Ling, I'm a bit shocked to hear that wealthy and thriving Hong Kong provides no comprehensive medical protection to its citizens, I was convinced of the contrary.

Craig, I stopped working 8 years after diagnosis, because I couldn't sit in front of a computer for 8 hours, my cramped back muscles started aching within the first 10 minutes and never stopped all day (plus I was getting slower, and becoming a scatterbrain). When it got so bad that even a good night's sleep failed to relax me, I went on sick leave.

Spain has full health coverage, so I stayed on sick leave for 18 months (max. period allowed) and then the doctors had to decide whether to send me back to work or initiate retirement application proceedings. Since I had not gotten better, but worse, the choice was obvious. I'm retired with full pay, free medical care to include meds, and when I become totally disabled I will be entitled to a "caregiver" provided by the Social Security.

Everybody is different, though, some are still working after more than 10 years, others have to quit within the first three years - it depends on the job you do, too.

I believe you will know best when the time has come to retire. It's when you absolutely see no way you can do your job the way it's supposed to be done, and when you realize that work is such a strain that you no longer recover over night.

Take care
Teresa