August 2010 was a time when I had far more questions than answers. I was 65—retirement age—but still had no definite retirement plans for the time in the future when I would no longer be capable of working. My husband Dennis and I were living in Canada, and the rest of our extended family—except for our two adult children—lived in the U.S.

Dennis was severely handicapped from a major stroke in November 2004 that robbed him of his ability to read, write, speak, and use his right hand. He walked slowly with a cane. It also affected his reasoning ability.


For nearly three ye...