O-Scale aging therapy

Obsidian posted:

When I got back into O-scale 15 years ago I was 40.   Granddad's Lionel gift set for my boys re-ignited my interest in building a layout and collecting/operating O-scale.   Back then I read posts about how some of us prefer the size, sound, detail, and ease of railing O-scale.   Five years ago I was diagnosed with early onset of Glaucoma.   A couple a years ago I had an ear infection that led to a significant loss of hearing in one ear.   So now I can't see or hear as well as I once could.   Aging has diminished my ability to play ball sports and enjoy social conversations.  I appreciate the size, sound and detail of my MTH Premier collection and Harpers Ferry layout more than ever.   I find running my trains and working on my layout to be very therapeutic. 

yup great therapy.

sorry about your issues

hang in there

OBSIDIAN,

Got to agree with you 100%, after my Agent Orange Heart Attack it was slow going for me for a while, the O Gauge Trains kept my mind headed down the right direction, putting my engineering skills back to use in a constructive manner.  

Over come your problems with some good hearing aids and serious modern glasses.  O Gauge Trains are great modern therapy.   The OGR helped me also during that time, interfacing with the men here helped a lot.  Never really liked or had time for computers till I joined the OGR.  I participate a lot now, I make the time.  Tin Plate Trains and the OGR keep my mind set young, hope your Trains and OGR do the same for you.

PCRR/Dave

OBSIDIAN,

Model railroading is a great diversion from the concerns of everyday life. I'm glad that I can amuse myself with it and I wish you the best.

MELGAR

Vision has been a problem for me, but it isn't as bad as it was after cataract surgery last fall.  I was never athletic, but was always active.  Now both Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis are taking a toll, but I am just altering what and how I do things.  The layout I am building is not like any I built before.

My dad who is now in a personal care home was an athlete, very active, and extremely strong.  Helping him with any home repair job put us in awe up until he was 86.  Watching him now has given much food for thought.  Yes, I saw how he altered what and how he did things as he aged, but since he can't participate in his hobby of choice, fly fishing, he still gets enjoyment from it.  While lying in a hospital bed last summer he told my wife and I that he was reliving fishing outings with long departed friends in his mind.  He still reads the fly fishing magazines at the personal care home.  Once again, Dad is an example of how to age, he doesn't like it, but makes the best of it.  I plan to use O gauge trains as that hobby refuge even if I live to have to stay in a home and receive constant care.

I thought I was the only one with all these problems, heart ailments, arthritis,vision problems and neropahity etc. you just have to keep pushing and hope for the best! But, it's a real bummer to get underneath the layout. 

MIKATT1 posted:

I thought I was the only one with all these problems, heart ailments, arthritis,vision problems and neropahity etc. you just have to keep pushing and hope for the best! But, it's a real bummer to get underneath the layout. 

Yeah, getting down is easy it's the getting back up that is the problem.