Date: 2015-05-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

As promised, this is an update regarding my medical and trail status. My recuperation has been going very well. My lungs are clear, the terrible head cold seems to be gone, and my ruptured eardrum is healing nicely. It may take 3 months for it to completely heal, but I am very grateful that my hearing seems to be returning to normal.Xrays of my feet and ankles revealed no stress fractures, but I do have bone spurs on both heals, which explains the plantarfacitis and tendonitis of the Achilles tendon. As soon as I returned to Florida I started training to go back to the AT, which was not easy with the almost record heat and high humidity. Fortunately I have several beautiful trails available on which to train, such as Robinson Preserve and the Cross Florida Greenway. My focus was on distance and building my stamina back.   By 6/1/15, when I return to the AT, the plan is to skip ahead to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia and continue hiking north to Katahdin.  Then I will go back to Harper's Ferry and hike south to where I got off the AT on 4/26/15. This will allow me to start back at lower elevations, keep me hiking with other thru hikers, get me to Katahdin in time (before 10/15 when it closes for the season), and puts me back in the south and headed south in the fall. My husband will help me slack pack for 2 weeks so I can gradually get my trail legs back under me. I ran this plan past the folks at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and they agreed that, under the circumstances, this plan is a good idea. I have been very careful to hike each and every mile on the AT, and I intend to continue to do so. No yellow blazing, blue blazing, or exaggerating my trail miles (like some hikers I know).Thus far, from Springer Mountain to Green Corner Road, were I stopped at Standing Bear Farm and took a shuttle to Hot Springs for medical care, I completed a total of 241.3 miles of the AT. That means I still have 1,948 miles left to go.Obviously, I wish I had not gotten sick and had to return home to recuperate. But the experience has not been all bad. I spent a great deal of time with my husband and my little dog Morgan, who is still doing remarkably well for her age. I discovered to my great surprise that I lost over 20 pounds. I took care of several personal matters that needed attention. And I went through my pack (again) in an effort to (again) lighten the load.A big THANK YOU to everyone who reached out to me and expressed concern and encouragement during my illness and recovery. It was greatly appreciated. I want to thank my husband for driving to Hot Springs to bring me home and for taking such good care of me during my recovery. On 4/27/15, when the medical center confirmed I had pneumonia, my husband wanted to rush to Hot Springs to retrieve me. I asked him to wait. I knew that the end of the month is a bad time for him to be away from work. I also wanted to give the sack of medications I was given a few days to work before traveling. Among other things, I hoped that the pressure behind my ears would decrease so that I could clear my ears as we drove out of the NC mountains to avoid further eardrum ruptures. I was very sick, but I was also safe and reasonably comfortable, and able to take care of myself. At my request, he waited until 5/1/15 to drive to Hot Springs, and I was home by 5/3/15.I hope you will continue to read my trail journal entries and follow my AT adventures. Since 4/26/15 I have had many dreams about the AT. I cannot wait to go back. The AT is calling me, even when I am sleeping. Very soon I will be back on the AT again!!