To stop sailing or not?

[Allan]

I never give advice.
I decided sometime ago that we all die and the idea of going when sailing seems at least as good as anywhere else. I sail single handed a lot and can see the funny side of shuffling off with full sails up and the autopilot set on west. If I miss Ireland then I will probably be blown out of the water going into New York!

 

[bigwow]

After my heard problems, 7 years ago now, I continued sailing but I’m told I’m now calmer and do a lot of delegating. When you are over the shock, that it happened to you, I feel you will want to live life to the full and if you like sailing then carry on. Specialist told me red wine and scotch were good for my condition, so I follow the advice, have a good sail then a little tipple!

 

[simonfraser]

Allen, now there is a thought, set your autohelm on a waypoint off new york, you never know !

p.s. any other waypoint sugestions ??

 

[ajt]

I had a heart attack in May last year three weeks later I bought a motorbike and was back sailing within eight weeks.
I agree with others only do what you feel you can and take the doctors advice.
As has been said you will feel a bit nervious at first but it will wear off quicker than it will for your family.
I soon got fed up with the concerns everytime I sneezed or something.
The tablets will knock your body about for a while as you adjust to their effects, stick with them it does wear off
don't stop sailing!

 

[Good]

A Big Thanks for all support and kind words i will let all your advise sink in a bit
and make no panic dessions is all still new and yes is a big shock to have a hart problem and i must win over the bad moment i had

 

[Birdseye]

Yes - we have several at our club.

In the past when people I know have had heart attacks I have noticed that initially they are very nervous of anything which they think might trigger a re-occurrence. They treat themselves like Dresden china. Not surprising really - I'm sure I would be exactly the same.

But what I'm getting at is that all the ones I've known have gone on to get over this nervousness and lead full lives. Insofar as they have lost weight / stopped smoking / changed their diet, they often seem to be better able to do things than they were before.

So do what your doctor says, but dont write yourself off! Go fo it! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Plomong]

If your cardiologist gives you the OK, keep up the sailing. He should know that sailing is mostly prolonged gentle exercise, in the healthy outdoors, with specific operations such as hoisting sail, weighing anchor, etc that can be de-machoed by hoisting sail slowly, by using a windlass instead of brute force, and so on. Us cruisers are not into the BOC Challenge type of sailing, nor even into local round the cans adrenaline-burning sessions.

My son-in-law's father swims 500+ metres every day, mostly in the sea, but indoors during November to April. He has had 4 by-passes!! To make this exercise regime possible, the couple moved house from the city to a nearby fishing port cum beach resort, cum suburb of the metropolis. And doesn't regret it one bit !!

My wifes cousin had a heart transplant seven years ago when he was 57. (yes -- they do those here, very well, if I must say so, and very many of them too). Today he looks fitter and healthier than I ever knew him. His daily exercise includes walks in the mountains, including to the summit of a 600 m peak just behind his house -- all under doctors orders / consent /advice.

My local wine merchant had a heart attack some 10 years ago at 60+, near deaths door on several occasions. Took a long time to recover, bodily and mentally. His daily walks often top 12 kms, under doctors orders / advice / consent.

So you see, the future is not necessarily that of a couch potatoe. It is what you want to make of it, within your new limits, on which your doctor can advise you. Later on, your own monitoring of your body's reaction to exercise, and so on will be your guide.

The important thing is the psychological aspect -- don't give in and get depressed or over-anxious about the future. Live life, respecting and heeding what your doctors recommend, and then getting on with it. If those around you want you around for the foreseeable future, it is far better you are reasonably fit and healthy, within your limitations, and living the way you want to live. That's better for everybody. The alternative? Moping around, being over cautious, a pain in the neck? Don't even contemplate it -- it is not good <full stop> -- For yourself or those around you.

Obviously, when you get back on the water, you will need to get into it gradually, gaining self-confidence by experience, feeling your way, and detecting your limits, the real ones, not the imaginary ones our minds concoct. Others on this thread have given good advice in this direction. Heed it.

So for goodness sake, don't give up unless absolutely necessary, and even then it's probably better to live life to the full rather than become a sort of walking vegetable. I know which I would prefer, and which would be better for those around me!!!

Good luck, and wishing you a steady recovery.

 

[fishermantwo]

There was an interesting email going around the traps a few week ago about what to do if you find yourself having a heart attack while driving a car alone. I wish I had kept it now. I fish alone and spend hours miles out to sea and often wonder about this sort of thing. We all know the symptoms. When you think you are about to have an attack the idea is to cough violently and as often as you can {while you pull over to the side of the road}. Keep coughing till the symptoms pass. The violent coughing massages the heart apparently. The original email was circulated by the heart association and it made sense to me.

 

[kengill]

Don't worry. There's lots of sailing left in you yet.

I had an MI 11 years ago and have since had four operations. I can singlehand my Gib'sea Master 96 - tho' I wouldn't want to do that in anything larger.

I have sailed a 98 foot square rigger with just three of us aboard and I regularly skipper for the East Anglian Sailing Trust with Visually imapired people aboard..

Be sensible. don'tstart trying to singlehand straight away - take friends ,

Think about the deck lay out. I fitted a power windlass and have the Mizar remote radio control for the windlass, Make sure you have a working autopilot,

Be able to hoist the dinghy from the water into the cockpit or on the foredeck - Four patches, five rings, bit of rope for a bridle and some evo-stick. Then winch up with a halyard.

Make sure your oilies are the best you can get with the proper layers and hats , gloves scarves etc, a cold head plays havoc with angina

Keep a GTN spray velcroed on just inside the companionway and use every time you are going to do anything strenuous. Remember its better to use it before and prevent angina than to get angina and then use the spray.

Talk to your GP and get on the Cardiac rehab programme take the best advice and help you can get.

I'm now up to about 800 miles a year and remain in commission 50 weeks a year - winter sailing is fantastic!!

If you want any more specific advice PM me and I'll send you my phone number.

Ken

 

[angelsson]

Having read all the posts here, it is so heartwarming to see so many good people who genuinely care about others life challenges, it reinforces my faith in human nature during a time when we all are sorely tested about our fellow man.
There are lots of good people in this world as this thread has shown, and I would add my very best wishes to you for a speedy and full sailing recovery.
Mike

 

[maxwell edison]

Hi Max
One point that appears to have been missed in the posts so far is that not all heart attacks are the same. They vary a great deal in severity so it essential that you establish how severe yours was. Also my understanding is that those who have had bypass operations are generally better off than those who cannot have them. So it is not really relevant what I, or others, have done. You need to know what you can do.

Having said that, for what it is worth, I had a major heart attack 14 years ago. I could not have a bypass operation so I was left with only two thirds of my heart muscle. But the good news is that, according to my cardiologist. we can all survive on 50%.

I was advised to take six months of general recovery and then increase my workload. My cardiologist (who also sails by the way) thought that it was the cold that was the greatest initial threat. I guess Denmark is pretty cold at times.

Within 12 months I was sailing as much as ever and I still am. I carry on with all the physical activities that I pursued before my heart attack. I get on with life and never really think about a heart problem. I am certainly never aware of only having 60% of my heart muscle.

I would certainly not fit labour saving devices on your boat. When you have made a full recovery it will be totally unnecessary. In fact, potentially, they will only serve to make you remember the heart attack and will subconsciously make you feel less fit remembering that you only fitted them because of that darned heart attack. So I would see that as a bad move.

My advice is to talk it through with your cardiologist, keep strictly to his advice, and you will soon get on with life as before. Soon, most of the time, you will forget you ever had a heart attack. The absolute last thing to do is to feel that you cannot do things.

Finally, whether you sail or not, if you have the chance to go on a rehabilitation course do take it. I went on one here and worked on weights etc under medical supervision and it was incredibly good psychologically -and it is probably the psychological problem that is the greatest problem you face not the medical problem.

Best wishes - keep positive!

Max

 

[Good]

Hi i have not enugh words to thank you all for supporting me it has helpd me a lot
Your ar all so kind and SUPER!!!!!!!!!! THANKS

 

[whisper]

Good Luck with whatever you decide to do.
I had another health problem that made me worry about boating single handed. Decided that you only live once so I might as well take a few calculated risks and enjoy myself. Otherwise I'd be even more awful to live with - says my wife /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif