts of cardiac patients seeking disability. If that comes through (and if I like doing it), it is completely flexible and pays well.

People ask what I've been doing with my time. The answer is..Enjoying it! There's a sense of calm present that I haven't experienced in years. I think I am a little less inclined to let daily frustrations get to me or anger me. Best of all is I don't feel the guilt I thought I'd experience by giving up my patients and having my former partners and colleagues in other groups manage them-well, maybe a little guilt. That can't be helped. It's genetic.

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