I've just had possibly the most depressing meeting of my life: a meeting to set up my pension. It was incredibly dull, but at least now I know I will have some money around when I retire.
It made me feel a bit funny on the inside though, talking about retiring at 68 and the possibility of that age rising. Having lived with type 1 for 20 years, I've always been told my life span is roughly 15 years below the average person - although that being said, recent research says we will live just as long as any other (source). It's quite hard to get out of that way of thinking though, having been told it so many times; so when the pensions guy talked about retiring at over the age of 70, all I could think was "but I probably won't live that long."
And I know you can say that everyone has a chance of not living that long, and I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and not live long enough to see the complications of type 1 diabetes.
But it's always in the back of my mind.
(and another opportunity to plug my fundraising, yay! Please consider sponsoring me - on September 23rd I will throw myself out of a plane, also known as skydiving, to raise funds for JDRF. JustGiving takes donations from wherever you live in the world - an American friend of mine donated £20 very kindly, so don't be put off by that small factor! My donation page is at http://www.justgiving.com/siobhanskydives - all the money you donate will go straight to JDRF, as I have paid for the skydive myself.)
It made me feel a bit funny on the inside though, talking about retiring at 68 and the possibility of that age rising. Having lived with type 1 for 20 years, I've always been told my life span is roughly 15 years below the average person - although that being said, recent research says we will live just as long as any other (source). It's quite hard to get out of that way of thinking though, having been told it so many times; so when the pensions guy talked about retiring at over the age of 70, all I could think was "but I probably won't live that long."
And I know you can say that everyone has a chance of not living that long, and I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and not live long enough to see the complications of type 1 diabetes.
But it's always in the back of my mind.
(and another opportunity to plug my fundraising, yay! Please consider sponsoring me - on September 23rd I will throw myself out of a plane, also known as skydiving, to raise funds for JDRF. JustGiving takes donations from wherever you live in the world - an American friend of mine donated £20 very kindly, so don't be put off by that small factor! My donation page is at http://www.justgiving.com/siobhanskydives - all the money you donate will go straight to JDRF, as I have paid for the skydive myself.)
