I made it back to NH for my annual visit last week and climbed a little mountain, but I have to back up to tell the whole story. I thought I was taking it easy last year when I did just 3 hikes and climbed 4 peaks, the highest of which was Smarts Mt, a very enjoyable round trip on Lambert Ridge. I could've done more but the weather would not cooperate. Shortly after returning home, in early Sept I fell playing tennis when my legs just gave out. When it happened a second time, I went to the ER and was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. In diagnosing the GBS with a lumbar puncture, they inadvertently infected me with bacteria. As I went downhill with the GBS, my legs ceased to work, and I went from walking funky to a walker to a wheelchair in just weeks. At the same time the infection went undiagnosed, and I was suffering horrible back pain and fever. I was hospitalized and found to be septic with a bacterial blood infection and an epidural abscess requiring back surgery. To beat back the infection, I had to have IV antibiotics 3x daily from a pump that I had to carry around and even sleep with.
I spent 3 weeks at a rehab center learning to walk again as the infection cleared and the GBS waned. I was making great progress until late November when the GBS symptoms returned with a vengeance, and I slid all the way back down to the wheelchair. The diagnosis was changed from GBS/AIDP (Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy) to CIDP, the chronic form. I began receiving IVIg (immune globulin) infusions for 2 days every 3 weeks and slowly began the climb again. I went to outpatient PT for months and gradually regained my strength enough that I could again play tennis although not at my former level. All summer, I was aiming for a return to NH.
Last week, timing the visit in between my ongoing IVIg sessions, I flew to Boston and thanks to two friends who did all the driving for me so I did not have to rent a car and expend extra energy driving, I fulfilled another goal and returned to the mountains of NH. I chose one of the easiest hikes on the 52 wav list, and for the first time I used hiking poles, which were extremely helpful with balance on the downhill. Still experiencing neuropathy in my toes, my boots felt really weird on my feet and yet also reassuring. I was "back in the saddle!" So I climbed 2663 foot high Blueberry Mt and got that neat backside view of Moosilauke. It was the biggest little mountain I ever climbed but I made it.
I'm not writing this because I want sympathy or pity or praise or recognition. I am surrounded by cancer patients in the infusion center who are a lot sicker than I am and I consider myself to be very fortunate to have made it this far back. Farewell for now but I plan to be back. I'm not done yet. Happy trails to all of you and remember the words of Jimmy V. "Don't give up, don't ever give up."
Grey J
PS And it was really hard holding that horizontal pose! (Why are my photos always sideways?)
I spent 3 weeks at a rehab center learning to walk again as the infection cleared and the GBS waned. I was making great progress until late November when the GBS symptoms returned with a vengeance, and I slid all the way back down to the wheelchair. The diagnosis was changed from GBS/AIDP (Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy) to CIDP, the chronic form. I began receiving IVIg (immune globulin) infusions for 2 days every 3 weeks and slowly began the climb again. I went to outpatient PT for months and gradually regained my strength enough that I could again play tennis although not at my former level. All summer, I was aiming for a return to NH.
Last week, timing the visit in between my ongoing IVIg sessions, I flew to Boston and thanks to two friends who did all the driving for me so I did not have to rent a car and expend extra energy driving, I fulfilled another goal and returned to the mountains of NH. I chose one of the easiest hikes on the 52 wav list, and for the first time I used hiking poles, which were extremely helpful with balance on the downhill. Still experiencing neuropathy in my toes, my boots felt really weird on my feet and yet also reassuring. I was "back in the saddle!" So I climbed 2663 foot high Blueberry Mt and got that neat backside view of Moosilauke. It was the biggest little mountain I ever climbed but I made it.
I'm not writing this because I want sympathy or pity or praise or recognition. I am surrounded by cancer patients in the infusion center who are a lot sicker than I am and I consider myself to be very fortunate to have made it this far back. Farewell for now but I plan to be back. I'm not done yet. Happy trails to all of you and remember the words of Jimmy V. "Don't give up, don't ever give up."
Grey J
PS And it was really hard holding that horizontal pose! (Why are my photos always sideways?)
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