Matilda, Sarc and Me

With only seventeen days left until I board the plane set for Paris, the reality is starting to kick in. In eighteen days, I will arrive in Saint Jean Pied de Port in the Pyrenees, and on the same day embark on what I hope to be a 250 mile (400 ish km) trek to Sahagun. The half way point on the Camino Frances.

All the preparation in the world could not have gone without its hiccups, and one of those had to be Sarc! (Or rather this time around the lasting damage it caused) For thirteen years neurosarcoidosis and I have shared the same journey. We have been bed buddies, we have been bitter enemies pulling in opposite directions, and we have more recently found that life is simplest when we work together, and that means compromising on somethings in order to leave the sleeping beast at peace.

Everyday I am asked why I am walking the Camino. My answer these days is simple-because I can. The Camino for me serves as a reminder and a celebration of life, and of good health.

Twelve years ago when I could not manage to walk half a mile without rest, when I fell repeatedly on the stairs, when I wore splints 24 hours a day on both hands, I would never have dreamed this challenge was a possibility.

Back then the daily challenge was of a decision between cooking a meal or managing a shower as I had not the energy for both. Back then my world felt like it was closing in. A journey outside my house was not possible without my white cane affectionately known as Albert. The simplest of things such as reading a menu when out required someone reading it to me, and the prognosis for my eyesight was one of continued deterioration.

These days? My eyesight had improved no end as the lesions on my brain reduced. Now I will face a new challenge with two further degenerative eye diagnoses, but the injections seem to be slowing progression at the moment. Sarc remains in remission, but the residual lasting effects are causing issues with my knee, and my walking-hence the current physio.

Last week the physio tested the strength in my knees as part of the assessment, and it highlighted that there is a discrepancy of great than 50% between my two legs. Today she tested my hamstrings, hips and quads. Again, my right leg showed a marked weakness in all but my hamstrings. My right leg has since the sarc been my lazy leg. The one I consciously have to lift when I am tired or it catches on the ground. The one I have to focus on when walking or it will tend to roll inwards. The physio has been a positive experience, and I have a couple more sessions before I go. I will keep it up on my return working on rebuilding the strength in my right leg. I have a further appointment later this week with a view to an injection in the knee for pain relief

My extremely comfortable backpack justly named Matilda, is packed and despite me needing a sleeping bag and warmer kit this year as I am walking later in the year, Matilda is still weighing in lighter, and around 6kg without water.

Though my daily walks are limited to 3-6 miles as a compromise (as opposed to the 17-18 miles I was doing), the recent walks are with a fully laden Matilda for company. It was a tough choice, I would have preferred longer walks on more hills, but that jeopardised the Camino completely, Daily walks with full pack, and on largely solid ground or bitumen will help with my feet being conditioned if nothing more.

I am so excited to be going. No. Excited is sort of an understatement!Leggi altro