Anyone change careers after BC?

You are NOT crazy. My day job is the same, but I have an entirely new career at night -- as an actress! Having cancer lit a fire under me to accomplish some of the things I'd always dreamed about. Right as I finished treatment, my husband became permanently disabled. I had to get a second job to keep us going until his disability payments started, which took three loooong years.

I saw an ad in the paper from a tour company that was hiring actors, so I applied and was hired on the spot (at age 53, I might add). In the past three years, I've been playing a character, acting, doing storytelling and even got my CDL and learned how to drive a 30-passenger trolley -- then drove one for two years. I love it all so much I can't give it up. I get to wear a costume, stage makeup and meet people from around the world.

It's not really feasible for me to do this as a career at this point because I need the benefits from the day job. But I've decided what I want to do when I grow up and retire. I want to be a professional storyteller so I can write my own scripts, develop new characters and design my own costumes. I'm actually looking forward to being old, so I can do this. That's quite a change from being a scared, newly diagnosed breast cancer patient..

I'm even thinking about taking some classes in historic preservation with the intent to become a researcher. Having gone through cancer changed me so much that I no longer enjoy my day job and sometimes even dread going to work. The weird thing is this is something I've been doing for 25 years and dearly loved before the diagnosis.

 So follow your heart. You are just in your mid 50s and have many more years to go in a new career. And as we Baby Boomers age, the need for people in the medical field is going to explode. Many hospitals and clinics already are desperate for employees. Go for it! And enjoy every minute!

You're not crazy at all. My mom is 57 and she went back to college to work on getting her degree in Elementary Education. It is something she has always wanted and although she is always studying and sometimes stressed she is still very happy.

I did, but because they privatized the dept of corrections pharmacy, they transferred me to a womans prison where I stayed until I could retire, now I am working in a nursing home.

Go for it! 50 is young! You might be surprised at how quickly you can get into something new. I was involved in medical education for physicians, which was very boring to me. I am now doing freelance marketing and writing from home, and I love it!