Thoughts from a Thimble-Minded Hiker: Something funny happened last week….

The disaster

Something funny happened last week…

So, there I was, lying in a hospital bed in the emergency room of my local hospital, hooked up to wires and IVs. My heart was beating at about 150 beats per minute and my blood pressure was 156/120. He had unusual tightness in his chest and slight difficulty breathing…. I have had cardiac incidents before (AF) and even had three procedures done to avoid having another one. I take my medications daily as prescribed by my doctor. Now when I have a match, it’s usually less than a minute. Lihat juga SIVO. (Spoiler alert: this one lasted 13 hours before I cardioverted.)

Can you guess what he was thinking about as he lay there? I wondered what would happen if I had a cardiac incident on the way and no one was around. Would the next person on the trail just walk over me? Kick me to see if I’m alive? Call 911? Move aside so as not to block the way?

If you haven’t already guessed, this blog is about safety on the road. I would be remiss if I didn’t start by making sure you are medically fit to hike the trail. I get it, not all medical emergencies can be avoided. I was talking to a gentleman from REI who had dropped out after two months because he broke his foot. I want to talk about things we can control.

1. Know your medical condition as best you can.
   1. I know I have heart disease. I will follow up with my cardiologist and have an echocardiogram, stress test, and coronary calcium score. I will obtain medical clearance before beginning my hike.
2. Work on your physical condition.
   1. Little by little I will increase my endurance by doing resistance training. Yes, I have strong legs, abs, and arms, but I need my heart and lungs to be in the same condition as my legs, abs, and arms. I’ll do this by working with my personal trainer and switching between a treadmill, stationary bike, stair machine, and eventually (gasp) walking outside, hitting local trails, and riding an actual bike.
3. Prepare for as many eventualities as possible while on the road.
   1. The first thing you need to do is purchase a tracking device. From watching videos on TheTrek, it appears that the Garmin inReach Mini 2 is the most popular tracking device.
   2. Plan your route and communicate it to a loved one as much as possible.
   3. Know where the closest hospitals are in relation to where you will be hiking.
   4. Take your medications as prescribed by your doctor. In my case, my wife will fly to see me once a month (mostly because she loves me and will miss me), but also to bring me supplies, like a 30-day supply of all my medications.
4. Understand and be in touch with your body.
   1. Almost every blog and video I’ve seen on this topic says the same thing. Don’t plan your route with times and dates when you need to be somewhere. This doesn’t give you the freedom to take a zero day when your body tells you to. I recently saw a hiker with such a strict schedule that he was trying to hike more than 16 miles a day along the AT. He didn’t make it and had to leave the road with some serious medical problems. If I had slowed it down, I would have had a better chance of making it.
   2. Stay hydrated! When I started my weight loss journey, I found that I wasn’t drinking enough water or getting enough electrolytes. I was fasting for 7 days and eating two. I quickly discovered the importance of electrolytes. I started using LMNT. I don’t mention them because they are a sponsor, but because I have been using them for a couple of years and they make a difference.
   3. Keep your calorie count. I’ve seen many videos of hikers who say they lost 40 pounds or more (one person claims they lost 100 pounds). You will burn a lot of calories during your walk and you will need to replace them to maintain your strength. When I lost 120 pounds, I thought I was just losing weight. I made a mistake. I lost fat and muscle. Maintain good balance

I am in favor of being prepared. I can’t control everything in my life, but I want to be aware of what I can. Lihat juga MALO. Not everyone will have the same problems as me. Still, the good advice is the same across the board: Know your medical limitations, seek clearance from your medical provider, prepare your body for this difficult task, and know when you need to slow down.

I would love for you to subscribe to my blog and follow my journey as I prepare to hike the Appalachian Trail TENA.

James F.

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