Jason Chan, a retired counsellor, an ordinary human being, decided to share his extraordinary life experience. He is one of my dearest friends, whom I have known for decades, and is a person that I admire.

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The extended staff benefits offered by the agency I worked for included job disability. It was optional and required additional, not a lot, contribution. I needed to rest with this accident after twenty-seven years of service. This benefit worked for me this time.

I told my wife, who was always with me, this idea. After listening, she immediately engaged herself studying the Manual for Staff Benefit and related disability benefits from the governments, including the qualifications and procedures, as well as a review of the financial conditions of our family. Whenever the prognosis of my health came to her mind, she was more determined to apply. Success or not was another story.

The insurance company needed to collect and assess the materials and reports from four sources for approval. They included the insured, the employer, related medical disciplines, and other insurers offering similar products. I didn't have another profit making insurer.

My application would be approved if proof of loss of my executive functioning, at least sixty percent, could be established. By the end of the month, i.e., February, we, the hospital and my family doctor had submitted the forms and reports promptly. The insurers replied upon receiving and would notify us of the progress.

From my limited pool of leaves, I took compensation leaves first, sick leaves, annual leaves, and no pay leaves at last. My wife always worked part-time. Due to my limited self-care ability, she didn't feel comfortable leaving me alone at home. She also took leaves to be by my side. How to solve the “husband sit” problem when she needed to return to work? 

She would feel relieved if I was in places close and familiar to her. There were food courts, shops, parks big and small, library and clinics in the area she worked. Since then I accompanied my wife to work. I parked nearby after dropping her off, and took a picture of the whereabouts to ensure I could return to my car. With food packages and drinks, I planned my day picnics, outdoor or indoor.

I wandered freely in parks under the sun, and paced inside the mall when it was windy and rainy. Each completed round trip inside the mall was 1100 steps. I kept accountable to myself and my family by completing a few round trips in total after breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. The walks were part of exercise and rehabilitation. Besides, regular phone calls were made to my wife to settle her. Life was quite good for me by then. 

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