Alzheimer's Dilemma

[SaucySailoress]

Originally Posted by harmony80

O.K. Now. We have begun our cruising. Ran down the Chesapeake Bay barely ahead of Hurricane Sandy, which we weathered in Waterside Marina in Norfolk

Oh wow. It is great to see you back again, and I can't believe you have made this decision. It's awesome. I'm afraid for you, and excited for you. I think you are amazing for what you are doing. Your husband is so lucky to have you. Good luck and fair winds x

[mbianka]

Just happened to come across info about a new direction in Alzheimer's treatment that might offer some hope for the near future:
Brain 'pacemaker' to treat Alzheimer's

[Sandero]

While not Alzheimers... I'd like to raise the issue of getting older and simply experiencing a slow almost imperceptible loss of your facilities... whether it's strength, hearing, sight, balance, memory... It seems that this IS inevitable as one gets older.

I know that when I got Shiva in '85 I was almost 30 yrs youger with perfect vision and hearing and quite physically strong. The boat has aged.... well I might add with my care... but my aging has seen a sort of fading away of my old self. Yrs ago I would never have thought of having a Millie... my Milwaukee drill and winch bit to raise the main. Sure I can do it without Milie... but I am a helluva lot more beat from doing it.

My back is not as strong and so now if I have to lift something heavy... like the RIB or the OB I'll pay a dock guy to do it for me rather than suffer from an aching back for weeks. I used to enjoy the hard work of Spring prep... but it seems I suffer too many aches and pains...

I do see a lot of old timers on the water... so others must be facing this... How do you deal with this?... if at all.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by defjef

While not Alzheimers... I'd like to raise the issue of getting older and simply experiencing a slow almost imperceptible loss of your facilities... whether it's strength, hearing, sight, balance, memory... It seems that this IS inevitable as one getsl.,....

Getting old ain't for wimps!!!!

[SmartMove]

You got that right!

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by defjef

While not Alzheimers... I'd like to raise the issue of getting older and simply experiencing a slow almost imperceptible loss of your facilities... whether it's strength, hearing, sight, balance, memory... It seems that this IS inevitable as one gets older.

I know that when I got Shiva in '85 I was almost 30 yrs youger with perfect vision and hearing and quite physically strong. The boat has aged.... well I might add with my care... but my aging has seen a sort of fading away of my old self. Yrs ago I would never have thought of having a Millie... my Milwaukee drill and winch bit to raise the main. Sure I can do it without Milie... but I am a helluva lot more beat from doing it.

My back is not as stronmmon asg and so now if I have to lift something heavy... like the RIB or the OB I'll pay a dock guy to do it for me rather than suffer from an aching back for weeks. I used to enjoy the hard work of Spring prep... but it seems I suffer too many aches and pains...

I do see a lot of old timers on the water... so others must be facing this... How do you deal with this?... if at all.

DefJef:

Funny you should bring this up. On a recent cruise I was relaxing in the cockpit sailing along and noticed an ache in the neck between my shoulder blades. I had not been doing much heavy physical work on board. But, certain arm movements or head turns just started producing an annoying muscle ache between my shoulders. This kind of sucks I thought. Where did this come from? Later I was talking with my sister who is a retired Nurse. She mentioned that it might be spondylosis a degenerative condition of the spine disks that commonly happens as people age. I looked it up and the symptoms sure seem to fit what I was feeling. Though annoying it does not have to be treated with surgery. Over the counter drugs, heat and exercises can help. But, yeah I will have to take this into account when working around the boat from now on.
Another area where things have been going downhill since my 40's is eyesight. I make sure I have several glasses around the boat in case one or two go over the side along with a magnifying glass or two. I also have relabeled some things on board with larger readable labels:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: TOOLS FOR THE SAILOR: BROTHER P-TOUCH LABEL MAKER
I do this not only for me to be able to find important switches (running lights, anchor etc...) without needing to put on my reading glasses but, also for any crew that might come on board to find the switches easily too. Yeah, getting old sucks but, it's still better to get old on a boat than on land. IMO.

[chala]

Originally Posted by defjef

I do see a lot of old timers on the water... so others must be facing this... How do you deal with this?... if at all.

Exercise, keep fit, do not let the body or the brain “rust”.
May be a raison why I have no furler.

[Tia Bu]

Harmony, I did that same trip recently with my Dad, who was coming down with the same symptoms. Please be very careful, and don't hesitate to scale back. Things can go very wrong very quickly. And don't underestimate the wear and tear it's taking on you.

Best of luck, and God bless. I'm sure your husband is really enjoying his time on the water.

I'm afraid I would come down a bit more on the side of his family on this one, having done it myself. Dad had the opportunity to make the trip again since our last outing, with an able crew to support him. In the end, he decided against it himself. I would have supported his decision either way, I think.

Try to think out some contingencies. People can be in the water, or boats can be on the rocks, in the blink of an eye.

[harmony80]

Yes, getting old sucks, but it is preferable to the alternative. We are progressing South one day at a time, both figuratively and literally, and there are times when we have to stop for a break, plus times when we just want to stop for a while to get off the boat. We are in Beaufort SC and there is lots to see and do, and with 8ft waves at the mouth of the Sound and wind blowing hard, we will spend another day here before crossing Port Royal Sound. We have accepted our limitations...we just go slower.

[delmarrey]

Heck, thinking oneself as old is just a state of mind. It's convincing the body, is the problem. It just doesn't do what I tell it anymore.
So I have to compensate with more user friendly rigging. Like "having a Millie..." or a cockpit with all lines leading into......
BTW I only have sometimers.

[Teknav]

For minor aches, Ibuprofen might help you out; if you're not allergic to it. Never exceed the maximum allowable dosage, as you might wind up with a liver issue. When using a heating pad, use the LOWEST heat setting. When sleeping, have your feet raised up, by an inch or two. Two types of pain, you should be familiar with; sharp and dull. Sharp pain, localized, can be a "nerve related" issue. For instance if you experience, after lifting a heavy object, a very sharp pain in the calf of your right leg you might have dislocated a vertebrae; slipped a disc that might require corrective surgery. Spread dull pain, on the other hand, "could be" that you've strained a muscle because you are out of shape. Pain issues require a prompt visit to a medical professional. As you get in your 40's, scale down on lifting, pulling and pushing. Consider a bigger boat for a more comfortable surroundings; 35' - 40'. Stay fit by watching your diet, swim, jog or go diving; 3 times a week exercise for 30 min each time, is an adequate life style. Enjoy life to the max! <Board Certified - Pharmacy>

[harmony80]

Update: So we left the dock in mid-Nov 2012 and made a mad dash south to outrun the US East Coast hurricane, Sandy, and made it to Norfolk, VA, where we met up with other boats with friends. We took lots of precautions and survived the hurricane without any problems. The first few days aboard the boat were challenging in multiple ways in addition to the storm. My husband could not find the head in the dark, and once there he could not find his way back to our berth. I couldn't help but laugh when he asked for my help...the head is literally 2 steps from our berth. And while this seemed laughable, it was also an indication of how Alzheimer's was affecting his quality of life, and I was really glad we had decided to go sailing now instead of waiting. The upside was that we took lots of photos, met many old and new friends along the way, and I took lots of photos that will, hopefully, help him remember the adventure. We managed to have some great times, enjoyed many experiences, and created many memories for me...he has some memories, but mostly we learned that what matters most is that he can very much enjoy the moment he is in, even though he may not remember it later. We made it from Baltimore to the Keys and back up to Georgia, where our boat was hauled for some service, and we hope to head south again for a couple of months before heading north toward Maine in the spring/summer months. It has been a challenge for me as well as for him, and we learned to take it slow, choose our weather windows, and take it easy...no need to push it. And our motto all along has been "safety first". This season we will take on crew to see if that is helpful for me...someone to keep an eye on him during docking and anchoring procedures, which are challenging for him, and therefore for me, because he insists on helping and, actually, his help makes it more challenging. But, when, for example, the dolphins swam with us for about 20 minutes, he laughed until he cried--the effort was so worth it...and he remembers that event!

[JPA Cate]

Harmony,

Neither Jim nor I are youngies. You are facing this with such great heart--courage--I am so impressed! I keep weeping as I read the posts..... You're doing great. Kudos to you! I can't begin to express how inspiring to me is your love for your husband, well done, lady!

Ann

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

You are facing this with such great heart--courage--I am so impressed! I keep weeping as I read the posts..... You're doing great. Kudos to you! I can't begin to express how inspiring to me is your love for your husband, well done, lady!
Ann

I second this. Ann has expressed my thoughts beautifully.
Harmony, you have my greatest admiration.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Thanks for the update - all the best to you both.