PPRuNe Forums - Am I doomed?

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- - Am I doomed? (https://www.pprune.org/medical-health/629000-am-i-doomed.html)

Fed up with some age related things, and the loss of a million quid, a wife and all quality of hearing, I was fairly pragmatic about the end coming. But, I seemed to have a fantastic heart-lung mechanism. Climbing the oft-mentioned Hipkin's Slope at Walton on the Naze, I reminisced with the owner about zooming down it on soapbox carts over seventy years ago. He said, and now you go up it like it's not there. 60 feet + from sand to top in 75 seconds. This winter it became 90 seconds with a pain in me right chest. Every time.

This week I was also slowed down by gout. History of it. 30 years old, 45, and another time it was bad. Allopurinol for ages but gave it up to see how I'd get on. Years a borderline uric acid reading. I perhaps should have taken the drug.

Recently I've had swollen feet. Not like me at all. Must be to do with the gout. Looked it up last night only to find out it tallies with the right side of the heart packing up. Correlations like that pique one's attention.

I've bequeathed my human form to Addenbrooks. I hope they want it on the day. I have to be within 40 miles, so I've suggested to the Rivetess that she bribes an Iceland (frozen Foods) delivery driver to drop me off on an appropriate park bench. The other method was to go to Addenbrooks and play with Mr Muscle cleaner, which I react to, to near anaphalaxis. Sp? My doctor thinks this is a plan. He's desperate to get rid of me - on the grounds that I argue my logic to the point even his sarcastic Germanic sense of humour fails him. Last visit he said 'eighty' I stared at him. 'Eighty, he said, again, 'there's one thing you don't understand about eighty. Most of your contemporaries are dead. It's the way he said it, but it made me laugh.

But what should I do? That bit of beach is my aerobics track. On a good day I come down again and go north to the 176 steps up to the Naze Tower. That tower's got a history. Vicars shooting their actress lover stone dead on a London Theatre's steps. Oooooo you mustn't anger a vicar with one of the Walton hell-fire actresses. I think he shot the Lord someone, not her. Not sure. Anyway he was hanged.

The tower is a teahouse now, and an art gallery. What would Trinity house think if they could see it now? Anyway, it's the tower again tomorrow. None of that cringing in Aand E Is what I promised a while back.

The other odd thing is when I'm reclined in my leather chair, half way to make it work, I almost stop breathing. Odd that. In a lucid dream-like state, I mini-breath until big breaths flow again. It's happened several time. I look stone dead when I'm mini-breathing. Not the tiniest movement. That's odd as well.

Two things: I explained to Rivetess and one of our kids when I went round for dinner tonight. I don't want to fester for a week or so in someone else's house. They'd charge a fortune for it to be exorcised before the next let. So got to be planned.

Wife has got me bank details, and I've got a red nose. Yep, that's right. I want to confirm my sense of humour is in tact by slipping a red nose on just prior to a mini-sleep in which I don't fight to come back. Trouble is, the laughter will make me breath again. I'll figure a way. Just wear it all the time I'm in my semi-reclined position which is where these mine-sleeps start. They are bizarre. I barely move for an hour, sleep so shallow I don't know how I stay alert. Right, better get on with the sorting of me stuff.

Well, Mr Rivets, getting old is better than the alternative. But BEING old is not a lot of fun.

I am a bit similar to you: wife went 20 years ago, so did half a million, and the ears packed up due to aviation noises.

But I picked up a second wife, got some hearing aids, and I am now working on my second million dollars - I gave up hope of ever making the first. And my book isn't ready for anybody else to read it yet, so I'd better get my @rse into gear.

Loose, you seem to be prepared and philosophical about it all. Would you consider you had a good innings? Knocked a few balls over the fence? Leaving on your own terms?

I have thoroughly enjoyed your stories and anecdotes, and look forward to a lot more before your swollen legs push their clogs off and take a swipe at the bucket.

So it is true, the only sound investment advice from a pilot...stick to one wife. Then again there was that obituary:

William Johnson, known as Big Bill to his friends, died peacefully in the simulator 3 days ago aged 96. He had a very, very long career, 5 wives and 18 children...his last words as he slipped away on the approach to Mumbai were “Happy at last!”. Bill is survived by his 21 year old fiancé Breeanna and a bun in the oven.

Different experiences in retirement

Great thread - get back to Class 1 LooseRivits

Being a Pilot activist and Union Rep, the lived reality of retirement as a Pilot is something I think about often. 20 years down 22 to go.. with any luck

A good measure of satisfaction of a job well done and contentment in what you’ve crafted by way of savings (human behaviour doesn’t like saving), lifestyle, etc. is one thing.

However, it’s the fitness to enjoy retirement that’s particularly important. Some would say that “retirement” starts when you get into the last 10 years, take the strain early and move ones career into the simplest mode to ease into other hobbies and past times. That’s sometimes easier said than done

The health part is the bit that’s probably most important, despite some improvements, we work in a hostile environment. A project into the quality of life and Pilot health into retirement is something I’m thinking about

Wishing you all the best in the final few pages of the log book

Rivets, one thing about this life for sure is that in reality we’re all doomed!

Years ago I was asked if I was prepared to become an organ donor. I said I was, but I had every intention of wearing out all the best bits myself. I am well on my way to that now. These days the bits that should be stiff aren’t and a few that shouldn’t be, are.

I also wanted to be a millionaire. I’ll never be so but at least I can’t lose what I never had...

Anyway, at the grand old age of 80 it sounds to me like you have managed to achieve my ambitions!

But please stay around, your input here is always worth seeing! 👍

Loose, you make a strong case for departing at your will, rather than that of others. Last year, three of our dogs had to be put to sleep due to old age related illnesses. When the vet told me it was the kindest thing for them, it begged the question (which I'm sure has been raised before), why not do the same for us?

Sometimes it is the same for us.

There is not anything uniquely interesting about reaching 80 yo; your doctor probably wants to know but who else ?.....boring...

After 80 you are on borrowed time.

There's a danger this thread will be funnier than the one on JB. I'm feeling guilty about hoggin' two threads so will close this one shortly and perhaps come back with some technical requests. The shock tonight was reading the diuretic side-effects. Bloooooody Norah. One of many horrific items was irreversible hearing damage. Thanks, I've been there, done that.

That's him! I wonder if I could entice him away with the foot of someone I don't like.

And I thought it was just me. Unlike some of you fine fellows, I still have several in the bank and strangely enough the same wife as I collected some 36 years ago. Now here’s the down side. Have had gout for 30 years or more which never really bothered me and even less so when I took the medication and drank plenty of water. However, 18 months ago I was diagnosed with arthritis. Consultant put me on several different drugs to which they sort of work. Being an honest type I went for my Class 2 last June and quite casually mentioned to my AME that I was taking blah and blah for my arthritis. Big mistake! Immediately grounded until I can show my bloods are stable and the condition is under control. The blood side of things appears to be black or white regardless of my physical state. Eight months later I’m still not there and I have a beautiful PA-32 sat in a hangar which I can only fly with a QFI as technically I have only student status. So depressing! I’m going to give it another 6 months and then consider hanging up my grow bag and selling the old girl. The only positive is that almost all my flying is IMC work... never done so many precision approaches.

Am I fit? I run most days, do yoga several times a week, take several supplements and my blood pressure is really good, however, in the eyes of the CAA I’m a liability. The irony of this story is, my dear 75 year old QFI can hardly climb in and out of the Saratoga, probably why he has a 182, but continues to hold a Class 2 without restriction.

the hard lesson I’ve learned...honesty is not always the best policy.

“honesty is not always the best policy”

You’re right there. If it is not detected during a medical it’s not a problem.