I awoke with the desire to walk. I had to know. On my feet without a problem I then fell over Jed’s hiking boots. Momentum bumped me into the end of the bathroom door before I could right myself. What the heck?
The morning was spinning and continued and it did not want to seem to go away. By 08:30 I had spoken with PR Johnson, DC by phone and told him that I had left a message at the local chiropractor’s office. We reviewed what had kept me on the trail to this point in order to pass it along. He also agreed to speak with the local D.C. by phone. Thirty minutes later they called and I secured an appointment for 11:00.
The two and a half hours passed slowly saved by time spent in the lobby talking with Jed, Dennis, Nancy and Sarah Crosby, a retired school teacher who spends a week here every year. This is definitely home.
Finally Dennis drove me to the office of Abby Walker, D.C. I stumbled in the back door after struggling up an inclined dirt drive and handicapped ramp. I found myself in a narrow hallway within which I promptly careened off of both walls. An artistic sign asked me to remove my shoes. I hesitated. Was I in the wrong place? Everything here was artsy and well ……….. er…….. cute. I think that I was looking for a place that was more like…… uh…….you know…… Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.,
Besides I dislike displaying my great toenails…..thankfully the hike has caused the right one to fall off but the left one is as thick as the walls of the old hat factory that my mother lives in. It is not fit for public viewing and I was now being asked to place it on display.
Nevertheless there was a greater good to possibly be gained here so I summoned up every bit of inner strength that I was capable of producing. My toe and I bounced together down the hall until we came to a small reception area complete with a very pretty young receptionist I think named Kaitlyn. “You must be Wayne!” she said happily. “Yes, all three of me at the moment”, I replied. The room was spinning. I tucked my monster nail up against the base of the receptionist area in an attempt to avoid having to introduce him.
In a moment Abby appeared full of energy and letting me know that she had someone in front of me but she would get with me soon. I was glad to sit for the moment. I looked around the office still wondering if I should be where the boys drink beer rather than this rather eclectic environment. My toenail attempted to curl under my foot to hide….. unsuccessfully.
The time came soon and I found myself in Abby’s office/treatment room. Familiar signs were on the wall. I felt more secure that I hadn’t entered the women’s bathroom by mistake. I still do that….. entering a public bathroom is never comfortable until I see a urinal…… then I know I’ve made it through the proper door.
Abby immediately agreed to speak with PR by phone. Luckily he and his beautiful daughter’s were not out skydiving on this day so he was available for the call. It turns out that both of them had graduated from the same school of Chiropractors. One in ’75 and one in ’03. They were on the same page immediately as to what was going on. Moments later my lumbar and cervical spine was adjusted. “If this works and we have correctly identified the problem this might be improved in as little as three sessions, she announced. We will know more with tomorrow’s visit.” My toenail felt less conspicuous.
I thanked her profusely. “Im so glad that you are a paramedic,” she exclaimed. “My best friend is a paramedic and she calls me her Hippy Chick Friend.” That definitely fit. I liked her…… a lot….. and just as importantly I walked out of the office without bouncing off of a single wall. Not only that I experienced the bonus moment of actually bending over to place my Crocs on…….. improvement….. and my toenail was now safely back in hiding. I’m going to have to find a chainsaw and cut that sucker back an acre or two.
The rest of the day was spent taking it easy per doctors orders and doing marching exercises. Not total stability but much improved. I’ve continued the medical treatment. I may not know whether it’s the chicken or the egg that’s helping but one way or another I’m going back on the trail.
Last night I watched the Red Sox versus Philadelphia baseball game. The Sox fell behind and were outhit. But after 13 innings they won on a walkoff double. That’s this hike……. it may not be perfect…… but if there is anyway humanly possible…. my toenail and I are going to finish in spite of working from behind.
Hike on.
Wanderings With Wayne 
That toenail catches heck from. There is no treatment for it? Just polish them all, then they will match, u know some of the male population is doing that now. There’s you some more useless knowledge.
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