![]() When it comes to adventures, the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You go on an ordinary high school field trip and get bitten by an irradiated spider, giving you special powers. You’re running for shelter from a tornado, and the next thing you know, your house is dropping on a witch. You’re starting a typical day with the family, and flesh-eating zombies overrun the planet. We’ve all been there. Rich and I have been planning our great train trip through Central and Eastern Europe for a year. We’ve talked about it ad nauseam (just ask any of our friends) and corresponded with people all over the world. I’ve been blogging about it for months. Rich has researched every kind of app, gadget, and gear known to Google-kind. Our first hiccup was having to postpone our original June 1 departure date to attend my brother’s wedding. (It took place last Saturday, on a sun-drenched beach in Oregon, and they seem blissfully happy, thanks for asking.) Rich and I were supposed to return to Seville this week and head to the train station a few days later. However. ![]() Rich has been complaining about pain in his right leg for some months. At first, I responded in my usual compassionate way by telling him to man up and walk it out. When it became clear it was more than just a pulled muscle, we started visiting doctors and physical therapists, first in Spain, then in California. A battery of tests has (gracias a Dios) eliminated all the big scary stuff, but we still haven’t identified the problem. All we really know is that his leg hurts abominably whenever he walks more than 15 minutes; the good news is that he can swim, bike, and do pretty much everything else in perfect comfort. Hmmm. Do we think he’s having second thoughts about the trip? He assures me that he’s as eager as ever, and judging by the wistful glances he gives our suitcases whenever he’s in the attic, I believe him. Our medical team said he could go on the trip now, as long as he took heavy-duty pain meds and promised not to walk much or lift anything. ![]() Doesn’t that sound delightful? Me playing Sherpa, hauling our bags on and off trains and dragging them up endless flights of stairs, while Rich stares off into space in a drug-induced stupor, repeatedly asking me where we are now and how long he has to wait for his next pain pill. To add to the fun, there would be the constant worry that this unidentified problem would suddenly flare up into something much, much worse, most likely in some obscure Transylvanian village where there’s only a 95-year-old doctor named Igor and no train out until the following week. Call us crazy, but we’ve decided that we’d better stick around California long enough to get a diagnosis – and, with luck, an effective treatment plan. Rich feels he will enjoy the train trip more if he has full use of both legs and all his mental faculties. Go figure. So we have rebooked our flight to Spain for the end of July and hope to head off on our train trip the first week of August. However, if we’ve learned anything from all this, it’s that plans are written in pencil, not carved in stone. If our trip gets derailed again – due to, say, alien invasion, a meteor hurtling towards Earth, or an invitation to visit Sweden to pick up a Nobel Prize in Literature for Dancing in the Fountain – we’re standing by to come up with Plan C. One thing you can count on: you’ll get all the latest updates on this blog.
Patrick
6/26/2013 12:10:30 am
Kudos to Richard for ensuring all the wheels are fixed securely to the wagon before hitting the trail. The excitement of the impending trip can only build and of course we're all out here in the ether waiting on the first.. 'all aboard' call to launch the journey. Playing Sherpa would be no fun either.. Good luck with the recovery Richard, keep the faith and remember, you can lead a horse to water but a pencil must be lead ...not stone. Plan B.2
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:08:43 am
Thanks for the encouragement, Patrick! We'll keep you posted and let you know when it's "all aboard" time at last.
carolyn j heinz
6/26/2013 12:22:16 am
What a great time for me to read this post. Am so sorry to hear about your need for plan b. In March our planned trip to rice fields in Phillipines was derailed by a terrible bout of bursitis in Phil's hip. Got to be very good at sherpa duty. Sorry we missed seeing much of you in Spain, but the rest of our Spring Seville trip was all plan A. Then after being inspired to sell our house in Houston and move on, I broke a bone in my foot one week before scheduled 3 day uhaul trip to Colorado. Plan b required lots of patience and gratitude to those who rescued us so generously. What could have been plan z when Phil went keester over head down half a flight of stairs turned out to be yet another excuse for me having bit more sherpa duty. He is still a little sore and just tad grumpy but doing well considering.
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:14:27 am
Good Lord, Carolyn, you and Phil have been through the wars! Clearly you both know just exactly how much of a bummer it is not to be able to walk. Thanks for your kind wishes, good luck to you both, and stay safe!
Valeriani
6/26/2013 12:31:19 am
Even before reading this news, I have been rubbing the feet of every statue within reach here in Florence for Rich. We know this works wonders, eh? Tread softly and be well, Ricardo.
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:18:09 am
Thanks for seeking divine intervention on Rich's behalf, Dorothy! Keep up the good work with the higher powers. Your husband wrote me, "Just so you know, Dorothy has rubbed the toe of every statue in Tuscany on Rich's behalf--attracting curious stares from other tourists and the attention of some security guards. I am only glad Rich doesn't have a urinary tract infection!" Counting our blessings...
Katy
6/26/2013 05:57:30 am
Well, this means you now have time to re-research everything. There must be a hole/gap/forgotten detail somewhere in those well-laid plans. We will touch all the trees and furniture we come across that some canny Californian doc finds the whys about Rich's mysterious pain quickly. In the meantime enjoy the Cali summer. We look forward to reading the next blog. Much love. Katy and David xx
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:21:43 am
Brilliant! I hadn't even thought of having Rich re-research the trip. That will keep him happily occupied between doctor's visits for the next month. Thanks for the good idea and your kind wishes. We ARE enjoying the summer here, just at a slightly slower pace than usual. 6/26/2013 07:49:44 am
Smart to plan for when you can go and thoroughly enjoy it. My best advice is acupuncture. 3000+ years of good results is worth a try.
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:23:56 am
Great minds ... We have been researching acupuncturists the past few days, thinking this might be a better approach for a mystery condition. As you say, it certainly has the track record! 6/26/2013 07:50:29 am
Smart move on your part. We took a European cruise one year just four weeks after I'd had an unplanned surgery (doc said I could go just not to lift anything or walk more than a mile). As you said, Joel became the solo sherpa and I was the slow-moving life-of-the-party-not. Looking back we should have postponed it. Good luck with the diagnosis and treatment -- and keep up the research, we think it's half the fun!
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:28:25 am
Thanks for providing such a good example in support of our decision to postpone the trip.You guys were struggling on a cruise ... just think how impossible it would be for us to manage a train journey with a hundred stops. We're hoping that Rich will get sorted out soon, letting us resume our journey in good form. Whatever happens, be sure that we'll keep you posted, Jackie. Oh goodness! With all the walking you're due to do while exploring these amazing places, it makes very good sense to wait for a diagnosis. We've got our fingers crossed that with a diagnosis Rich will be on a quick road to recovery and you'll soon be taking that long awaited departure. Keep us posted on any news! Until then, enjoy all that San Anselmo has to offer in the summer! Sending hugs!
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:34:58 am
Thanks, Lindsay! I appreciate your kind wishes, the crossed fingers and the hugs. We're hoping to hit the road soon, but being stuck in San Anselmo is certainly no hardship. Good friends, good food, good weather and plenty of goofy neighbors to keep us entertained ... the time will fly by.
Kay Funk
6/26/2013 09:21:32 am
As a victim of Plan A going up in smoke and Plan B a pile of ashes, I can sympathize with you. That's why it is good to use a pencil not an ink pen, keep an open mind and heart, and always keep a sense of humor! Still looking forward to your adventure. And hearing of a speedy recovery for Rich!
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:36:04 am
Thanks for your kind sympathy, Kay! We'll keep you posted on our adventures, whenever and wherever they may be. 6/26/2013 09:24:55 am
Seems like you made the right decision, tough as it was. It really is hard to have plans written in stone, so we try to operate under "The Plan is No Plans" plan.
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 09:38:35 am
I love it: "The Plan is No Plans" plan. Clearly that is what we're operating under. One day at a time and enjoying each day for what it brings.
whitey
6/26/2013 10:24:29 am
this mystery aliment is the direct result of one of two incidents from long ago....1. while playing football in the Eaton St Bowl Richie was playing quarterback for the Eaton St Titons when he received a crushing tackle by Animal Joe Norton..it was a crushing blow indeed. 2. It maybe carryover from his days aboard the USS HIDES..he fell down the gangplank!!!
Karen McCann
6/26/2013 12:46:20 pm
So you think his past is catching up with him. I wouldn't be at all surprised!
carolyn j heinz
6/26/2013 01:44:34 pm
Arnica is doing a great job on Phil's neck. Still doesn't move perfectly but he did stand on his head for a while at age 70 and so expectations have to be lowered a bit.
Karen McCann
6/27/2013 05:47:46 pm
Thanks, Carolyn. I have some arnica cream and we'll give that a try. I will also make every effort to keep Rich from standing on his head. My hat's off to Phil for headstands, at any age!
Valeriani
6/26/2013 01:55:13 pm
Have to mention that myofascial release massage has been highly effective in relieving pain in legs and hips. Could not be traipsing around Tuscany otherwise. Worth a try.
Karen McCann
6/27/2013 05:49:37 pm
Rich has had therapeutic and Heller massage but I'm not sure he's tried myofascial release. Worth investigating! Thanks for the tip.
Mike Duffy
6/26/2013 09:30:33 pm
All the best to Rich on the road to recovery. My summer plans (Madrid, Canary Islands, Barcelona) were derailed by a broken bone in my left foot. (OK, so I slipped in a shower in a beautiful hotel in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.) I hope to recover for some yet-to-be-formed Plan B of my own.
Karen McCann
6/27/2013 05:51:51 pm
Great to hear from you, Mike! Hope you're back on your feet and on the road again soon. And if your travels take you anywhere near Seville, let us know! I think there are still a few tapas bars we haven't introduced you to yet.
Karen McCann
6/27/2013 05:53:16 pm
Thanks for your good wishes, I'll pass them along to Rich. And I'll let you know how Plan B works out; keeping my fingers crossed we'll be on the road again soon. 6/28/2013 12:03:23 am
Sorry to hear about travel plans being derailed! But yes, planning is exactly just an outline, a guide only for it be changed, edited, rewritten, altered, etc.
Karen McCann
7/1/2013 07:53:47 am
It's always a good idea to check out the psychological component, especially for a medical condition that might prevent travel. Even if the cure is something totally practical – like the orthotics that got your mom back on her feet – there's often a deeper truth at work. Thanks for sharing your mom's story and for your good wishes! 7/3/2013 08:31:42 am
If you're going to explore the psychological, then EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a great place to start. EFT is also great just for the physical pain. Good luck. Really enjoy your blog - you have a fab witty style. It's more of a compliment than you may think as you are the only blog I read! 6/29/2013 04:01:12 pm
It takes brains, maturity and savvy to accept Plan B so graciously. It's a bit cliche to say 'it will all work out for the best', but it will. Hope all goes well with Phil's leg.
Karen McCann
7/1/2013 07:57:19 am
Thanks for your kind words. And I really believe that it will all work out just fine for us in the end. Sometimes it's a long and windy road, but that just makes the journey all the more interesting.
Patty
7/17/2013 07:13:11 am
A friend forwarded me your blog...what a treat!!! I, too have a similar lifestyle except, although I am an American, I winter in St. Maarten and the rest of my life is in Javea, Spain. No home in the states anymore. My "vacation" this year will be to go back to NJ, then onto Costa Rica, then visit family in NC. I need to get my dark chocolate M&M's...
Karen McCann
7/17/2013 09:42:44 am
It can't be easy to live in a town with so few people from your own culture, although from what I've read, Javea is a really charming town with a lovely climate. And St. Maarten is wonderful, too. Aren't we lucky to live in the Internet age, where we can correspond so easily with other English speakers wherever we are? I'm glad you like the blog. And yes, Rich is doing much better – I'll be writing about that in next week's post. Stay tuned!
Estelle
7/22/2013 07:27:04 am
I've been reading (lurking!) for a while but had to say something. Perhaps try a Footmaxx practitioner? www.Footmaxx.com Comments are closed.
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