Posted 6/24/24
Psalm 104:24-25
How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
Part 1 of the recap of last week’s Walkin’ 4 the Wanderers I want to discuss this picture. When she started having issues with cognition, one of the first issues we saw was problems in temperature regulation. She would think hot was cold and likewise. When we went for a walk one hot early September day she insisted on wearing mittens to keep her hands warm. The Hypothalamus (part of the brain controlling temperature regulation) was being hurt by the disease. This reality is part of why every case is different…where the disease goes, if you will, is where the symptoms show up. Such is not critical enough to argue over especially because getting her outside and away from the isolation was more important than the temperature of her hands. So, in honor of my Mom’s nearly 15 year struggle, I wore the mittens every day as she did in those fateful walks. I did get some side.
This is a quick summary of the day’s events with a more detailed accounting coming as soon as I get some free time at the computer (Hopefully late this week).
Monday: It was a great morning. I left the Bolivar Trailhead (see map below) at about 5am and did great until I hit just to the other side of Wishart. It was there when I found the trail washed out in several key areas and had to do a more rugged hike through some areas. I whacked my arch so many times on big rocks, cattle crossing steps, and the like that I felt as though I had broken my plantar fasciitis-injured left foot. In the end I completed about 21 miles.
Tuesday: I took the day off to rest and get an X-Ray. The x-ray showed no breaks, a blessing indeed. My chart said: “History: left foot pain. Comparison: None available. AP, lateral and oblique radiographic views of the left foot were obtained. Impression: Bony mineralization is appropriate for patient’s age. No evidence of acute fracture or dislocation. Plantar fasciitis of left foot present.” Iced it often and rested it all day while starting taking Prednisone, a steroid that reduces inflammation. I was told to be careful. 😉
Wednesday: Left at 5am again and finished the Walnut Grove to Springfield trek (16-ish miles) then returned to outside of Willard. A total of 22-23 miles.
Thursday: Got in close to 25 miles again. The foot hurt, but it was manageable until about the 20 mile mark.
Friday: We did a memorial day instead of another 20+ mile day risking my foot being even worse.. We participated in a really nice event for the Longest Day put on by CMH’s Missouri Memory Center in Bolivar. We walked about 2.25 miles there in a hilly trail by the park. We then headed back to the Frisco where my wonderful wife and wonderful sister’s walked with me about 4 miles out and then back again to see some of the pretty bridges. We then drove to mom’s hometown of Chesapeake, home of a warm weather fish hatchery, and took all sorts of pictures and walked a significant amount. We then left and visited the nearby cemetery where mom, and I for that matter, will be buried. To cap off an emotional, great day we visited mom at the nursing home and gave her a hug.
Quite a week indeed! 🙂 Lots of wildlife, lots of joy, and lots of biting insects. 😉
I will post more as the week goes on including our recap video. I leave you with this from KY3, our local NBC affiliate:
https://www.ky3.com/video/2024/06/19/springfield-man-takes-walk-good-cause-this-summer
#EndALZ
#RunninTilImPurple
#Bigfoot
#TheLongestDay
Update: Mom also had an up and down week. She was ok most of the week, but Friday and especially Saturday she struggled. She had a significant seizure Saturday morning at about the same time she often has them, but this was a bad one that left her with a grimace on her face. We got her some morphine, which helps, but that isn’t a great fix for the most part. Sunday she started getting better slowly but surely. Hard stuff. 🙁
Thank you all for your support. We will still collect donations through the end of July, but plans are already in the works for a 2025 event. Stay tuned. 🙂
