On Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 12:13 PM Edmund LeGrand <carolinabirds...>
wrote:
> I am especially susceptible to motion sickness, but had no problems on the
> Princess cruise around Cape Horn. Rather than getting a more expensive and
> higher up cabin with a view, I selected one closest to the rotation center
> of the ship (below deck and toward the middle), because I wondered about
> the motion. Yes, there’s a bit of motion in very rough weather (even in the
> enclosed cabin as well as on deck), but never enough for me to use my
> trusty wonder drug: promethazine (Phenergan) at 25 mg once per day. If you
> already have a solution of seasickness or never have experienced it (lucky
> other members of my family, including Harry), that’s great. I learned about
> it and got the required prescription before a catamaran tour of the
> Galapagos. Wow!!! The only effect from this antihistamine that I noticed
> was that, despite the boat getting tossed around one night (and a cable
> supporting the mast snapping and banging all around), I wasn’t seasick!
> It’s worked perfectly on subsequent pelagic trips. I store the extra pills
> in the freezer and bring them out as need might arise.
>
> Postscript: I’m still trying to figure out motion sickness. My parents and
> brother (Harry) could always read newspapers while riding—I’d be sick
> within two minutes. When I ask people: “Can you read a newspaper while
> riding without getting sick?” it seems that the answer is either “yes” or
> “no”, but rarely in between. I keeping wondering if there’s any adaptive
> advantage to having this trait (subtly better balance???) since the
> disadvantages are so clear that it’s easy to see how it could have been
> selected out of the population. I sympathize with Charles Darwin, who
> somehow managed to be productive while never getting over his four years of
> seasickness on the Beagle (with way too much time near Tierra del Fuego).
>
> Edmund LeGrand
> Fauquier Co., VA
>
