[at-l] Can he still hike?

[Snodrog5@xxxxxxx (Snodrog5@xxxxxxx)]

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Hi Hummingbird!
 First, please stop sticking forks into Dutch Treat's thigh.
 Thanks.
 Second, *after* DT gets fixed up, (and yes, he will be) he'll need physical
therapy to regain his strength. Don't worry too much about the doc's 10 pound
limit -- that was my projection too but now I can still swing my 85 lb little
girl up over my head and onto my shoulders. Know that many docs and PT folks
have occupational disability on their minds and not recreational athletics --
when my crew finally understood what my goals were their attitude and
approach changed dramatically.
 After facet joint damage to my spine, we found out that I have degenerative
spinal arthritis, facet arthrosis syndrome, and a thing called
spondylolisthesis which is a defect caused by repeated trauma. I've got the
back of an eighty year old :O) Sitting hurts. Hiking relieves the pain.
 Third: thruhiking. In the last few years there was an older gent who hiked
with the support of his wife and their RV. He was quite ill, and needed meds
and her help. He walked the entire trail. And then there was
RedTruck/BlueTruck a father-son team who hopscotched one truck ahead, drove
back and hiked to it, drove back and picked up the first truck, hopscotched
it ahead... I think Blue Truck made it to Katahdin <g> There are *tons* of
options for extended long hikes on the AT, keep an open mind, and put that
fork away.
many blessings to you both,
TJ