Overcoming my fear of injury to enjoy a perfect day on the water

I achieved a major accomplishment recently. Not only did I ride in a boat, but I was also able to use the tiny, foldable swim ladder off the back of the boat to go swimming — and I didn’t hurt myself. To an average person, this may not seem like much. To me, it was huge.

I didn’t grow up around boats. I was born in Michigan, where there are plenty of lakes, Great and small, to go boating on. But we were never really a boating family. When I moved to New England for college and eventually met and married my husband, I came to appreciate the ocean beaches and scenery, but preferred to enjoy the water on foot, walking through the waves to swim just off the shore.

My husband loves the water, the beach, boating — all the ocean things. He’s had small lake fishing boats over the years. He also had what I called “the eBay boat” that he spent hours repairing and tracking down parts for, but it was never very reliable. He had to be towed back to the marina more than once.

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For the most part, I stayed out of the boating world. I don’t like heat, and unless it’s a yacht, there’s precious little shade or indoor space on a boat. And once I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, I didn’t trust myself on a boat, particularly when it came to using the little swim ladder to haul myself into and out of the water when we anchored to swim.

But I love my husband, and we wanted to enjoy things together, so I tried.

‘Trust yourself’

About four years ago, we took a small boat to a big lake in New Hampshire. On our first outing, I jumped off the boat to enjoy the water. Or I thought I did. I jumped, but only one foot left the boat. The other one caught on a railing. My knee twisted, and I had bruises from ankle to hip. Nothing was broken, but it began a multiyear odyssey that wound up with me getting two total knee replacements.

The replacements would’ve been necessary anyway because underlying the trauma of my jump was terrible arthritis. Luckily, I found a doctor who was familiar with Parkinson’s disease and operating on people with a deep brain stimulation device, which I have, in addition to being a world-class orthopedic surgeon. The surgeries have greatly improved my life. I no longer have joint pain, and some of the gait issues I blamed on Parkinson’s have even improved.

During this same period, my husband finally got his dream boat. It’s small enough that he can handle it himself, big enough to take out on the ocean and bring along a few friends, and has a good swim ladder and walk-through back wall to help me get in and out of the water. Despite all of this consideration on his part, I was still just flat-out scared of the boat. Several times last summer and this one, I begged off of beautiful days out on the water because of this fear of hurting myself.

Then, on a recent weekend, we had perfect weather — not too hot or humid. The ocean temperature was warm enough to be refreshing without being too chilly. It was beautifully calm. And so I did it. With my husband’s help and encouragement from friends and family, I climbed out of and back into the boat with no drama, no injury, no fuss. My husband kept saying, “Trust yourself,” and he was right. I had a fantastic day with him and our family, who pulled up at the same sandbar. We grilled food, went swimming, and enjoyed each other’s company.

There are a lot of good reasons for a Parkinson’s patient to avoid situations like boating and swimming in the ocean. And I’m sure one day my disease will progress to the point where it’s no longer safe for me to go on the boat. But for now, I overcame my fear, trusted myself, asked for help, and was rewarded with a perfect day.

Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.