I'm surprised that the spoiled lawyer hasn't chimed in on this yet.😀

the man who does not 'need' much is rich indeed.

health is important but fitness is more important..strength training improves bone density, ligament/tendon strength...strength training along with aerobic capacity training which results in low body fat % reduces all cause mortality by hundreds of %.

obesity raises all cause mortality by hundreds of %.

the average american should be ashamed of their fitness level.

Retirement is a huge milestone in anyone's life and it's completely understandable you're having anxiety over it. Get yourself a job bagging groceries ten or fifteen hours a week. I'll bet you do just fine.

You could always move to Southeast Asia. Pick a country that has decent health care. Rent a furnished condo for say $350-400 a month. Hire you a live in nurse for another $100 a month.
Live like a rock star on the rest.

It's a hard one as your only a year and a half from being able to get medicare. With heart and knee issues you really can't chance not having insurance ,will working part time give you insurance thru work or will you have enough money to buy it ? I'm thinking your full retirement age is probably around 66 and 8 months if you could tough it out for 18 months you'll have an extra 12 percent or so more on your SS.

If he could get on disability now he’d get the full amount I believe today and Medicaid health insurance at the same time. Waiting to get SS is a losing game as it takes forever to make it up.

Geting disability approved takes a year or more normally. Even when you have stage 3 cancer and are going through treatments and surgeries. At least it does if you have a real problem or disability.

That’s the winning lottery ticket for some that don’t need it and try to get it so they make it hard on the ones that really need it.

Quit a job than sign up for disability,,?

That's what I was thinking.

Disability a lottery ticket ??? YOU are kidding right? !!!
YEA BOY !!! I went from making 40,000 per year full medical and dental. Matching 401 k to drawing 18,000 a year SS BEFORE TAXES ! Yes it's taxed because they lump entire household and if over 35,000 it gets taxed...
So taxes out of that , minus 271 per month health and drug plans. Still no dental !
18,000
- 3,252 ins
-appr 3,000 in taxes
= 11,748
WOOOHOOO Jackpot lottery !!!!

If We hadn't planned ahead and had our house and vehicles paid off I would have filed bankruptcy ......

That is a great way to meet chicks too!

The people he was referring to are happy in government housing and having beer and drug money. Not quite in the same category. Have you never meet people happy living off the system.

Free housing vs rent or house payment saves what 7200 or more a year, free health care, food Stamps, disability check, tax returns many more time than they paid in plus doing a side job for cash. Add all the benefits up and they are getting a good income for not working and don't have the expense of going to work so come out better Tham many working people.
For some it is a great lifestyle.

Find something to do that you can do to help others. Being in management for years you have skills that others don’t have. Helping others will take the focus off your situation!

It's only a losing game if you have enough money in the bank to live with reduced ss. I've watched way to many people over the years struggle after taking ss with the premise that they will work part time or run a small sideline business those ideas only last as long as your body does.

Define "retirement"

My wife has a form of muscular dystrophy, so I retired at 62 to take care of her. My daughter had asked me how long I would let my 90 year old father take her to appointments. I answered as soon as I can, and my Dad lost his license that fall, drove over a fire hydrant after he passed out at the wheel. So I have been a caregiver for going on 6 years for them both. But in those years haven't missed work for one day, glad to be retired.

Some great advice from the posters!! I believe you did the right thing and enjoy life and if need be, get a PT job for a few years. The one thing you don't want to do is die in the harness. I see so many that have kept piling it on, then they are gone, never to enjoy the days we have left.

Live simple and if in a low-cost state, you will be fine IMO.

346 more days until I can sign on the line, and I won't lose any sleep over it.

Enjoy yourself, don't sweat the petty things!

IMO. Doing what you want to do each day even if it's a PT job. Being free as a bird enjoying life whatever makes you happy.