Aging gracefully with a boat?

[SteveK]

Art, I am glad at the results.
You must have a platinum health insurance, it was a good payday at the clinic/hospital.

 

[backinblue]

Art, thanks for sharing. I think the biggest lesson learned is not to wait till 69 to have a complete physical. High BP is known as "the silent killer" because many don't realize they have it and it can kill you. I know someone that looked and felt healthy and died suddenly of a brain aneurysm that suddenly burst due to high blood pressure. He lasted a few days and a couple brain surgeries. He was 70.

In my own life I always tended to try natural alternatives such as supplements or lifestyle changes to fix medical problems. I've tried most everything on the market to help with arthritis pain, prostate issues and high PSA, elevated blood pressure, and cholesterol. In all cases nothing helped much. I finally gave in and got a prostate biopsy that showed stage 3 cancer. Surgery likely saved my life if I continued to ignore the warning signs. When I finally gave in and had my hip replaced, my jaw dropped when I saw the pre-op x-ray and the amount of damage I had done to my hip. If I waited too much longer, surgery would have been more complicated and not as successful.

So in my case, I'm beginning to trust medicine more than I used to. I get my annual physicals and other screenings for skin cancer, etc. I certainly wouldn't want any unnecessary surgeries, but I am becoming a believer in early detection and treatment of things that can hurt us. I am now taking a very low dose of meds to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol with good results so far. I still take vitamins and supplements, but I am becoming more accepting of modern medicine as well.

 

[JWellington]

As another said, go all electric to reduce work. Another way, go all unpainted aluminum to reduce work.

 

[Art]

b n' b

I too am holistic for natural cures. Here's a couple that really work well [for me]...

One or two Bananas each and every morning of life. Potassium contained therein saved my knees that were getting pretty bad by my mid 50's [I'm a masonry, concrete and tile contractor]. Now at 69... still - virtually no problem. And, when working hard I wear "Muller" compression knee wraps. They do wonders too for keeping knees in painless and usable condition.

Several ounces of raw Pineapple chunks or slices each and every morning. Takes care of floaters in eyes. Before doing so the floaters in my eyes were making it very hard to read. Since... very seldom a sign of any floaters. Took about two months to clear the floaters... but, it works for me! I also for years have been taking take one pill of Ocuvite in morn - it's an OTC medication . https://www.ocuvite.com/

I encourage others on TF to share their "tricks" for best ways to "Keep On Keepen ON!

Art

 

[OldDan1943]

Cheerios are not the cure all for breakfast.
Dad ate Cheerios EVERY morning, brother ate Cheerios every day, later in life.
Dad died at 80 and the last years were not good years.
Brother has had a number of strokes, now residing in a 'home', spends most of his day in bed or wheel chair and makes no sense when he talks. How many years he will last, unknown. The quality of his life is not good. I am not sure I would want to experience the same "quality of life."
I have one egg and either bacon or sausage every breakfast. I am the same age at which he had all his strokes.
In our family, the males die off about 80 or less. Genetics genetics genetics, cant fight genetics.
Yes, I have physical problems and the doctors provide high pressure meds. When I cut or scrape my skin, my blood flows like water. I have many bruises as a result.
I have 2 stents, one heart attack during the insertion of the stents, a number of operation on my right leg in an attempt to improve blood flow. I have sleep apnea too. Blew out my right shoulder, my knees hurt, bad back and and and. One day I will wake up dead and my nieces and nephews will enjoy a good life, if they are careful, because of my estate.
I am grumpy and a confirmed dirty old man but like all old men, I cannot implement any plan to capitalize on being a DOM, other than go to bed early to sleep.
After I ran away from an abusive mother, I had a pretty good life.... I could not find a circus to join so I joined the US Navy. I have seen, experienced and done things the average person has not and will never experience.
No one can duplicate the path my life has chosen and I sure wouldn't expect anyone to try. All I can say for sure is, "It's been fun."

 

[Art]

Me with one "great" helper who's been with me for years [you can see him installing brick to my rear in 1st photo] currently putting in a 5,400 used brick patio with umpteen tons of rock retaining walls. 9'6" o.d. / 8' i.d. light color brick circle will have artistic tile and glass Compass Rose. The four more yellow looking brick designate NSEW. This all overlooks SF Bay from side of a big hill... in Tiburon.

Also, recent photo of me in my work out room!

Loven Life! Just wait till I grow up!! LOL

 

[OldDan1943]

Me with helpers putting in a 5,400 used brick patio with umpteen tons of rock retaining walls. 9'6" o.d. / 8' i.d. light color brick circle will have artistic tile and glass Compass Rose. The four more yellow looking brick designate NSEW. This all overlooks SF Bay from side of a big hill... in Tiburon.

Also, recent photo of me in my work out room!

Loven Life! Just wait till I grow up!! LOL

You are more ambitious than me but, I have more hair.

 

[KnotYet]

50% of our children will live to see 100.
(snip)
Carry on folks.

But how do I choose which one??

(I'm thinking the one with the best income so she can take better care of me!)

 

[backinblue]

Art, good for you, keep it up as long as you can, but your condition is not due to cheerios or bananas. Not sure if you read my previous posts in detail, but trying to stick with natural cures instead of traditional medicine not only did not work for me, but could have killed me. If you are feeling good doing whatever you are doing, AND your doctor agrees that you have no health concerns, then God bless you. As much as I tried to avoid it, I started listening to doctors and following what they said and survived cancer and other problems. If bananas could have saved my hip I would have eaten a bushel a day, but trust me, that would not have made a bit of difference.

 

[OldDan1943]

But how do I choose which one??

(I'm thinking the one with the best income so she can take better care of me!)

Interview each one to see will give you the best offer. LOL

 

[Art]

Art, good for you, keep it up as long as you can, but your condition is not due to cheerios or bananas. Not sure if you read my previous posts in detail, but trying to stick with natural cures instead of traditional medicine not only did not work for me, but could have killed me. If you are feeling good doing whatever you are doing, AND your doctor agrees that you have no health concerns, then God bless you. As much as I tried to avoid it, I started listening to doctors and following what they said and survived cancer and other problems. If bananas could have saved my hip I would have eaten a bushel a day, but trust me, that would not have made a bit of difference.

I am hands-down absolutely... ABSOLUTELY SURE that eating some types of food on regular/daily basis holds some of my age related physical downturns to a minimum. Potassium from bananas for my knees. And, I don't know what is in pineapple... but... soon [within a couple months] after eating a daily amount of pineapple the many bothersome floaters in my eyes virtually disappeared. On the [my] accuracy of these two statements I'd bet my life!!

 

[BandB]

Art, good for you, keep it up as long as you can, but your condition is not due to cheerios or bananas. Not sure if you read my previous posts in detail, but trying to stick with natural cures instead of traditional medicine not only did not work for me, but could have killed me. If you are feeling good doing whatever you are doing, AND your doctor agrees that you have no health concerns, then God bless you. As much as I tried to avoid it, I started listening to doctors and following what they said and survived cancer and other problems. If bananas could have saved my hip I would have eaten a bushel a day, but trust me, that would not have made a bit of difference.

I will listen to doctors but will always get a second opinion and will understand before agreeing. Won't let them play god with me, but will use their knowledge and experience. I recognize not all are good, but some are truly excellent.

Also, I encourage even the healthiest to get regular physicals and complete labs and appropriate testing. If it shows nothing problematic then that's great news but it also establishes a baseline to be referenced later. It's much like oil sampling and testing. One test can tell you a little but when you know the history it tells you much more. If I saw your A1C was 5.6 I wouldn't be alarmed, but if I saw that two years ago it was 4.6 and last year was 5.1, I'd be strongly encouraging you to change your diet. And if you're my age or older and don't know what your A1C is then I'd strongly advise finding out as diabetes is such a leading condition for our aging population.

 

[SteveK]

b n' b

...............

I encourage others on TF to share their "tricks" for best ways to "Keep On Keepen ON!

Art

A few years back Doc says we have to watch your cholesterol, it is high. I happened upon a retired nurse and this came up in discussion. She said take milk thistle supplement one a day. I say why not, already take vitamins.
Next test and ever since no cholesterol issue, oh, side effect, no liver issue either.

 

[MurrayM]

Good call Art, glad it worked out

My tip...coconut oil.

My Dad had dementia. One of the nurses who was making house calls mentioned coconut oil, so I squirrelled around the Internet and found an interesting story.

A physicians husband was the accountant for her practice and they caught his dementia early because of mistakes he was making. He was part of several studies, so they had a record of how dementia slowly crept over his mind.

One example was his pen drawings of a clock face. In the beginning the clock was round, had two hands, and all the numbers were there, but the drawings became a jumbled disorganized mess over time.

She scoured all the research she could find, including funding requests for the development of new drugs. One was for taking coconut oil and breaking it down so as to isolate key components.

Apparently our brains run on glucose, but become less efficient at doing so if you have dementia...when we eat coconut oil our bodies break it down and make available ketones which the brain can use as an alternative fuel source.

Theory being; areas that would have done blank without glucose may keep going with ketones. She figured, why not just give him coconut oil?

He didn't recover from dementia as he was too far down that road to come back, but his drawings of clocks became more recognizable. Not clear drawings of clocks, but there was a distinct improvement.

I've been putting coconut oil on my daily peanut butter and jam (or honey or banana) sandwiches ever since.

 

[Art]

!!

Steve - Murray... You guys are GREAT. I'm taking notes and plan to begin practicing. Hoping to experience good results!!

All who have great stories and/or results from supplements to diets and/or pill taking - Please chime in!!

This is like a new wave of personal health-betterment/sustenance clues that may or may not work similarly for all who partake. Great to hear peoples' ways of staying upright and alive the longest as possible.

Way better than a visit to the doctor!

 

[MurrayM]

Steve - Murray... You guys are GREAT. I'm taking notes and plan to begin practicing. Hoping to experience good results!!

All who have great stories and/or results from supplements to diets and/or pill taking - Please chime in!!

This is like a new wave of personal health-betterment/sustenance clues that may or may not work similarly for all who partake. Great to hear peoples' ways of staying upright and alive the longest as possible.

Way better than a visit to the doctor!

As always, anything one reads on the Internet carries all the weight as a conversation overheard on a bus.

Individual verification for accuracy/suitability necessary

 

[backinblue]

I bet you can't watch TV for 10 mins w/o one or both advertisements for:

1) A way to end all your joint pain and arthritis issues from a prescription or natural supplement.
2) A supplement to end all your prostate, urinary, and sexual problems.

Millions of dollars spent by people every day on these. Believe what you want. The placebo affect is also very powerful. If these or other diet changes work for you, you are lucky and I couldn't be happier for you. Just be careful because you could be masking a more serious issue that will eventually bite you, hopefully not.

 

[SteveK]

As always, anything one reads on the Internet carries all the weight as a conversation overheard on a bus.

Individual verification for accuracy/suitability necessary

Murray, I think I placed the order.

 

[SteveK]

I bet you can't watch TV for 10 mins w/o one or both advertisements for:

1) A way to end all your joint pain and arthritis issues from a prescription or natural supplement.
2) A supplement to end all your prostate, urinary, and sexual problems.

Millions of dollars spent by people every day on these. Believe what you want. The placebo affect is also very powerful. If these or other diet changes work for you, you are lucky and I couldn't be happier for you. Just be careful because you could be masking a more serious issue that will eventually bite you, hopefully not.

I am a firm believer that if you think it will work, it may work even if taking a placebo.

 

[MurrayM]

Murray, I think I placed the order.

If you can't remember, it's already too late

 

[SteveK]

If you can't remember, it's already too late

what are you on about
too late for what?
BTW I ordered some of that pineapple oil you were talking about.

 

[MurrayM]

what are you on about
too late for what?
BTW I ordered some of that pineapple oil you were talking about.

Backing away slowly...avoiding eye contact...

 

[Tator]

I would like to hear from folks who cruise and have a defibrillator/pacemaker.

We are planning on heading back to our boat in Alaska this week if all goes okay with our medical appointments. It will have been a week on Tues. since the implant procedure. Being away from the dock and a bit cut-off from civilization can be a bit anxiety inducing after this event-understandably more for my wife than myself (I am a firm follower of Alfred E Neuman philosophy "What, me worry?"). I've already talked with the electro physiologist about possible effects from the isolation transformer, inverter, alternators, etc. He basically said not to hug them. Would appreciate hearing from others who have had this experience.

Tator

 

[BruceK]

Glucosamine

I used this OTC stuff for years. The ortho surgeon I saw said "at best it`s a placebo, if that". My creaky knees respectfully concur. YMMV.

 

[SteveK]

I used this OTC stuff for years. The ortho surgeon I saw said "at best it`s a placebo, if that". My creaky knees respectfully concur. YMMV.

Have you tried Turmeric, perhaps ask your doctor. I use it and notice if missed finger joints let me know

 

[Peter B]

Steve - Murray... You guys are GREAT. I'm taking notes and plan to begin practicing. Hoping to experience good results!!
All who have great stories and/or results from supplements to diets and/or pill taking - Please chime in!!
This is like a new wave of personal health-betterment/sustenance clues that may or may not work similarly for all who partake. Great to hear peoples' ways of staying upright and alive the longest as possible.

Way better than a visit to the doctor!

Art, I don't think I agree with that last, because it depends where. The example of what you were subjected to in your post...

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/aging-gracefully-boat-58137-5.html#89

...borders on malpractice, and is an example of a lot of what is not good about the US health system, even though most living there think it's the bees knees.

You were absolutely right to insist on a stress test, better still a stress echo, before anyone shoved 'stents' into any of your coronary arteries, and I too am pleased you held out.

The process and investigations they put you through, and the associated costs, (the reason they did that), let alone the risk they were prepared to expose you to, when clearly all you had was modest hypertension (BP) was a scandal, frankly, and it disappoints me medical colleagues anywhere could stoop to such.

Sadly however, experience of patients of my own, developing a medical issue while in the states, and the costly overkill of investigations they racked up in the process, tends to suggest it was not an isolated incident.

 

[OldDan1943]

Yes, I do hava a defibrillator onboard behind a cushion. There is also a red plastic plaque indicating it is there.

 

[John R M]

Glucosamine

I used this OTC stuff for years. The ortho surgeon I saw said "at best it`s a placebo, if that". My creaky knees respectfully concur. YMMV.

We give this to our aging dogs. Despite our vet telling us that there is no scientific proof that it does anything, our dogs have a much easier time climbing stairs.

 

[stickan1]

One of my favourite poems, I think you should mention that it was written by Dylan Thomas! Comment to an earlier post on page 3.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

 

[backinblue]

I would like to hear from folks who cruise and have a defibrillator/pacemaker.

We are planning on heading back to our boat in Alaska this week if all goes okay with our medical appointments. It will have been a week on Tues. since the implant procedure. Being away from the dock and a bit cut-off from civilization can be a bit anxiety inducing after this event-understandably more for my wife than myself (I am a firm follower of Alfred E Neuman philosophy "What, me worry?"). I've already talked with the electro physiologist about possible effects from the isolation transformer, inverter, alternators, etc. He basically said not to hug them. Would appreciate hearing from others who have had this experience.

Tator

I also asked earlier but nobody has answered yet. Has anyone tried those personal EKG devices that connect to your smartphone and can they help predict an upcoming cardiac issue?