Life always throws something into the mix just when you think you are on a level footing. We have our visa's, one way tickets to Fredericton booked for July 22nd, employers told we are leaving (although no official notice given yet) and we have told family/friends. Everything set, or so we thought. Now we are not sure what to do.

Last August I found a large lump in my left armpit and after a scan and needle biopsy was told just before Christmas that it was a benign lipoma (fatty tumour that can develop anywhere on the body). Because the lump was large, and still growing, I decided to have it removed prior to going to Canada so that it was out of the way. I was also worried about having it left in there as although the consultant was 'pretty sure' that it was all benign tissue, 'pretty sure' was not enough reassurance for me. So, a month ago I had the lump excised and now everything is up in the air.

The lump itself was 400 to 500 grams in weight (much larger than I was expecting ) and the incision was from one side of my armpit to the other. I was warned that some nerve damage may occur but was not prepared for the extent to which this has happened. I am numb from above the incision to my elbow down the back of my arm and behind my shoulder. The inside/underneath my arm is that sensitive/painful I cannot stand to touch it. Post op a large collection of fluid developed and I had a very painful, taught balloon under my arm that had to be drained in theatre two weeks ago. My consultant is happy with the way the wound has healed but a 'string' of scar tissue has formed (same width and appearance as a guitar string) from where the lump was removed, into my bicep and down into my forearm. This prevents my arm from being extended and, unless I work at stretching this tissue, it could permanently reduce the mobility in my arm. My consultant further tells me that it will take between 6 and 12 months to fully recover from the operation and for any nerve regeneration to take place.

Matters are further complicated in that, after contacting Revenue Canada I am now almost sure that all of my pension will be taxed, reducing my income from $4k net each month to $3k net each month once we move. I will therefore need to work very soon after arriving (we have no equity to take to Canada) with most of that salary being used to just replace what I will be losing from my hard earned pension on the move.

So, here are our choices.

1 Heart - leave the arrangements as they are and go in July in the hope that I will have recovered sufficiently enough to find and start work as soon as we land. Ignore the loss of my pension because we want to be in Canada so for us it is the price I have to pay to make our dream a reality. Whilst we are comfortable and relatively happy with our lot in the UK, we want the adventure, experiences and opportunities for our sons that moving to Canada will give us so we should just go for it and take the risk. You do after all only live once.

2 Head - Moving before I am fully recovered is crazy. I may not be able to work putting greater strain on Lynne to find work in order to supplement my pension. If I have not fully recovered we are unlikely to be able to completely enjoy the outdoor life we are so looking forward to experiencing. If we move under these circumstances we will be making an already stressful endeavor even more so and potentially be setting ourselves up to fail. Having to work just to replace the income I am losing in the move is a bitter pill to take and I am crazy to even contemplate moving and losing it when we are happy enough with our life in the UK.

Whilst we have to make these choices ourselves we can no longer see the wood for the trees as we have gone over and over each argument so many times in the past month. We would therefore appreciate some unbiased input from people who are not emotionally attached to the choices we have to make.

As a side issue, what would you prefer to have for your move to Canada, enough equity to buy a home mortgage free with some savings or $3k a month tax free for the rest of your life.

Sorry for the length of the post but it is an important issue that could not be condensed.

Really sorry to hear about your health problems. I cannot advise on wether to move or not,but have some practical advice on scar tissue though. Make sure that you moisturise well at least twice daily with a vitamin E cream to keep the scar tissue soft, absolutely vital & I speak from experience here. There are also dressings that can be used with new scar tissue to reduce it, have you been told about these? If you would like more info on that then let me know & I will get the name of the dressings from work.

Very best wishes with your continued recovery

Thanks for the tip about the scar tissue Sally. Unfortunately I had a reaction to every dressing that was put on the wound and ended up in A&E with blisters that had formed. Even the hypoallergenic tapes caused blistering so I ended up having my chest bandaged to hold a dressing in place. Can't therefore have the dressings you suggest.

Forgot to mention that if we do not go in July, it will most likely be 2 years before we can move. Our eldest is just completing his AS levels so we could not really move him after September until his 'A' levels were completed next June, it simply would not be fair or practical. At that point our youngest will have completed the first year of his GCSE's and he would want to be given the opportunity to complete them (not much use to him in Canada but he is desperate to get them and would be devastated if he started but was dragged away half way through).

Just something else to throw into the mixing pot.

John

So sorry to hear about your health issues!

I still think, if it were me, I'd say go now.

I rather think that if you wait two years you may find much more resistance in your kids, so for their sake I'd say move now.

I think you'd certainly struggle on $3k a year here in Calgary, but the cost of living in Fredricton I suspect would be rather less. It may be enough .... maybe someone who lives there will comment on that?

I don't see why the thought of your wife having to work (if you couldn't) should stop you .... speaking personally, I have always been the main wage earner in our family, and now we are both working fulltime, and although maybe I'd rather have a part-time job, we are fine with it really!

I think that the disappointment in not going now would only compound the misery you have from your surgery and the resultant damage. Go have your adventure!

There .... my 2c worth anyway.

Although if finances are a concern, just get the cheapest moisturiser, as they all do the same job. Vitamin E in these things is just pointless marketing hokum.

It can be devastating to find out about a medical condition at any time, but when you have got everything so well planned for immigrating it just compounds the stress.

It is a tough call under such circumstances. As others have said, from a students perspective sooner rather than later would likely be best for them. If it were me, I would just go for it. So often we procrastinate so much we miss opportunities. When we moved, we had a drop in income, job which was way under where I was at in the UK, smaller house and so on. What we did get was the opportunity to experience something new. Many of those who told us we were mad are still in their same old life as they were years ago, we can say we did it, we tried it and we love it. Worst case scenario, we could always have gone back to the UK.

Another consideration, although you have PR, is it necessary to inform CIC of any change in medical conditions prior to landing?

All the best with your deliberations.

cod liver oil rubbed in to a scar is supposed to be good. No creams, lanolin etc. just oil

Having traveled a very similar "health scare" road (but much worse), I know exactly where you are coming from on this. Logically speaking, the health issue will remain the same, no matter where you are. I am no tax expert, but I have heard that you can "elect" to have your pension taxed in the UK, and receive the nett, or you can have the gross pension sent to Canada, and be taxed on it here. Problem here is, even though our tax system may be a little gentler on you, the current dollar strength and exchange rate will probably cause you even more grief. It would certainly be worth a call to CCRA and talk to a tax inspector, at least you will then have the facts. As for how far your pension will go here. Well much depends on your lifestyle. Many on here will tell you that I am always show-casing the prairie provinces, and Moose Jaw in particular. Although we have always been one of the least expensive places to live, things here are starting to jump a bit, but we will still remain less expensive than the more affluent hot spots. I will not go into the virtues of prairie living here, but if you want to look closer at this region, there are several regular forum members posting here every day, who would be willing to give you unbiased opinions. Good luck in your considerations process, but overall, my "knee jerk" reaction to your main question is: make your move while you still can, and you will get around all the barriers, with a will.

I am so sorry to hear about your health issues. In answer to your question, I would go with your head. I know that opinion diverges from many of the other responses. Forgive me for being really brutal, but here goes. Faced with potential employment issues, possible recurrence of health issues, money issues (all income, from any source, anywhere in the world, is taxed here) and schooling disruption, I would not do it. What if you cannot work? Unemployment is high in Fredericton. If you are not 100% gung-ho (through no fault of your own), you won't get work. There are too many locals going after the same jobs. If there is permanent damage to your arm, you likely can't get work. You won't qualify for any benefits here to ease a transition period. For me, that would just be too risky. You said you have no equity to bring with you....health issues aside I would not ever contemplate a move here without substantial savings to fall back on. If your health issues recur, you are going to be in a foreign country, with no support network, relying on the vagaries of the provincial health plan. In NB, this only kicks in three months AFTER you arrive. Prior to that, you have to arrange private health insurance, and you may have difficulty doing that with your current problem. I wish you well with your decision, but more importantly, a full recovery so that you can carry on from where you left off, when the time is right.

If you are a resident of Canada, then all income (globally) must be declared and is taxed in Canada. You cannot choose where you are taxed. You can however claim an exemption from UK tax as a resident of Canada or claim reimbursement of UK tax paid while a resident of Canada.

I'm going to agree with dingbat on this one, and say that your own "head" paragraph is a good, realistic summary of what will/could happen. Without feeling fully fit, or as near as damn it, I suspect you may find any other obstacles rear their heads out of proportion to what they actually are, and could bog you down. But I don't know you at all - and if you are the eternally optimistic, glass-is-half-full person, you will rise above it all. But the stress on you and your relationship and your family could be enormous. It would be anyway, even if everything was tickety-boo!

I appreciate other poster's comments on the kids and their education and that is very important, but before very long at all, they will definitely be making up their own minds anyway - and if they can see beyond their nose, they too may see opportunities for them in Canada anyway.

Without any equity, you are already putting a huge pressure on you to make it work. I assume you will require a mortgage? $3k net a month is not a lot for a family of four, especially if two of them are hungry, sporty and still in education!! Was Lynne going to be going to work anyway? I suspect a full-time position for one or both of you would be essential in the first instance anyway, in order to get the mortgage, and get 'up and running'. Or have I mis-understood circumstances here?

Beastie - concentrate on getting fit and mobile and well. What is the timeline for your PR? Do you still have two or three years to play with? You admit your life in the UK is a good one - but lacks a bit of adventure.

I'm not a massive risk-taker, I don't think - but then we did the emigration leap too. Pros and cons. But I think being physically and mentally in a good place to start off with is your best bet. Very, very best wishes for whichever way you leap

The definition of High Unemployment is a relative to what you are used to. I suppose compared to Calagary 5.4% is high. Fredericton is growing at record levels with the population expected to double in the next 10 years. Anyway that isn't the nub of the question.

Will $3k a month in Fredericton be enough depends on where you want to live and I would have thought that someone would need to work to get you the extras plus they would probably have healthcare insurance to cover you and the family.

I discussed the dilemma with my sensible half (Jules) and I will summarise it best I can and send it to you in an email rather than typing in a huge long letter in here.

....ah but we want to know wat you think as well! At least you are nearer geographically to say what life (and employment) is like out there
.......

Thank you all for the views so far, they mirror our own discussions at home. Please keep them coming.

My pension was never meant to be our only source of income in Canada as we both work in the UK and fully intend to work when we move. Had the non taxable part remained tax free in Canada then it would simply have meant we could both work part time (as we do in the UK) instead of at least one of us working full time. The $3k per month will pay for essential daily living costs with any other income we earn paying for the 'extras' we would want for the quality of life we seek. The pension, if taxable, equates to a gross income of $50k so another $30k to $40k between us, on top of this would provide a comfortable life in NB and a large enough income for mortgage purposes. What's annoying is that in the UK my pension equates to about $65k per year and the non taxable injury compensation benefits I receive here are also tax free to Canadian residents when awarded under Canada's Workers Compensation board payments. Hence it sticks in the throat a bit to lose it.

I have no doubt whatsoever that I will find employment in Fredericton. However, given I presently work with young people who have behavioural difficulties (low paid work in the UK) and would want to continue this kind of work when we move, I am expecting to have to work full time just to make up the $1k per month loss. Lynne will have considerably less difficulty finding employment as she is an experienced and very well qualified secretary so her skills are far more transferable than my own. My worry is how long it will take for me to get to the point where I will want to work given the ongoing effects of the surgery. I am no stranger to chronic pain and know how it can literally suck the life out of you, making even the most enjoyable of work impossible to carry on with.

Now that the lump has been removed there should be no further impact on my health once the current recuperation has taken place. That is of course unless it grows back again, something I am told can happen with lipoma's or the nerve damage remains and my symptoms do not lessen over time, something I am also told could be the case. As it would be extremely unluck for either of these to occur there should be no implications with regards to health insurance or any need to inform CIC of the surgery.

Whilst we have no equity to bring with us, I do have a regular income that will mean I never have to worry that we cannot afford to tick along should employment become an issue later on in life. Many people do not have this and there would seem to be little point in owning your home outright if you have no money coming in to pay for the other outgoings associated with day to day living because there is no work or you cannot work.

One minute the head wins and the next the heart takes over. Our real concern I suppose is that if we do not go now we may never go and always be thinking 'what if', something we have both been adamant will not happen given how long and hard it has been to get to this point.

Thanks again everyone.

John

Two of us live on $2000 (after tax) a month in Ontario. We own the house and car, so dont have outgoings on those. Its a struggle but possible.