[at-l] off the trail (was re: dr Seuss )

[mapster at charter.net (Frank Looper)]

I'm off the trail as well. I thought that it'd be a week to ten days and get
back on, but the problem is worse than that.

I had been diagnosed with Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome--repetitive motion injury
in the foot, not wrist--earlier this year, and turned down the injection
that my doctor offered. I should have took the shot.

The last day before heading into the NOC, I did my first 12-mile day. My
right ankle area has been hurting at the end of every day for the last few,
but I thought that it was just a small sprain. That day it hurt pretty bad
at the end of the day, after going from Siler Bald to Cold Springs Shelter.
The next morning, for the first time, it hurt (badly) upon waking. I
couldn't put much weight on it at first, and walked around awhile without a
pack to try to loosen it up. After a couple of hours, I headed out, and it
was screaming at me. At Tellico Gap I ran into some great young newlyweds
and they gave me a ride to the NOC. Squeaky Paula gave me a ride home the
next day.

The day before yesterday, I took a day-weight pack and tried to go up Table
Rock. It was a no-go. I have an appointment with the neurologist that
offered the treatment on May 23rd, and hope to get back on the trail later
this Spring. I doubt, however, that I'll have time to finish a thru.

Life goes on, and it is what it is. You can deal with it or run away from
it. I'm gonna scowl a lot until I feel better, and just deal with it. My
blood sugar has also been a problem, in that I am having a very hard time
keeping it up in a useable range during the hiking day, no matter how much I
eat, no matter the mix of foods. I didn't fail, but my body let me down. I
hope to get back out there very soon, but I have no idea when that'll be. I
just have to deal with it, and I will.

Frank