There remains a topic that I ve not really touched on too much here, and that is the medical issues that I face as I walk.
In recent days Ive had some things happen that have caused me some degree of concern, but I have made it through them okay. I am , however, still concerned.
Kansas, mid-June. It is a flat, unforgiving landscape, and unlike other states that are already behind me, it has nothing to offer between towns. In every other state Ive been in thus far, there were always places to sleep for the night, be they fields with trees, or random churches, or just homes for sale where I could hit the back yard unmolested for the night. Here in Kansas, it is all fields, and many of them are fenced in. There are often literally no trees in sight and it is so desolate and flat that the eyes play tricks when it comes to perspective. Water towers for approaching towns seem to be a mile away but two hours later they are no closer that they were when first spotted. It is so flat that approaching cars appear to be silent, until they are within two hundred feet or so and then all of a sudden you hear them. It is very very much like watching a movie with no sound and then all of a sudden the volume gets turned up. And after they pass, the sound goes away again and you see a silent car disappear behind you. The flatness and lack of anything for the sound to bounce off of is what causes this, I suspect.
So, back to the topic at hand.
A few days ago, as I was roughly halfway between two towns twenty miles apart, I began to experience a fluttering feeling in my chest. I have felt this before, and usually a small cough results from it. I know now it is an irregular heartbeat that occurs to everyone occasionally at some point, and its nothing to worry about. On this day though, it got worse instead of going away, and I had to stop walking for a moment. I thought it would cease, but instead it kept going and before I knew it I could feel myself about to pass out. I coughed intentionally, trying to get it to stop, and even pounded on my chest, and it kept getting darker in the outside of my world.
I had a bottle of Sunny D juice drink with me, and in the moments before I was going to black out grabbed it and drank deeply. After a few moments the fluttering stopped, and I began to feel better. Then it came back, not as bad, and went away. I have had short recurrences since but nothing too bad.
I suspect it was caused by my electrolytes getting all screwed up, but I do not know for sure. I have been drinking water constantly, having had to walk for a total of 8 or 9 days in 100 plus degree heat. And because of the towns being so far apart, I have had to make sure I get to the next one by nightfall, causing me to have to walk longer than normal. Winds over 40 mph constantly make it a struggle to walk. As I said, this is an unforgiving landscape.
Yesterday, trying to make it to Garden City, 27 or 28 miles from Ingalls, where I spent the night before, I was forced to lie down on the side of the road, by heat and just plain exhaustion. I spread my tarp out and was just resting on it, with my hat over my face. I heard a motor running, and looked up. It was a patrolman who had heard a radio call that someone had dispatched an ambulance for me after seeing me on the road. He verified that I was okay and cancelled the ambulance but told me that other patrolmen would be watching me to make sure I was okay, and indeed, as I continued on several vehicles slowed up and looked at me to make sure I was in good shape.
The other issue is, or are, my feet. I no longer suffer from blisters but the pain inside my feet is so bad at times that I have to stop walking, but as hot as it is, stopping is almost as undesirable as the pain. It really sucks the life out of me to have this much pain still going on. I know it must be just from the constant pounding, but Ive tried everything I know of to make it stop to no avail. I cannot afford, money wise, to keep staying at motels. I know a few days rest will probably help but its too expensive to do very often.
That said, I will of course continue on. I am looking forward to getting out of Kansas in the next 4 or so days, and into Colorado. I already know that Colorado, in the eastern part of the state , anyway, is very similar to Kansas, but Ill work through it. I cant wait to hit the mountains. I know my training will get me up them thar hills in fine shape, if a bit winded.
Other than the above issues, medically, I am fine. Psychologically, I am okay, though a bit weary of being out here. I miss my life in some ways, but this is a once in a lifetime adventure that I wouldn’t want to stop now. Im slightly over halfway, and will finish strong.
Jim, A friend of mine walked the Appalachian Trail and after several hundres miles had pains in his feet, that like yours, got to be almost intolerable. Turned out he had stress fractures in both feet - maybe something to look into?
ReplyDeleteSF, as I told you before, U need to stop and rest about a week or so or U will wonder why my experience was useful to listen to.
ReplyDeleteAs U know, I walked across the U.S. 10 times and learned it is better to learn from other peoples experience or prepare for something that U never dreamed of.
I'm just trying to help U, SF.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteL--I have thought about that, but it seems more like just some kind of muscle/tendon fatigue. Doing this has made me hyperaware of my body and I can actually sense certain things. I can walk about 15 miles pain free, then it gets really bad. I used to box and do all kinds of really painful things and have a high pain tolerance but this is brutal. I started popping Aleve/generics and they help a lot.
ReplyDeleteAnd Caleb,. I might do that if I can find a place that would tolerate a guy just hanging out for a week. Im starting to pare down my load fo rthe Rockies. A friend just went to Wyoming and the Tetons, so I might reroute if its feasible. Im not gonna be able to walk on the interstate (or am I?) in Utah and Nevada
ReplyDeleteSF, speaking of Utah. I made MY LONGEST one day walk on my journey from Salt Lake City, Utah which was 45 miles in a 24 hour period on Interstate 80. 3 miles to the interstate and 42 miles on the interstate.
ReplyDeleteI started my walk that day at late in the evening knowing the patrol routine of the highway patrol.
I wasn't caught until around 9 A.M. the next mourning but there was not any other highway that the patrolman could make me go to so he just warned me to stay on the far shoulder so I wouldn't get ran over which I was already doing.
About 3 hours later, he brought his top commander and they asked how I was doing and kindly wished me good luck.
Some cops don't just show off their badges.
Allow Tess to talk. She has as much right to express herself as I do.
ReplyDeleteI have her comment on my email site.
By the way, I hope U don't get rich from your book unless U give ALL the money to the poor and hungry as required by Christ. In Luke 6:24, Jesus says "Woe to you who are rich for you are recieving your comfort in full.
When He said 'ALL', He didn't mean 'SOME' in Luke 14:33.
No bragging intended, I will send enough rice to Legaspi and Tabaco in the Philippines around August the 5th that will feed over 11,200 meals to the poor and hungry in a one month period.
Some people put me down for not feeding Americans not knowing that I have fed over 50,000 meals downtown where I stay. I turned the feedings over to 2 churches and started feeding around the world. When I plant seeds, some of them grow.
Some will put me down for telling U that but they have no idea who I really am. Christ, my Friend, told you what He did and what you should do and so will I. He was persecuted and so am I. That is just part of my job that I accept.