great news

[walkabout]

today has been a great day.
a few weeks ago i posted that i wasn't going to be able to finish the trail due to a knee injury. after having the injury and seeing a doc about it, i was told that there was a more than posible chance that i would have to undergo surgery. that was not music to my ears. i wanted to get back on the trail. i wanted to make more miles. but they insisted surgery was the way to go.
well, by not having insurance at the time surgery was not an option. but any way!
went back to the doc today to start the process of mri's, x'rays and every thing else they do before you have surgery and that's when the good news came.

the torn ligaments that i had have started healing to the piont that there is no reason at all for surgery. YYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

they said all i need is about a month and a half of physical therapy that i can do my self
YYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so now i'm back to work planning, for my southbound thru hike.
YAY!
i'm hoping to start around mid june

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! !!!!!!!

[rumbler]

Congrats! Hopefully I'll be able to wave at ya as we pass.

[Grimace]

That's awesome. Good luck on the rehab. Just a word of caution... I'm sure you'll be looking in to things you can do to prevent the same thing from happening again. I don't have knee problems, so I unfortunately I can't help you. Just beware that throughout Maine the descents are often long, rugged and steep. When I made it to Gorham, NH I was so sore I had to buy trekking poles. Definitely don't be scared about it, Maine was one of the most beatiful sections in my opinion. Just be prepared.

[Don'tGotOne]

No doubt this has already been said a hundred times, but the power of trekking poles to prevent knee and other injuries is not to be underestimated. I have a problem with my right knee and have been using a single hiking staff for years, but I recently started using two poles (Leki Makalu Antishock) and have been amazed at the difference. I can carry more weight and still go faster without pain or injury than I could without them. I lean on them heavily with my palms on top when descending (that's when my pain comes) and switch into "thrust mode" when ascending.

DGO

[Hammock Hanger]

So give yourself a break and plan for lighter (shorter milage) days. Get yourself and your knee thru Maine and the Whites. Then you should be more trail hardened and the terrain will lighten up some. Great time to put in the "milage push". -- Personally since you are heading SOBO I would say to hell with the miles altogether and just enjoy the hike.

Just MHO.

Hammock Hanger