August 12 Comfort Inn 1704 Miles
I didn't die last night, but I'm sure I will when I get the ambulance/hospital bill.
I'm glad the ambulance techs came out; I really am; but after getting oxygen and saline, I told them I didn't need to go to the hospital. But they insisted and strapped me down to the gurney even when I told them I could walk to the ambulance. I know. Doing their job. But they don't have to pay for it.
So at 2 PM today, after no sleep last night, I was still sitting next to the bed in the chair the nurse had put me in four hours ago, the saline solution running through my veins. I thought the chair meant that I was on my way out. In fact, two smiling doctors had told me last night, after I had come in, that my vitals and blood work were good and that I'd be out early in the morning.
So this morning I had had an Echo-cardiogram and an electrocardiogram and then the cardiologist was supposed to see me about 9AM but didn't show up until 11:30 and hadn't looked at the charts or hadn't seen the results of this mornings "grams."
Then he left and came back around 12 and I had to fill him in, as I had a few other doctors, on my backstory. Why don't they pass around the info to each other instead of asking the patient over and over what happened? Glad I didn't have respiratory problems.
Then I got a call from Sam, the park ranger, that they had found my food sack and my sack with my wallet in the cart that Sam had driven me in last night. Thank God. She said would bring it to the hospital.
The cardiologist came in and said the mitral valve prolapse idea that I was given nine years ago was no big deal but he said that I had a weak valve that would get worse in the coming years. He said to have my liver enzymnes checked.
I remembered the old medical measuring method: So doc, on a scale of one to ten where would you place this weak valve? About a 2 he said. I can live with that I thought. Heh, heh.
He left and I told my nurse, Barbara that I really would like to go now. You have to wait for the doctor she said. She said you could go now but the insurance would not pick it up because you had not been officially released.
I asked her to please call the doctor (that I had seen for about five minutes the night before), and let him know that I had seen by the cardiologist and that I am alert and oriented and ready to go.
She did so and came back with the release form and release instructions: Patient should hydrate and rest.
Then Sam came in and gave my missing stuff and offered to take me back to the trail Monday while she was doing bank business in town.
I found out there was a Comfort Inn down the road from the hospital and backpacked it a mile to the motel, negotiated the motel cost down about $40.00 and went upstairs and slept until dark. I woke up around 7PM and walked to the Dollar General and bought some TV dinners for about $1.50 each and some Gatorade and went back to the motel.
In the room, I fell asleep before I could eat that Salisbury steak and Mac and cheese dinner.
August 13 Comfort Inn VT1704 Miles
I felt fine, a little run down, but I thought it wise to rest up. Who knows what stress my heart had been through after all that beating last night (pun intended).
I lay around most of the day and ate my TV dinners and sung some tunes on my Karaoke app ( I ain't no Pavarotti but it is fun and it relaxes me.)
August 14 Stoney Brook Shelter VT 1710.8
I blogged this morning and Sam picked me up around 1PM just as I had reached a stopping point, and took me back to the State Park where I picked up the trail and walked 7 relatively easy miles to the next shelter.
I took it easy, stopping every so often to drink water and listen to my heart. It sounded fine and normal.
I arrived at 5PM and met a lady in her fifties probably named Patty, a day hiker, and then went to sleep in the shelter about 7: 30, ignoring all the new people coming in. Thank God for earplugs.
August 15 Winturri Shelter 1720 Miles
So while I was asleep last night, three of us on the shelter platform, a bear came to visit a few yards from me and my fellow sleeper shined his headlight into his eyes and clapped at it while he was pawing Patty's backpack. He then lumbered away. Me? I slept through the whole thing. Just my luck.
I walked ten miles today and though there was one steep hill I felt fine. I love Vermont. It reminds me of North Carolina hills and terrain. Lots of hills in northern Vermont but the terrain on the trail is easy to moderate in rocks and roots. And I love the fir trees, the maples and the occasional birches. The weather has started to get a little chilly, some due to the elevation, but I have my winter bag, long pants, and rain jacket back and so am prepared for cold weather.
Because of my arrhythmic heart event, I haven't had a chance to use my old winter bag until last night. Even with the added weight I am happy to have it with me again.
I got in about 3:00 and finished my book called Amsterdam, a nice one, and tented out even knowing that it would rain that night. The mosquitoes really sucked in this shelter.
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