Ed: You have certainly had more than your share of family medical difficulties. While you are obviously a devoted constant caregiver to your wife, you should not neglect your own mental and physical condition, both for your own sake and that of your wife. Sailing, as well as most physical activity, can be good for the mind and body and I would recommend one stay with it for as long as possible. However, physical exercise throughout the year is always recommended. Yes, some individuals may get away with indulging in smoking and heavy drinking and still live extremely long lives. My father smoked heavily for many years, had a massive heart attack at age 60, and lived to age 89. My mother had by-pass surgery and cancer late in life yet lived to age 90. Although both parents lived to an age most of us would "sign up" for anyday, the medical history hardly speaks well for me genetically. Therefore, if one lacks a good genetic family history, why take a chance; go with current medical advice: excercise regularly, do not smoke, and drink and eat in moderation . . . and, of course, continue to SAIL! I just turned 71 and am looking forward to a trip, mostly solo, down the ICW and back to Cape Cod before arthritis precludes that possibility. Think positive and best wishes!
Health and Aging
- Thread starter Ed Schenck
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When I started my career 40 or so years ago, there were three others starting at the about the same time and age. When the last one, who never smoked, didn't drink much,do drugs or have any other risky behavior dropped dead from a sudden heart attach 3 years ago I said what the hell and bought a new boat that is bigger and nicer than I need or deserve (dock mates refer to it as my "Bucket Boat"). My wife who isn't into sailing that much gave the go-ahead.
Since I single hand 95% of the time, I got most of the the bells and whistles (headsail and in-mast furling, autohelm etc.) so I should be able to sail her well into old age. The hardest part now is crawling into tight spaces for maintenance, and sanding the bottom in prep for paint. At some point I may have to start paying for some of these services.
Bill
Since I single hand 95% of the time, I got most of the the bells and whistles (headsail and in-mast furling, autohelm etc.) so I should be able to sail her well into old age. The hardest part now is crawling into tight spaces for maintenance, and sanding the bottom in prep for paint. At some point I may have to start paying for some of these services.
Bill
forgot to say --- i will sail until i am dead--i already have cataracts, ischemic changes and other fun stuff-- but i refuse to allow that immaterial bs to keep me from sailing--death may be an issue worthy of attending to, but,until then.......
Great news Bill, the being home part that is
. If you haven't taken off when we get down there and you guys are interested we could bring the Endeavour over and pick you both up and you could teach us how to sail better. That is if your rates aren't too high
,Sumner and Ruth
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Our Endeavour 37[/FONT]
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After having zero health problems for the first 50 years of my life, in the past 3 I've had my gall bladder removed, thyroid cancer and subsequent thyroid removal, now I've got high blood pressure and some strange condition that affects the skin and internal organs that has no apprent cause - whatever, I'll start listening to SHMBO and eating better, but I will insist on tipping a beer now and then. Not one of us will live forever, I think the trick is to stay active and enjoying life as far from a hospital bed as possible - like zeehag says - until then...
Thank you Ed
Yes we all get wrapped up in our daily lives and issues. But in the end, in my 50's I learned to relax a bit and ENJOY. We must live for the day, love our kids/G-kids/Spouse/Signif Other.... My wife and I have been blessed with our careers and marriage for 35 yrs. We were sitting around last month drinking a glassof wine and we decided to bring the WHOLE family to BVI for a week on a big Cat bareboat. Going to cost a small fortune flying everyone in including 3 small G-kids, but in the end..... to have a week together with all the kids captive.... PRICELESS. So yes, ENJOY it now.
Bob
Yes we all get wrapped up in our daily lives and issues. But in the end, in my 50's I learned to relax a bit and ENJOY. We must live for the day, love our kids/G-kids/Spouse/Signif Other.... My wife and I have been blessed with our careers and marriage for 35 yrs. We were sitting around last month drinking a glassof wine and we decided to bring the WHOLE family to BVI for a week on a big Cat bareboat. Going to cost a small fortune flying everyone in including 3 small G-kids, but in the end..... to have a week together with all the kids captive.... PRICELESS. So yes, ENJOY it now.
Bob
When anyone asks my mom how it feels to be 80, her response is always the same: "beats the alternatives". That's the right attitude IMHO. My dad is going to be 83 this year, and both are healthy, although mom is a little forgetful. Not a big problem, we all enjoy hearing her stories even if we heard them 10 minutes earlier. Anyhow, both still love life and hopefully they've both got quite a few years left. Neither are sailors, but they like getting outside (golf, walking, boating on their pontoon), and both enjoy going out on our sailboat.
My plan is to sail as much, and as long as I can, but also not to neglect other things (biking, kayaking, a nice cold beer, and of course family, friends and work). I do a week of cruising/harbor-hopping with a childhood friend once a year and I always look forward to that. I'll keep sailing my own boat as long as I physically can and then look for alternatives. Overall, I agree with the quote "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Good words to live by, and so I plan to tinker on my boat for many years to come. Beats the alternatives.
Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25
My plan is to sail as much, and as long as I can, but also not to neglect other things (biking, kayaking, a nice cold beer, and of course family, friends and work). I do a week of cruising/harbor-hopping with a childhood friend once a year and I always look forward to that. I'll keep sailing my own boat as long as I physically can and then look for alternatives. Overall, I agree with the quote "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Good words to live by, and so I plan to tinker on my boat for many years to come. Beats the alternatives.
Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25
My husband was very fit. He skied, mountain- biked, windsurfed,and yacht raced. He died 4 years ago at age 69 in a mountain biking accident. He believed that doing what you love...no matter your age.... made life worth living. He said that if you weren't living on the edge...you were taking up too much space!
None of us know when we will go.... or the means. All we can do is to live life to the fullest and not let doubts or fears stop us.
None of us know when we will go.... or the means. All we can do is to live life to the fullest and not let doubts or fears stop us.
Both exercise and happiness lead to increased production of antibodies, which are a special type of protein produced by the immune system. Exercise also increases endorpine production. You may also get an endorphin blast from sailing, talking to a stranger, eating a satisfying meal or being exposed to ultraviolet light. My weekly routine includes running 15-20 miles, free-weights, recreational hockey game and some recovery time with my good friend Samuel Adams. Moderation.
- Jul 24, 2006
- 628
Hi Ed, I can feel your pain in that your loved ones became sick early despite healthful lifestyles and other people seam to carry on without a concern toward healthy living. Let me assure you that those people are the minority. In my job I see all too well the effects of poor diet, hygene, drug and alcohol abuse. Young people less than 30 with severe heart disease, liver or kidney disease and on-and-on. SO keep up with your training within moderation. The old adage "USE IT OR LOOSE IT" stands on its own. you are setting yourself up for trouble friend, not enough sleep!!! I have also seen to many caregivers wear themselves out. You haveto find the time to take care of your needs, rest, exercise, good nutrition, etc. You have alot of sailing ahead of you from what i saw of you awhile back. Hang in there buddy, I know its so very hard. Patrick Rn ICU
My sailing buddy Irv...He is 83 looks 60 and acts 40 Though he is slowing down a little he can still hold his own on a 2 week trip.
As for me I got a new knee 4 months ago and am back to sailing as usual :dance:
As for me I got a new knee 4 months ago and am back to sailing as usual :dance:
I just spent the day doing what I said, here, what I was going to do: take the regulator's battery sense wire off my alternator and move it to my house bank. Sorry, for the first time in living memory, I don't have a link to that thread!
I got the wiring going, needed a new lug for one connection, had to do it twice, then started the engine, but it didn't start! Turned out the decompression lever was down on our M25 'cuz 'd been doing some other things the day before, , so I popped it up, the engine started and that mysterious 1.2 V difference between the regulator voltage on my house bank from our Link 2000 is a thing of the past. Thanks to Maine Sail for reminding me of that.
Point being: if I hadn't been doing all that work myself, I'd have had to spend some crazy amount of $$ on some guy who doesn't know my boat as well as I do.
Tomorrow is replacing one of the coolant hoses that's leaking. How do I know? I spent lots of yesterday cleaning and found a drip after I started the engine today.
If I have to have someone else do the work, I have two options: get the son to help (even more, he's been great so far) or sell the boat!
Sometimes my aching muscles get more of a workout when I do maintenance than when I sail, since I, too, have to boat set up for a "no work" approach to when we sail.
Darn, I can't wait for something else to do...
Please don't quote me on that! I've always left the bottom painting to the pros...I have too many other things to keep up with.:dance:
A different view
For an interesting view of health, see: "Ultra Prevention" by Mark Hyman, M.D. And for those of you on cholesterol drugs: "The Cholesterol Myths" by Ravnskoff.
For an interesting view of health, see: "Ultra Prevention" by Mark Hyman, M.D. And for those of you on cholesterol drugs: "The Cholesterol Myths" by Ravnskoff.
Ed, I wasn't going to contribute to this thread until I saw how many responses there were!
I see you are a cyclist - me too and I think its the top sport as you get on. Five of us started riding pre lycra 25 years ago and we are all still riding. The group now has 120 members and known as the Southbank Bunch. We go out three times a week at 6.00 am and the Saturday ride is between 60km and 100km. I am 71 and with this and the sailing I have no fitness issues just a little slower and the balance is not quite so good. My best sailing aids now are a Winchrite electric winch handle and a furling assymetric spinnaker with a Selden bowsprit.
Good luck from Downunder to all you aging sailors (and cyclists!)
I see you are a cyclist - me too and I think its the top sport as you get on. Five of us started riding pre lycra 25 years ago and we are all still riding. The group now has 120 members and known as the Southbank Bunch. We go out three times a week at 6.00 am and the Saturday ride is between 60km and 100km. I am 71 and with this and the sailing I have no fitness issues just a little slower and the balance is not quite so good. My best sailing aids now are a Winchrite electric winch handle and a furling assymetric spinnaker with a Selden bowsprit.
Good luck from Downunder to all you aging sailors (and cyclists!)
I may not have the years behind me, but mine have definitely been eventful, Cancer, 2 combat tours , and many other interesting aspects in life, I have been re-building my Lancer for the last few years, and this spring is my definite goal to get her out on the water... To all of you before me, God Bless. I just hope I can keep the knees moving, the back strong, and heart pumping as long you gentlemen have so I can sail for at least half as long you
I have learned from the men of my dad's generation how to age and how not to. I have watched men retire at age 65 or 70 and sit down and in about five years they need help getting up. I have seen others that simply kept doing what they had always been doing, walking, gardening, fishing, but the point being they stayed active in body and mind and when they died it was usually rather quickly and while they were in good health. The inactive ones died slowly as invalids, both physically and mentally.
The human body is apparently preprogrammed to only last to about 120 years of age on a biological (cell division) basis. Those who make it close to that number seem to have a supreme immune system.
Active Prevention seems to be the key to having an intact immune system.
Heart and vascular disease (stroke), the major killers, are becoming by modern research linked to bacterial infection -- principally it is now thought, through periodontal (gum) disease. Those pathogenic bacteria apparently enter the circulatory system through the infected gum tissues.
Reflecting back in my own family's history, those who had healthy teeth and gums lived to near ~100, those with unhealthy teeth and gums lived to much less time & usually died via Heart/Stroke/Vascular disease. My periodontist also agrees wholeheartedly.
Im quite active physically (XC skiing, extreme downhill skiing, rock climbing, etc.) but not on a scheduled or routine basis. Many of my 'health nut' friends, those who are out there running their asses off or doing aggressive 'gym time' ... are dying off, sometimes quite suddenly. So it seems to me that 'moderation' and not continually over-stressing the body is a 'plus'.
The 'French Paradox' is well known: lots rich fat-laden foods + lots of red wine and a somewhat sedentary non-stressed lifestyle = long life. Apparently the 'flavenoids' in red wine / fruit helps to keep the immune system intact vs. heart disease and stroke.
"Salute" .. "Prosit" but Im not quite ready to drink a full glass of red wine for breakfast .... yet.
Active Prevention seems to be the key to having an intact immune system.
Heart and vascular disease (stroke), the major killers, are becoming by modern research linked to bacterial infection -- principally it is now thought, through periodontal (gum) disease. Those pathogenic bacteria apparently enter the circulatory system through the infected gum tissues.
Reflecting back in my own family's history, those who had healthy teeth and gums lived to near ~100, those with unhealthy teeth and gums lived to much less time & usually died via Heart/Stroke/Vascular disease. My periodontist also agrees wholeheartedly.
Im quite active physically (XC skiing, extreme downhill skiing, rock climbing, etc.) but not on a scheduled or routine basis. Many of my 'health nut' friends, those who are out there running their asses off or doing aggressive 'gym time' ... are dying off, sometimes quite suddenly. So it seems to me that 'moderation' and not continually over-stressing the body is a 'plus'.
The 'French Paradox' is well known: lots rich fat-laden foods + lots of red wine and a somewhat sedentary non-stressed lifestyle = long life. Apparently the 'flavenoids' in red wine / fruit helps to keep the immune system intact vs. heart disease and stroke.
"Salute" .. "Prosit" but Im not quite ready to drink a full glass of red wine for breakfast .... yet.
From the number of views and responses I have achieved at least one goal. And that was simply to get people thinking. I know some of my sailing friends, even a member of my immediate family, think they are invincible. Like still smoking. I try not to nag but I remember too well what happened to both parents. They lived life to the hilt but now I have been the “patriarch” for almost twenty-five years. I miss them.
There have been many references to "modern medicine". If you have escaped the need for it or it has worked for you then be very thankful. If you know anything about leukemia or ALS then you know what I mean.
Another thing I have learned. Some hobbies, like sailing and bicycling, can be a curse in later years. Once you are used to the adrenaline fix it is so addictive. But also time-consuming. Hobbies like gardening or wood working where you can stay at home and enjoy it make much more sense in advancing years. Especially for a caregiver. Selling the house and all my tools to move into a condo now seems like a mistake. At least then I could go to the basement and tinker. I have always maintained my bikes, even built my own wheels. Now I have to get by with what will fit on my folding workbench in the garage. So my advice would be to keep your lifestyle on an even keel. Hah!
There have been many references to "modern medicine". If you have escaped the need for it or it has worked for you then be very thankful. If you know anything about leukemia or ALS then you know what I mean.
Another thing I have learned. Some hobbies, like sailing and bicycling, can be a curse in later years. Once you are used to the adrenaline fix it is so addictive. But also time-consuming. Hobbies like gardening or wood working where you can stay at home and enjoy it make much more sense in advancing years. Especially for a caregiver. Selling the house and all my tools to move into a condo now seems like a mistake. At least then I could go to the basement and tinker. I have always maintained my bikes, even built my own wheels. Now I have to get by with what will fit on my folding workbench in the garage. So my advice would be to keep your lifestyle on an even keel. Hah!
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