Major Injury on the Appalachian Trail

   Back in 1980 right after eating 1/2 gallon of ice cream (see previous post), I waddled to the next shelter and spent the night. My right foot had been bothering me for a couple of weeks. It started when I danced barefoot at a picnic/party in Waynesboro, Virginia. Now I had hiked through West Virginia, Maryland, and now I was in Pennsylvania. When I woke up the next morning I knew that I was in Trouble (with a capital T that rhymes with P....). My right foot was swollen and hurt to put ANY weight on it.
   You don't want to have an injury on the Appalachian Trail, but that's exactly what I had. To make matters worse, I was by myself. Often other hikers would sleep in the shelters, but not this day, I was alone. I pulled out my maps and data book to try to locate the nearest road so I could get some help. Fortunately there was a road crossing within a few miles. I was able to carry my backpack and very SLOWLY hobble down the mountainside to the road. I stuck out my thumb to get a ride. An electronics van filled with all kinds of electronic repair stuff pulled over and gave me a ride to the nearest town, Carlisle, PA.
   I went to the Emergency Room of the local hospital. They X-rayed my foot and discovered that I had a hairline fracture of one of the bones in my right foot. The doctors debated about whether to put a cast on my foot. I knew that would mean weeks off of the trail and might mean that I would be unable to finish. Ultimately they decided to give me some special padding to put inside my boot and instructed me to stay off of it for several days.
   That is how, several hours after entering the ER, I emerged and limped down the street. I was exhausted, I was ravenously hungry, I had no idea where I was, and I had no idea what I was going to do. I saw a church steeple in the distance and began slowly limping towards it. I was a Christian and knew that God would take care of me somehow. I prayed a brief prayer, asking for God to guide me. I had no idea what would happen. (I'll continue the story tomorrow).
   Here in 2011 I have (mostly) stayed injury free. My calf muscles tend to cramp, even though I stretch them a lot before I go jogging in the morning. Today I had to stop several times and walk, trying to rub out the cramps in my right calf. I continue to make progress. Today I weighed in at 175.8 pounds (total loss of eleven pounds). I may skip jogging tomorrow and see if my legs can get better. I'm glad to still be making progress!