Sorry to hear about your condition. It's great that you have found another way to get on the water and enjoy yourself.
What really stinks is that we have allowed ourselves to be intimidated by those who have different tastes, needs, and wallets.
We cannot allow the big buck, long waterline, long term cruisers intimidate us. It is about being happy. That is different for all of us, and it changes with each stage of our lives.
While a HR fifty something might be a 'better boat', it would not at all be a good boat for me now, doing the kind of sailing I do. My Freedom 38 is just about perfect for me. I can take her out for a quick single handed sail, cruise with my wife for a few weeks, take off for a few months, or even race her shorthanded (don't have a bunch of deck apes).
There is a book named 'stumbling on happiness' whose take away point is to figure out what makes YOU happy, not what the world tells you will make you happy. It is a great read.
Anyway, be happy and don't let the bullies tell you how to do it.