Date: 2005-09-03
From: Vermont

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I added more to this entry. if you already read it, please read the bottomI decided to put a couple of days of entries into one. You will see why. First Jim decided to get off the trail because he missed his family. The next day some friends from back home (Cathy and Rob Dewey) happen to be in the area and stopped by for a visit. The next day I headed out on the trail and crossed the NH/VT boarder. This is the weird part. I woke up at the shelter in VT in pain. IT felt like I had an ear infection and pain in my back. I thought maybe I caught something from the drinking water or a payphone. I was in so much pain that it took me 3 hours to pack up my gear and countless hours to walk back to the road with my pack. Each step I could feel my back and neck being stabbed. I finally got to the road where I happen to run into a day hiker who took me into town. He asked if I wanted to go the hospital, but I said ¢no¢ I need to call home and see first. I explained to mom what happened and she said to go to the ER. So I went. The nurse looked at me and asked if I fell. I said ¢ No I don¢t remember falling.¢ She said well you have dried blood out of your ear, beard, and cloths. I didn¢t even realize that and figured that I must have had a bad ear infection. The Doctors examined me, took xrays, and asked me many questions. Apparently I fell and I don¢t remember¢¦amnesia is what the doc called it. This freaked me out. What I thought was an ear infection was a punctured eardrum from the impact of the fall. The x-rays came back and revealed that I broke my left shoulder in 3 different places, and small bone in my neck, and one in my ear. I was very disappointed because I knew this was going to slow me down on the trail progress. So, far I am at mile 1,343.9 and I am so close to finishing. They wanted me to stay the night in the hospital, but I told them ¢ no way I haven¢t eaten all day and it was going on 11pm and I know you cant have pizza delivered to a hospital room. So, the trauma team went back to study my situation an decided that I could leave (which wasn¢t a concern of mine) as long as I came back in the morning for the Ear specialist can look at me. So I areed. IT was around 1am when I got me pizza. Went back the next morning and the Ear doc said I would be fine, my hearing in my left ear will come back in a few weeks. The docs said it will take 4-6 weeks for the shoulder to heal. So, I will be going to my Aunts house to rest in good hands. When I healed I will get back on the trail and finish the remainder of the trail. Hopefully it will be less then 4-6 weeks before I can get back out there. Well there¢s the update. I have some other entries prior to this that I will be updating my self in a few days. They will be posted just before this one. So hit the ¢previous button¢ in a few days to check them out. Also, if you email me your email address I will add it to a list and will contact all those people on the list when I get back on the trail. That way you don¢t have to keep on checking the journal to see if I am back on the trail. Thanks for reading!  My email is manfire80@yahoo.com  P.S.While I am healing I am looking for someone to watch my dog for the two months it will take to finish the trail. My mother who was watching him is back to school and is unable to. If interested please let me know. Cozmo is a very nice dog. He is house broken, barley barks, and is timid and mild mannered. Basically he sleeps all day and needs to be taking for bathroom walks, fed, and given some lovin¢. All cost will be taken care of including your time. Only stipulation is that I have to know he will be in a good place. Please let me know as soon as you can because if I don¢t find a good place then I wont be able to finish my hike. Which is fine as long as my dog is taken care of. Thanks!