Date: 2004-05-20
From: Buena Vista, VA

To: The Hensley House
Miles today: 0.0

Waking up in a motel room by myself seemed bizarre. I couldn't quite place it at first. I don't think it had anything to do with not waking up in the woods. After all, in the past 81 days, there had been mornings starting in a motel room or a hostel. Perhaps beginning my day without PEOPLE from the trail could be blamed for the strange feelings. But I wouldn't be lonely for long.   Joy and Bloody Cactus pulled into a parking spot right outside my motel room door. I can't say I was happy to see them; I don't think I had the energy to feel happiness. I felt relieved. I felt rescued.    And I felt bad.    I didn't like that I was sick and had to call for help. I didn't like the fact that I was inconveniencing friends of mine to drive over an hour to come get me. And I didn't like the idea that my lethargy might be mistaken for absent gratitude. I was more thankful than they could've known.   After stopping at Joy's house, we wasted no time heading to the hospital. If this illness was the "Big G," I wanted to know right away. The receptionist I dealt with make me feel quite comfortable by coughing in my face.   "Excuse me. Everyone's just been so sick around here lately."   At a hospital? No kidding.   The doctor, a very nice man named Dr. Feldman informed me that in order to determine if I had giardia, I would have to give a stool sample. My very first stool sample. How memorable. Of course, I'm sure the process would've been alot easier had I not been taking my new favorite over-the-counter medication, Immodium AD. Even the food I had been given by the hospital staff to "promte bowel activity" didn't seem to help much. Not that I thought it would have. But when thru-hiker is offered free food, even hospital food, he's not about to pass it up.   After taking ALOT of time to produce results so that I didn't return from the restroom with an empty cup, I opened the door to my room where Joy had been patiently waiting. I had invited her in so that we would both have someone to talk to instead of being bored alone in a hospital with not much to do. Looking at her face when I walked in, you would have thought that I was carrying my sample sans the container. She wore the expression the entire time until the doctor came to take what I had worked so hard to give him, and even then things seemed quiet. I'm not sure Joy will ever look at me the same way.   The preliminary testing showed no signs of giardia, but the official word wouldn't be given for another two days. I could call then and find out for sure. Returning to Joy's house, I was too damn tired to join her, Bloody, and her friend Kat to a bookfair. Other than pass out on a comfy mattress with a bathroom nearby, there really wasn't anything I would have liked more than to just stroll around looking at books, reading the covers, and maybe even buying a light one for the trail since I would surely be behind all my friends at this point. It would give me something to do if I found that there weren't many people on the section I would be hiking once I got back on the trail. In reality, I don't think this would be a problem. As long as there was one person at a shelter, I could find entertainment. Every person is interesting if you just listen close enough. Everyone has a story to tell. Sometimes it just takes a sharp eye and an objective ear. And a few good questions never hurt.   I didn't wake up until dinner was ready. Carol, Joy's mother, made soup for me, hoping that it would be okay for my stomach. It was delicious. So was the apple butter that I dared spread on my toast. So was the small piece of orange jello that I risked eating after dinner.    And so was the much bigger piece of orange jello that I had after that.   Needless to say, my foolish butt was once again planted on a cushion of porcelain shortly after we had all cleaned our plates.   Look. I know there have been more entries than you might expect that mention a certain natural act that all living creatures perform. I know that there are many of you out there that probably don't want to hear about that crap. Quite literally, actually. The truth is, these journal entries NECESSARILY mention voiding from the bowels. The trail breaks life down to it's simplest form.    You eat. You sleep. You walk. And you crap.   Eventually, with all the journal entries I've written and all the entries yet to come, you are going to hear stories about all four. As you already have. I just wanted to make it clear that I'm not writing about it because I enjoy making your nose crinkle up toward your forehead; I'm writing about it because the stories happen. And the stories happen because...well..."it" happens.   Later that night, we were joined by Arwen & Heather and Dave & Miranda. The Hensley's had kindly offered a slackpacking opportunity for the four of them while they were coming through Shenandoah National Park. It was nice to have 7 March 1st starters all under the same roof.