When Graves Eye Disease scrambled my vision in 2021,
one of the things that kept me going was the thought of getting on a paddleboard again.
Standup Paddleboarding
Waikīkī Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
March 24, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
I had last gone paddleboarding in March 2016,
never expecting that travel changes, the pandemic,
and Graves disease would keep me from enjoying the sport so long.
Standup Paddleboarding
Waikīkī , Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
March 24, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Last spring when I had successful strabismus eye surgery,
I asked all my doctors if I could go paddleboarding again.
"Yes," said my surgeon, as did my endocrinologist and primary care doctor.
So with great anticipation I signed up in advance for a refresher lesson
with Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī.
Thinking I had lots of time, I had been swimming lengths in the Royal Kuhio's pool.
But when my lesson day and hour arrived,
the trade winds had blown in after days and days of calm.
Usually the trade winds bring cooling breezes, lower humidity, and pleasant weather.
But this time the winds were strong and gusty, whipping up the waves and currents.
Nevertheless, I went for it, with the guidance of a patient instructor named Tyler.
Tyler Giving Me the Refresher Course
Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī
March 5, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Tyler
Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī
March 5, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Tyler Giving Me the Refresher Course
Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī
March 5, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Into the Water
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Terry was there to support me and take photos,
and our friend Janeth from Ottawa was there to cheer me on.
Janeth rode Slotzilla with me in Vegas last year,
but she was not going near a paddleboard.
Tyler Giving Me the Refresher Course
Waikīkī Beach Services at the Sheraton Waikīkī
March 5, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Getting Ready to Fly Like Superman
Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
March 27, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Terry did his best to capture photos, but he forgot how to zoom and was shooting portraits.
Nevertheless, he did catch me standing up on the paddleboard.
Actually I stood up at least 12 times, but I kept getting knocked down,
once head over heels off the back of the board into the ocean.
We kept swimming to a sandy spot near the Royal Hawaiian breakwater,
and the current kept sweeping us back to the Sheraton to the west.
But what fun!
On the Water
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
On the Water
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
As you can see, no one else was on the water paddleboarding or surfing.
Tyler was cheering me on, saying "You're 99% there!"
I'd be up and down I'd go. Over and Over. 😂
On the Water
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
But Terry managed to catch the shot I wanted most,
me standing up, even if it was only for five seconds.
On the Water
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
After about forty minutes, my muscles were seizing up.
So, I reluctantly said I'd have to try again another day.
We chatted side by side on our boards as the currents swept us
from the Royal Hawaiian breakwater back to the Sheraton Waikīkī's landing spot.
We had a great conversation trading stories about ourselves,
and I was so comfortable I chanted my hula Permission Chant for him.
(Obviously I was riding high from the exhilaration of being on the water. 😂)
Returning to Shore
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Coming Ashore
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
The big hot cup of coffee I had at Starbucks afterward was so welcome!
Terry and Janeth were the best, listening as I talked while my adrenaline surge dissipated.
I felt so alive and happy!
This won't be my last time on a paddleboard!
I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, Tom's Aloha Friday, and Nicole's Friday Face Off.
For Rain: Surfing ~ Catching a wave in an outrigger canoe is lots of fun!
Catching a Wave!
Waikīkī Beach
March 14, 2015
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
For Tom: Aloha ~ The beautiful land of Aloha!
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue
Waikīkī Beach
March 13, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
For Nicole: Feathered and Furry Faces! ~ Cheeky birds raid a bread basket at the Liliha Bakery.
Doves and Sparrows Hit the Jackpot!
Liliha Bakery at the International Market Place
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
March 6, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Little Laki at Cat Café MOFF
International Market Place, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
March 1, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
See you next time! ❤️🌺🍀
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com
Copyright ©2025 – All rights reserved.
My next post will be
Friday, March 21st 🤞
On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Almost a ten year wait but you did it! Next time you go, you can try it again and I bet you'll be even better at it.
ReplyDeleteThat's the plan, Alex! 🤞 Happy weekend!
DeleteThat's so awesome that you can finally go paddleboarding again. It looks like you really enjoyed it after not being able to do it for so long.
ReplyDeleteI had a blast, Natalie, even upside down in the water grasping my paddle. Have a great weekend!
DeleteWay to go, Louise! I would be like Janeth and Terry, watching safely from the shore.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! Cheerleaders and a photographer are always good to have by the shore. Enjoy your weekend!
Delete...Graves Eye Disease, I've heard of this and I'm sorry that it has affected you. Good for you to be paddleboarding, my balance is too bad for that. the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue at
ReplyDeleteWaikīkī Beach is a sight ofr sore eyes! Open air dining sure is popular in Hawaii and the birds are great fan. Keep having fun and have your sunscreen handy.
Hi, Tom! I'm glad that you enjoyed Duke's statue. It was heaped with leis. You can see I kept myself well covered on the water. I don't need a bad sunburn! I work on balance every time I'm at the gym. A big focus will be coming up fast from a crouch without looking down. That will help me with certain hula moves too. I've got 5 or 6 hulas to practice and lots of drills. The online hula videos aren't that good. Lots of Hawaiian words to learn too. No excuse to get bored! I love the birds. We were at Biba's at the Hale Koa (Armed Forces Recreation Center), and a brazen pigeon swooped onto a table surrounded by 7 or 8 people, landed on a basket, and escaped with a big French fry. The family ended up moving its chairs to safeguard their appetizers. All of us on the lanai had to beat off the pigeons, gulls, and doves. 😂 Have fun this weekend!
DeleteLovely photos
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine. I hope you have a great weekend!
DeleteYou mean Janeth would go flying through the air but not in the water?Guess kersplat beats drowning? Lol
ReplyDeleteAfter all these years of watching you take pics Terry still hasn't learned to zoom, geez hahaha
Sure looks like fun and glad you were finally able to get back out and enjoy it.
That cat sure looks relaxed.
Hey, Pat! Kersplat is probably faster! 😂 Terry got the shot I wanted, so I am very grateful. It is the best fun, and I hope to get out on the water once more this trip. Before I leave I'm going to go into Cat Café MOFF (You have to pay), buy some treats (pay more), and give some to Laki. There are 15-18 other cats, but I took a particular liking to Laki when I visited last year. (Hey, it's a lot cheaper than owning a cat). We drove around the island of Oahu today with friends. This is such a beautiful place. I don't want to leave! I hope all is well with you.
DeleteYou are brave. Paddle boarding looks fun but I'd be worried about trying it in front of an audience. One day I need to try it though, because even if I don't like it, I'd like to say I tried it. However, that outrigger ride looks like a blast. I;m glad you shared this post as it is inspiring Louise. Have a super weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comment, Erika! I hope you do try paddleboarding sometime. The nice thing about the Waikiki area is that there are lots of people busy doing their own things. People might see you, but they're never going to know who you are and likely won't remember you. And if someone captures you in a photo, so what? You're anonymous. You're like a rock, or a seagull, or a sign. Besides, paddleboarding demands your complete attention. You don't have time to think about people looking at you. 😂. You have a super weekend too! ❤️
DeleteYou truly live your dream and life to the fullest
ReplyDeleteWe're only here for a short time, Roentare. I want to experience and learn as much as I can. I had the unbelievable luck to be born in a place and time where I was safe from war, never had to worry about food or shelter, received a great education, and came from a large, loving, and close family. I wish every human being could have the same advantages in life. I am very, very grateful. I was in a place today, little known, spectacular ~ It made me think immediately of you and Joel and the places you've photographed in Australia. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend.
DeleteOh, I am so sorry about the Graves eye disease. It looks like you have conquered it. At least enough to go paddle boarding. You are a much braver soul than I am. Very impressed that you are out there doing what you love. Thank you for sharing it all with FFO and have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nicole! It is amazing to have my eyesight restored. That's one of the biggest blessings I have received in this life. I am going to keep doing things I love as long as I am able. My mother had devastating health issues that she rose above to be with the people she loved and to do the things that she loved for as long as she could. I would dishonor her and her long fight if I didn't do what mattered to me. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend too! ❤️
DeleteLouise, you are a bad ass! I admire you for getting back on the paddleboard. I hope you enjoy it many times in the future.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Janie, thank you so much! Each day is a gift, and I am truly grateful. All the best to you!
DeleteVery nice photos
ReplyDeleteMuch♡love
Thanks, Gillena! I hope are is well with you! ❤️
DeleteWell done Louise, I just hope there are no sharks in that area, as there were when I used to swim in Adelaide Australia. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brenda! I don't do sharks ~ 😂 You are much braver than I am. Adelaide is a place I hope to visit. My endocrinologist is from Adelaide, and she has a wonderful Aussie accent. I hope that you are enjoying our new week!
DeleteSo glad you got to paddle board again... it's something I have yet to do, but I am sure I'd enjoy it (as I have several kayaks).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeff! I bet you'd be good at paddleboarding, because you would naturally understand paddling something in the water. My experience as a young canoer certainly helps me. One of the hardest things for me is standing up from a crouch quickly without looking. Two things I'm going to be working on. And standing with knees bent on a paddleboard occasionally will help me with hula. The fight against aging and fragility never ends. 😂 Have a great week!
DeleteKudos to you, Louise, for getting back to paddle boarding. You are much braver than I am! I wouldn't even get into the standing position for a single second! Hopefully this experience has motivated you to go back again, you certainly have the guts for it. What a wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carola! I'm glad that you enjoyed the post. I absolutely intend to go back again. Wishing you a wonderful week!
DeleteYESSSSSSSSSSSS, I LOVED seeing you doing this!!!!!! You must have felt SO gleeful after such a long hiatus! It looks beautiful! I am jealous- I would love to be in that water! I have paddle boarded once but I knelt, not sure I could stand up!x
ReplyDeleteThanks for your supportive comment, Kezzie! Kneeling is just fine in my opinion. I'm all for doing whatever you can however you can! And yess I felt gleeful!!! Happy St. Patrick's Day. Have a great week!
DeleteThat's so lovely, I'm thrilled for you! It sounds like such an experience, and I admire your persistence. I probably would have given up after the first three falls! Gorgeous pictures, too. The sea is stunning.
ReplyDeleteThanks, for your kind words, Damyanti! They put a big smile on my face. Take care, and enjoy the rest of March!
DeleteI felt happy and thrilled seeing you on paddlboard dear Louise 👌🥰♥️
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your strength and urge to on the water again. Your previous photo is gorgeous and lovely 🤗♥️
Congratulations for doctors allowing you a paddle again.
I can see the difference in physical health between two photos as well but I am sure with a passionate spirit you have you will be paddling soon definitely 👍
I enjoyed the images of you in your water trying ,sorry that weather was windy and unsupportive.
Terry is your friend look happy to see you trying ♥️
I love the sparrow flying over food 😍great shot 👌
Hawaii is such a beautiful and cozy place 🥹🥰♥️
Lots of love to you and best wishes for both of you my friend 🥰
Thanks, Baili! I felt so alive and free out on the water. I've just returned from climbing Diamond Head which I will do a post on in a week or two. Terry didn't climb it, but he booked the reservations, walked with me part of the way up the trail, and waited for me to return from the top of the crater! He's such a great guy. I was thrilled to catch that sparrow with a crumb in its beak! Serendipity, for sure! Lots of love to you, Ali, and your family! ❤️❤️❤️
DeleteYou look so happy on that paddeboard. And how fun is that! I've never done one of those before -- I knew I could never stand up on it! But seeing you kneeling makes me think I might be able to at least do that! My neighbor up north has one and said we could try it anytime. I think you might have motivated me to try this summer.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jeanie! You can stand, kneel, or sit on a paddleboard. Give it a try is you have a chance. I bet you could do it!
DeleteDear Louise, I'm just smiling at the cat in the hammock 😍😂 Many years ago, I had a very fat cat named Mandarin. He looked very different from Little Laki: a gray-brown, short-haired, fat tiger, but he liked to sit or lie in a similar position, with his big belly facing up 😁.
ReplyDeleteWhat a story about you and stand-up paddleboarding. I didn't know your eyes were affected by Graves Eye Disease. But I'm so glad your doctors allowed you to paddleboard. Tyler seems like a very personable instructor. You look so happy before stand-up paddleboarding (and during it—in the 2016 photo), and you can be proud that you managed to stand up. The photo from 2015 (Catching a Wave!) is also beautiful. In general, you always seem to joyfully embrace life and the adventures it offers. That's the right path—keep enjoying it!
Hugs and all the best, Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2025/03/februar-ruckblick-und-blogparade-blau.html
Thank you for your kind and encouraging comment, Traude! I'm laughing at your cat Mandarin ~ aren't they wonderful creatures?! Some people who have Graves Disease also get Graves Eye Disease, and I was one of the "lucky" ones who got the eye disease as well. The GED doubled my vision badly, and from the fall of 2021 until April 2024, my vision was scrambled. I tried all the treatments my doctors proposed. Finally, after eight unbelievably expensive Tepezza treatments (well over $1,000,000 in insurance costs) that didn't work, a broken foot from falling in a revolving door in the hospital, and a broken rib likely because of steroids I was taking, I exhausted all the possible treatments except surgery. Once my thyroid stabilized enough that I qualified for the strabismus surgery, my surgeon cut and reattached my eye muscles in new places in both eyes, and I could see again. It's miraculous to me! I' still hoping to squeeze in another paddleboard session, but time in Hawaii is running out quickly. I do try to embrace life and its adventures. Hugs to you, my friend! ❤️
DeleteGood for you ... you should never give up on the things you love. Great pictures even though we had to use our imagination on some of them. Love the cheeky birds and Little Laki ... Always a fun visit when I come here :)
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From the Sol