Date: 2018-05-16
From: Wind Gap PA

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 15.5

I am finally back on the trail. Hurrah!!! I¢m showing today¢s entry as Day 78, as I am not counting the 2.5 weeks that I¢ve been laid up in Rochester dealing with medical issues. My last day of hiking, Day 77, was all the way back on 04/27. I resumed my hike where I got off, PA 33 in Wind Gap, PA. These past two plus weeks I¢ve been dealing with a host of medical issues, including: an enlarged prostate that resulted in extreme pain when urinating; a hernia; a bladder infection; high fevers, headaches and an earache! I¢ve been to see an urologist several times, and a surgeon with reference to my hernia. Also my general practitioner. I¢ve had a catheter in me for 8 days, been in/out of hospital emergency rooms 3 times, and was most recently admitted to the hospital for a couple days when I spiked a fever as a result of the infection and my vitals were in sad shape (very low blood pressure and an elevated pulse). I was discharged from the hospital on Friday 05/11 and am still on an antibiotic for the infection. I am also scheduled for hernia surgery on 06/22. It hasn¢t been fun dealing with all of these medical issues - I¢ve been a fairly healthy individual for all of my life, so being sick like I¢ve been was all new to me. Ugh! I am happy to report that everything now seems to be under control (although I am something of a walking pharmacy), and the doctors have cleared me to resume my hike on the condition that if any of a number of symptoms make an appearance that I get off the trail promptly and seek medical help. I can work with that. Anyway here I am, back on the trail! In many respects I am so very thankful that these medical issues came to a head while I just so happened to be home in Rochester for a weekend, especially with respect to my issues with urinating. The pain was unbearable, I¢m sure glad that I was off the trail at the time. The Good Lord was definitely watching out for me. And my wonderful wife Kayanne has been an angel, taking time off from work when needed, shuttling me around to doctors/hospitals, providing moral support, and providing excellent in-home care. Thank you Kayanne, you¢re the best! My family and friends have also been a blessing, showing their concern and offering their support during these past couple weeks. I am very lucky.While in Rochester I was also fitted with a new pair of orthotics, which hopefully will keep my plantar fasciitis in check. I also am doing the Bill Crowe toe crunches, and also have with me some special arch support socks that I will wear at nite in my sleeping bag. As I stated in an earlier entry, it¢s tough getting old, HaHa. Those of you that have been following my trail journal entries from the beginning, including my early on preparatory posts, know that I have family obligations for the summer and will need to be off-trail from mid June (06/16 to be exact) until beginning of September. I remain committed to completing an AT thru hike this year (God willing of course), and have a preliminary plan: I will hike as many miles as I am able in these next 4.5 weeks, and see where that puts me. I hope to be somewhere near the VT/NH border by then, we¢ll see how it goes. I expect that my daily mileage for the first week or so to be fairly low, as I¢ve been generally sedentary these past 2.5 weeks. It¢s going to take me a week or two to get my trail legs back under me. In any event once I re-resume my hike in September, and depending on how far north I¢ve gotten by 06/16, I may elect to start at Katahdin and then hike south to my 06/16 jump-off point. That¢s my preliminary plan anyway, we¢ll see how she goes. As I know all too well, the best laid plans............!As far as today¢s hike is concerned, it¢s been absolutely uplifting to my spirit to be back on the trail. I missed the trail terribly, it¢s good to be reunited with you - AT, you are like an old friend! One thing for sure, in view of my recent setback I most certainly appreciate more not only what it takes to be an AT thru hiker, but also the trail itself. Every day on the trail from here on forward will be a day to be savored and a day to be thankful for. Thank you Good Lord for giving me this cherished opportunity to be on the Appalachian Trail!It was 12:30 by the time I actually got on the trail, what with the drive and all - so I¢m not displeased with my effort for today. My body aches a little, I¢ll probably feel it more in the morning - but that is to be expected. The downhills were hard on my knees, but they will be fine once they have a few more miles under them. Fortunately the ups/downs were very modest today, a good hike for first day back. The PA rocks were still here - I was secretly hoping that they might miraculously disappear somehow, HaHa. It did rain all day today which was a bummer, I got completely soaked head to foot, inside to outside. Oh well, I figureI am building up some future credits for good weather. I am spending the nite in the basement of a church here in Delaware Water Gap, the Church of the Mountain Hiker Center. I rolled in about 8. Nothing fancy, but there¢s a bunk where I can roll out my sleeping bag/pad, a bathroom, shower, sitting area and heat. Donation based. There¢s only one other hiker here, a section hiker OspreyG, so there¢s plenty of room to hang up clothes and stuff to dry out. I like the place, glad to be here in view of the rain. Also No Point arrived just now, a thru hiker.I would like to thank all of you that have offered me your best wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery during these past couple weeks - it meant an awful lot to me, I am very humbled by all of the support you¢ve shown me! I truly thank you!I am safe, warm and dry in the Hiker Center - very glad to be back on the trail. Goodnite.