We sold our house and hit the road three years ago. We actually started fulltiming early due to my health. I am retired from the military so we have a small income, we bought an older motorhome and car for cash so we have no payments. I am now 60 years old and have non-curable very aggressive prostate cancer that has started to spread a little. So far we have workamped most of the time to save money. The dilemma we are facing is do we do the traveling we want to do and spend our money we have in savings counting on the fact that the doctors are right and I only have a few more years to live, or do we continue to save so we don't run out of money and be forced off the road. We don't make enough to replace any money we spend traveling and my retirement will not allow for travel, only for month to month living? I have life insurance to take care of the DW went I pass away so that is not an issue. I can no longer work a regular job and my wife has some issues that don't allow her to work eight hours a day so saving more money is impossible. I am hoping maybe some of you might have some opinions that I have not thought of. I have been losing sleep thinking about this and need to make a decision soon. Thanks for letting me vent anyway.

It's a rough spot to be in. I would consider what the wife wants to do once you're gone. Does she want to keep traveling alone? Does she want to settle somewhere? Help smooth her transition into the new situation. It might mean selling the rig and finding a place to rent or buy.Another thing to think about is, at some point you will not feel like being in an RV any more, and might want a more stable place to live toward the end.

Get off the road. It is no fun living in an rv when your sick. Been there done that. It is not fun believe me.

Just my own personal opinion but, I would travel now. Even if it were my wife who was sick and knowing I would be making it hard on myself to survive after spending the money I would go now. I have never heard of anyone who reached the point where they could no longer travel who said I wish I had stayed home more.

First of all I would like to know if you have been to a major cancer center to see if there is not a treatment for your Prostate cancer even though it has started to metastasize ( To the bone I presume but maybe not) You need to be checked out at a major center before giving up. A lot of Oncologists are stuck in the past for a variety of reasons. some become complacent Another reason may be the inability to obtain the latest and greatest equipment. Please go to a MAJOR CANCER center such as Sloan Kettering in New YORK, Roswell Park in Buffalo, NY, Mayo clinic in Rochester, Mn there are others and there is one near you wherever you are.FIGHT till the end do not give up

Roy,As a lung cancer survivor who was given a 35% chance of survival(and it's now been over 5 years), I also would highly recommend a 2nd opinion from a major cancer center. We're in Texas and I went to MD Anderson and credit them with my being here.My 2nd thought is for your wife. She needs to be set up where if the worse does happen, she has friends, family and support fIrly close. Maybe there is an RV park near family that let's you do both the lifestyle AND gets you near treatment plus positions her if the worse happens. Regardless, fighting will help you survive longer. Your Attitude determines your Altitude! Good luck with your decision and let us know how you're doing.

Looking for opinions | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

ncrowley
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2014
Do not stop doing what makes you happy. Travel and enjoy yourself. You will know when it is time to stop and stay in one place.
hedgehopper
Explorer
Jul 03, 2014
lawrosa wrote:
IMO get to the burzynski clinic asap and see what they can do for you...

They are the only ones curing cancer without radiation as far as I know...

http://www.burzynskiclinic.com/

X2
ventrman
Explorer
Jul 02, 2014
Good Luck to you. Sending good Thoughts and Prayers your Way.
royl
Explorer
Jul 02, 2014
oldtrojan66 wrote:
Lots of good advice and recommendations so far. Obviously you are not alone in your suffering or your hope. The decisions you face have been faced and overcome before. I would ask that your keep an open mind, don't ever give up hope and DO NOT let your life be defined by this disease! Admittedly, I have never been in your shoes, so I don't know what I would do, but I want to think my advice is still good. My plan, at 66, is to do whatever I can afford. My wife and I will enjoy our travel till we can't, but we have decided together to keep our joy in front of us and not be overcome by immediate circumstances. Please be as happy as you can be, and know that there are lots of folks who don't even know you, who are praying for you.

Thank you.
oldtrojan66
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
Lots of good advice and recommendations so far. Obviously you are not alone in your suffering or your hope. The decisions you face have been faced and overcome before. I would ask that your keep an open mind, don't ever give up hope and DO NOT let your life be defined by this disease! Admittedly, I have never been in your shoes, so I don't know what I would do, but I want to think my advice is still good. My plan, at 66, is to do whatever I can afford. My wife and I will enjoy our travel till we can't, but we have decided together to keep our joy in front of us and not be overcome by immediate circumstances. Please be as happy as you can be, and know that there are lots of folks who don't even know you, who are praying for you.
royl
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
We are hosting at a State Park now in New Mexico and the park manager is aware of my condition so he told me to do whatever I feel like doing and other than that he just wants me to be the eyes and ears of the park. We are committed here until October and the park manager kind of would like us to stay through the winter as well. It is good for me so I think we will stay. I have pretty well decided to stay here until spring if we can. The wife wants to attend her school reunion in Los Angels in October and visit her parents in Oregon sometime this winter, we can do these by car. Then I believe we will start back east by way of South Dakota, Niagara Falls, then down the east coast back to Florida. That way I can get the wife's bucket list out of the way. I hope to find a cheap lot to buy for the RV somewhere close to the family and my hospital in the Florida Panhandle. I don't believe I ever want a house again, I can stay in the motorhome much cheaper and it requires a lot less maintenance. We can always do part time RV'ing from there as long as I am able, just not so far away as what we are now.
rseymour21
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
2gypsies wrote:

If you're not physically able to workamp possibly volunteering as campground hosts in some of your favorite areas or areas you want to see would work for you. Camp hosts in state parks typically don't have heavy manual duties and then your campsite will be free and sometimes even propane is free.

I agree with the Volunteering, you save on your camping expenses, stay in one place for a couple weeks, month or whatever, then move on to the next place. Go do it!
lawrosa
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
IMO get to the burzynski clinic asap and see what they can do for you...

They are the only ones curing cancer without radiation as far as I know...

http://www.burzynskiclinic.com/
2freelife
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
There are great new cancer treatments. Darsben is right; you should spend some money to go to a great cancer center. "Anderson Cancer Center" in Texas comes to mind. That's a good work camping area, & I've heard Anderson also has camping spaces (not sure). My sister has a tumor growing into her heart. 2 years ago they told her to get her life in order because she'd be dead in 6 months. She went into an experiments cancer treatment (SHE'S STILL DOING WELL). My motto is; you can die in a camper as easy as a home (neither are easy). Live life the best you can. Personally I would regret sitting in a house dying, & I'd regret not seeking whatever treatment would be available.
DustyR
Explorer
Jul 01, 2014
royl wrote:
My wife will not travel without me even though she loves it now. She has said she would probably return to Austria where she grew up or back to Florida near the kids and Grandkids.

Quote from rainy029
Think about it this way.. How happy are you and your wife gonna be if you do give up RVing? What is more important? Saving up for what might happen or doing what you love while you can. The future is a big question mark. So live for today.

Spent your remaining health wisely, with the one you love and doing the things you both take pleasure in. Make a plan of action on what you are going to do when you are so ill that you cannot continue.

I serve as a winter chaplain in a RV resort in the RGV of Texas and a surprising large number of the folks that return yearly do not know if this is their last year. I talked to one lady whose husband is starting to suffer with some dementia issues. Question to her do you both still enjoy being here? Response we love it here, so many friends and enjoy it all......

Enjoy life to the fullest now and have a plan for the future..