This whole recovery thing is moving so slowly. What the heck!? Later this week, under general anesthesia, the good doctor will perform an extensive exam and a biopsy to see what is going on with the recovery process. I still have 6 months and 17 days before my flight to Italy, so I should have time to prepare no matter what we have to do to get this show on the road.
Patience Paciencia Pazienza
Here it is, the end of February, and I’m still recovering from the effects of radiation.
Since my last post in November, I’ve switched Camino gears and decided to walk the portion of the Via Francigena from Lucca to Rome instead of a third (partial) Camino Francés. Airfare is booked. Lodging for all but two nights is booked. Departure date from Kansas City to Florence, Italy is September 13, 2023. That is six months and seventeen days from today, so I still have faith there will be time to recover and train.
Italian patience: Pazienza
Spanish patience: Paciencia
English patience: Enough already!!
From Cancer to the Camino: One Step
In the spring of 2022, as I began training for my fall Camino Portuguese and Camino Ingles, I was hampered by what I thought was an outsized hemorrhoid. Off to the doctor I went – Fix this! Turned out to be cancer. A colonoscopy verified the cancer on July 22. Stage III anal cancer. Treatment was two rounds of two chemotherapy chemicals and 32 radiation treatments – every weekday for 32 treatments. On November 7, 2022, I was finally strong enough to arrive on the trail for my first recovery-from-cancer walk. One mile on the Turkey Creek trail.
Follow my training log here.
Giving up on the Portuguese
“I don’t think anyone has a choice. They have to come. And here they are.”
9/19/2022 Well. I had planned to be walking along in Portugal today. In fact, I would be spending the night in Rubiaes, Portugal.
It’s felt like I’ve been pushing myself to walk the Portuguese because I’ve walked the Frances twice, and I “should” experience a different route – a different country. But then, it struck me: This is the second time I’ve totally booked airfare and lodging for the Camino Portuguese and had to cancel – once for covid in 2020 & this time for cancer. hmmmm
The Frances continues to beckon, and now I’m thinking, why not? Why not go back for a the third time? I made an honest effort to walk the Portuguese, and here I sit.
I won’t be on a Camino until fall 2023, so there’s time to change my mind, but I’m thinking my feet will follow my heart, and I’ll be back on the Frances.