Oh wow, what a story @Rubens! It could be a movie 😂
I don't have my own story but my good friend who is a violinist went to conservatory and then was a professional orchestral musician until he turned 30 and had a car accident that ended his career. He was understandably very depressed for a long time, but he switched careers and ended up in a much more lucrative field until he retired in his 60's. Shortly before then he started playing the violin again after a 30 year break, and while he experiences frustration that things that used to be easy are no longer easy, he's learning to let go of his own expectations and just enjoy being able to make music again.
He said it was all a blessing in disguise because he wasn't that great of a professional anyway and was able to support his family well during his whole second career. He's taking lessons and said "where was Adam all this time when I needed him?" and then remembered that Adam would have just been a child when he was at conservatory!
I never considered playing piano professionally, although for a while when I was a kid I felt like it was the thing I was best at and my self-esteem was very much wrapped up in it. One of my teachers said I could have gone to conservatory but honestly I make a good amateur but I think I would have been a terrible professional; I can't play with precision consistently and have an awful memory. But now, as an adult, getting to play chamber music (no memorization required) as a hobby is the best. And I had a career that paid well and could fund my expensive piano haha.