Doc is in the hospital

For those of you who haven’t heard, Doc was admitted to the hospital (Regional West Medical Center) last night in Scottsbluff NE. His bout with Chiggers has mutated into something much worse and doctors are now trying to figure out what is wrong.  It was thought that he had a staph  infection in his legs but now doctors think that maybe its worse than that.

We all know that God answers prayers, please take time to ask God to help Doc (Lynn).  He really needs our help!

See below for his latest status.

Doc’s condition update

Scottsbluff NE, Regional West Health Services,  Saturday, Aug 8th – I have been given a laptop while I heal in the hospital and so I have had time to try and bring everyone up to date.  I’m Alive and making progress

I first of all want to thank all of you who have been so kind and supportive on this trek, and especially for the prayers offered on my behalf.

On Thursday night, the urgency of getting control of this rapidly spreading (unknown infection / reaction) sent me back to the hospital in Oskosh.  Upon further examination by a different physician this time, a Dr. McCoy, it was in her opinion, and in our best interest to have me drive to the Scottsbluff hospital to where I would be admitted and administered to until we got an answer for this dilemma.  After having a wonderful conversation with Dr. McCoy and the nursing staff, they sent me 60 miles down the road with blood vials and swab cultures in hand.

Upon arriving at about midnight, the Regional Center staff was waiting in anticipation and ready to start finding answers to this rapidly spreading problem.  I had been taking photos of my leg for the last couple of days, not only to put on the web site but to see the rate of progression.  The photos that I have presently posted don’t do justice to the condition that it is presently in.  Earlier on that Thursday night I was trying to just gently wipe off some fuzz from a gauze pad that had been on there and the skin just easily wiped off from my leg, so I decided not to do that again.  So when I arrived in Scottsbluff, a most thorough and knowledgeable Joe Jeter (Physicians Asst) was expecting the worst and had been doing research on the latest methods of treatment for necrophilia fasciitis, which is the flesh dissolving bacteria.  A lot of the indicators at the beginning were pointing in that direction.  They immediately took blood work and started me on a potent cocktail of antibiotics and in addition since then, they have added silver sulfadiazine cream which is used to treat large skin burn surfaces, because that is what my leg looks like now.  It looks like it has been in a fire with the skin sloughing off, inflamed black and blue with water blister and blood oozing from the traumatized area.  The good news is that after multiple doses of all of the above, this morning showed the first signs of stabilization.  YAHOO!  With the wonderfully skilled staff and the tenacity of Joe Jeter and the answered prayers of so many, I am making progress, so on Sunday morning, Joe will have a better idea of when I might be able to walk out of the hospital.  There will still be recovery time after I leave, but at least we are going in the right direction.  I can’t thank Mr. Jeter and the staff enough for their diligence in helping me recover.  Joe is also a history enthusiast and is very interested in my trek.  We have had wonderful discussions.

So… back to 1856 (remember why I (we) are doing this, what would have happened to the handcart pioneers in my situation?  I have asked that question to Dr. McCoy, who has kindly phoned my room to see how my progress is, and I also asked Joe Jeter and they both agree that the pioneer would have / could have lost their life.  The progression of events: picked choke cherries, received massive chigger bites, received inflammation and staph infection (see http://www.medicinenet.com/staph_infection/article.htm), systemic infection and eventual / potential death. At the beginning, this was the comparative road that I was on, but blood work showed that my markers were all as close to normal as could be with the trauma that the leg had suffered, so that was very encouraging.

As for the handcart, well it’s stuck at my last stop in Lisco, at the Lisco State Bank.  I met a wonderful senior bank president, Tom Olson that allowed me to park it in the back of the bank.  Tom also has gone out of his way to help me in this time of trial.  Well to get my cart down the road I have a couple of companions who have stepped up to the plate (or cart), because in 1856 if I had gotten sick or injured, I would have ridden in one of the two wagons that carried the supplies and the sick, then the cart would have then been pulled during my illness, by the remaining family that was assigned to the cart.  Well that is just what has happened.  Up to the time of my injury/illness, no one had expressed interest or was scheduled to walk with me, even though we had been anticipating Reiker (Shirley’s 16 year old grandson) to join me sometime soon, well when I got sick, we got a call that Reiker would be coming out to meet us on Friday the 7th and would be able to walk with me for two weeks.  A few hours later and I was being admitted to the hospital, now the weight of the trek is on Reiker’s shoulders as I continue to mend.  I then got a call from “Fat Jeff Tapp”.  Remember “Fat Jeff” from earlier in the week, well he found out that I was in the hospital and had been planning on walking with me but now he said that he’ll pull the handcart on his own from Lisco to Broadwater (14 miles) to help keep this epic trek moving down the road.  You’re a good man Jeff!  I wish that I could be there to walk the day with you.  It is those conversations that last for an entire day that bond me so close to my companion walkers, but I have a good idea about the personality and nature of Jeff anyway and the Midwest is full of wonderful people like “Fat Jeff”.

So… I am healing, and I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven and my friends for that.  At the moment, I will be able to keep all of my parts and pieces, including my life, and even though I am about 5 days behind schedule, I am determined to make the Salt Lake Valley on time.  Each trial… each trauma… each opportunity to have wonderful people enter my life and help me along the way, has given me a stronger daily resolve that my “Faith is Stronger than my Pain”.  It is the inspiration of my grandmother and the thousands of others, including all of these modern day pioneers that give me every ounce of strength to continue to follow in those hallowed footsteps.

Short of losing my life, this is the reason that I have embarked on this journey.  To know and live the hardships, trials and trauma of those who gave so much on my behalf, but it is in those moments that human spirit is at its best.  If you have been following me along, I have recounted to you over and over, the wonderful and caring people who have added to the ingredients of this trek.  Long before I ever stepped foot on this trail, I prayed over and over to be able to experience those trying moments, well I believe that this is again… one of those moments.  Just as I feared for my life in Colfax IA during my 70+ mph straight-line tornado, briefly I feared for my life a couple of days ago when this reaction was moving so quickly.  For me to empathize and chronicle those moments of desperation or despair, I needed to live those moments.  I can tell you that those moments of anxiety were short lived and gave way to a feeling of calmness and closeness of the Spirit.  As many around the nation began to offer prayers on my behalf, my spirit became more calm, and I had the thoughts that even if I were to lose my life in this present trial, that everything would be alright, not that losing my life was a desire, but if it were inevitable, my heart was at peace and I can testify to you that those handcart pioneers who faced similar moments of anxiety and uncertainty went through similar moments of desperation, but their desperation soon turned to peace because their “Faith was Greater than their Pain” and they too knew that “everything would be alright”.  I am grateful for the trials on this journey.  The things that are of great value in this life require great effort.  That is how faith works.

Docs leg right after the chigger bites

Docs leg now

Thursday Aug 6, 2009

Lisco, NE

I am presently stuck in Lisco because of the chigger infection(s) and bites that I got a few days ago.  Two days after I was infested, hundreds of these bites manifested themselves and had the beginnings of looking out of control.  The next morning my leg was a little swollen and the bites had spread over the lower half of my body and especially the right leg.  Chiggers will continue to burrow, lay larve’ and then do this over and over.  By the end of walking 14 miles to Oskosh for the day, I was in need of medical attention.  I went to the hospital and saw the doctor and got a cream that is supposed to kill the larve’.  The leg was oozing through my pants all day and it was not a pretty site.  It looked like I had blisters all up and down my leg.  So being hopeful that this would get a hold of the problem, I applied the cream as instructed and the next morning my entire leg was red, swollen and was starting to turn black and blue, but I assumed that this was maybe part of the healing process and walked 16 miles to my next location, but my pants were soaked from these hundreds of blisters bleeding.  I got to my destination and went back to the hospital (16 miles back), and the doctor wasn’t there but the very senior PA looked at it and said that she has never seen anything this bad in her entire career, and she had to be almost 70.  She said that I had an allergic reaction to the medication and now I have a staff infection that is spreading and they are concerned about being able to stop it.  They gave me a steriod shot and some anti-biotics and said not to go anywhere for at least the next 48 hours and if it gets worse to come back immediately.  Well from the time that I got the medication and when I got to the motel to take a shower to put my leg up (because it was so swollen), put some ice on it and baking soda packs on it, the oozing and black and blue was spreading rapidly.  Well I am writing this the next day and it was just a mess all night long last night but the leg looks like it hasn’t spread, but hasn’t gotten any better either and so I think that I am making some progress.

So…. If you are a praying person, I would ask that you include me in those prayers.  I want to be able to finish this trek, but at the moment, I want to make sure that I remain on this earth to do so.  Staff can be, and is a very serious infection and can become fatal, so I am focusing for the moment on my health and taking it day by day to see if I can finish the trek.  I am having my brother put on one of the earlier photos of the infection but when I get the opportunity, I will put on the advanced photo so you can get an understanding of what you are praying to help heal.  I know that prayer works.  I know that my Father in Heaven is very aware of my situation and I will hope that all will be well.

Stay turned…

Monday Aug 3, 2009

Lewellen NE, 19 Miles

I didn’t leave until noon today because of trying to get my computer sent into HP and so it became a very hot trek today.  It was in the 90’s and the heat, my hernia’s and my chigger bites, I am about ready to lose my mind.  I finally arrived 8 hours later at my destination but because it is on the far eastern edge of the Mountain time zone, it was dark by the time that I arrived.  My double hernia’s literally stopped me in my tracks, no less than a dozen times today and I am in pain.  That usually subsides as I rest for the evening and so I hope that I will feel better in the morning.

I am in the middle of rattlesnake country and saw 3 dead rattlers on the road today.  It was right here that Brigham Young said that he saw the largest rattlesnake that he had ever seen, and a journal entry from my gggg grandmothers company talks about an older woman who got bit by a rattler right here and her leg swelled up to 4 times it regular size.  I ran a relay race in 1978 through this area that was commerating the Mormon Trail as an historic landmark and I remember even back then how many rattlers that there were on the road.

Remember me talking about Robert Blessin?  I met him and his family in Gothenburg at the camp and they were the most wonderful people.  One of the guys that you feel comfortable with immediately, well I saw him again in Southerland, where he lives, and he took my escorts to his home so they could stay with him.  He also brought me a dish of his homemade ice cream that evening.  Well I am a long way from where he lives but low and behold, Robert shows up out in the middle of nowhere again… this time with four ears of corn, some cherries and four plums.  He made some excuse on how I could have found these all along the road and handed me this awesome gift.  I think that his last name is his for a reason, but it is missing the G.  It will be good to have him as a new friend.

Also, today I met “Fat Jeff Todd”.  I know, I know, it’s not nice to call people fat, but that is what he is called and he said that a couple of times.  First impression of Fat Jeff is that he would make a great actor in a biker movie.  He is over 300# (I think), his beard is braided and he has what he calls a “no-hawk”, not a mohawk, but a nohawk because he has the cut for the mohawk but his hair is so thin that there isn’t much there for the hawk part, but what a great guy!  We took photo’s and talked and I found out that he is a wealth of historical info on the area and that he used to work at Ash Hollow, a state historical site on the Oregon Trail.  He then invited me (us) to dinner at his home with his parents in Lewellen and said that he would fix things that were of the time and indigenous, so when I got on the edge of town, I heard this bell ringing, it was Jeff ringing the bell in his backyard because it was dark out when I got here.  We came into his parents wonderful home which was built by Jeff’s great grandfather and he and his mom served buffalo burgers (and they were enormous), baked potato, sweet corn and cherry and mulberry pie from their trees.  It was a treat beyond belief.  My body really needed the calories.  PS.  I also discovered that Jeff played for Univ of WY football.  It’s wonderful just meeting all of these great people along the trail.

Well I am using Jeff’s computer to write this blog tonight and it’s already 10PM and I have to go put up my tent.  We are supposed to have severe thunderstorms tonight and so I’m not looking forward to the excitement… and I have to go find a way to deal with this pain that isn’t going away.

August 1, 2009

Lemoyne NE, 16 Miles

I am writing this from a computer at the library because my laptop crashed yesterday and I am scrambling to try and find a way to get it repaired and not lose the valuable info that is on there.  I will be calling and talking with my brother as often as I can get a cell signal and he will be keeping everyone updated as to my progress and the great and trying experiences that I am having.

First of all, I appreciate with all of my heart, those that have had the ability to make a donation to help get me into the valley.  It is a tough thing to do to have to accept charity from people, but I appreciate all that you have done for me.  The chase vehicles use a lot more gas that we thought, even though they are traveling at 3 miles per hour, they are idling for 12 hours a day and so we end up filling up the tank about every 100 miles or less.  Now I also have the added expense of repairing or replacing my laptop.  At the moment, my whole world is on that computer.  I have tons of notes that tell me where and when to do history narrations, distance I need to travel,etc., that is all in limbo at the moment.  HP says that it is a mother board problem but it will take almost 3 weeks before I can get it back into my hands, so the Lord would have me get a taste of the “pioneer method” of taking notes… long hand..

Also, the problem is not being able to download or share photos with everyone, but be patient and I will do my best to continue to make you a part of my (our) historic trek.  It may sound clieche’, but I couldn’t do this without you.  It is reading your comments and knowing that you pray for my success that truly helps me get down the road.

Let me quickly give you an overview of the last couple of days that have added to my adventure.  When I was picking the choke cherries for a couple of hours the other day, I discovered that I got infested with chiggers.  If you are not from the Midwest and don’t have a clue as to chiggers, go Google it and you can find out the situation that I am in.  I have been scratching my legs until they bleed.  Next… was my computer… we have already discussed that, but I will be in WY by the time that I get this thing back, if at all.  Next… upon arriving last Saturday in Lemoyne NE (pop. real small), I couldn’t get anyone to open up their lawn or a piece of grass for me to put my tent on, so I ended up sleeping sitting up in the front of my truck.  That was painful.  Then last night, I knew that I had to get my computer sent out asap, so I went to the nearest town of any size (Ogallala) and camped there.  I found a field on the edge of town that had a couple of broken down sheds on it, pitched my tent behind some trees, and for the first time in weeks slept comfortably until… 2:30 AM when the police decided to tell me that I needed to move along.  I suppose that they may think that I might steal some of the corn that was in the field, so I got up and torn down my tent  and slept in the front seat of my truck (again) for the next couple of hours and got up with the sun.  So much for having a night of rest.  So now I have mailed off my computer, finished my blog email, and I now will drive 20 miles back to my handcart and walk 19 miles today in temperatures in the mid 90s.

Once again, I sometimes couldn’t get my legs to move down the road without knowing that I have the encouragement and support of all of you.

I will stay in touch… one way or the other.

Friday July 31, 2009

Keystone NE, 19.2 Miles

I have walked over 87 miles in the last 5 days and my body is showing signs of wear.  The weather today was in the mid 90’s until the late afternoon when multiple rain storms blew through but I survived unscathed…thankfully, but being on a high plateau above the North Platte River Valley where you can probably see for 40 miles in any direction and having these storms all around you made for an impressive backdrop for some photo’s.  Some of these scenes have the ability to take your thoughts back 153 years ago when Sarah Goode Marshall was watching the same horizon that I was seeing and had the same thoughts in her mind of… if the storm(s) hits, where will I be, where will my children be… I pray that it passes by… and it did.

Watching the storms approach

Because I have just entered mountain-time zone yesterday afternoon, I kept waiting for my cell phone to adjust to the new time, and then I forgot about it.  Well my cell phone alarm is set for 5:30 AM and the phone never did switch over, so technically, I got up at 4:30 this morning without thinking about the whole transition thing.  That stinks, since I was very cold last night (in the mid 40’s), I got little sleep.  It feels more like the beginning of May instead of the beginning of August, but I was fortunate to have the extra time because I had a flat tire, my second, and Shirley has had two also because we drive on the shoulder all of the time and that’s where the nails are.  Well, I got another flat tonight, so I have to fix that first thing in the morning.

I had a number of wonderful surprising experiences today.  First of all, I walked with my oldest companion walker to date.  Faye Christenson is a Luthern and are you ready for this… she is 93 years old!  What an awesome lady!  She has been teaching aerobics to the local ladies in Paxton for the last 30 years and so she had no problem in pulling the cart.  That’s right, she said “here, let me pull this for you for awhile so you can have a rest”, and we had a great talk.  This lovely lady also brought me some turkey burger and some blueberries… how could I resist such kindness, so they will be consumed with enjoyment.

Faye Christenson walks with Doc

Then Matt, a great guy in met in Paxton, told me about some choke cherries on my way down the road, so when I got to the spot, sure enough, there was this huge (multiple) bush full of dark blue choke cherries and so I ate, and I picked, and I ate… well you get the idea.  I picked for 2 hours and got almost a gallon of cherries, so tomorrow I am going to cook them down, add some sugar (which I have been allotted) and make some choke cherry syrup so I can have something to dip my plain dry bread into.  My taste buds are looking forward to the moment.  It’s better on pancakes, but do I have pancake batter?  Well?  That’s right… no pancake batter, no butter, no nothing.

Doc taking advantage of natures bounty!

Then to top off my great experiences today, I am pulling in the hot sun and there really wasn’t anyone on the road and so this pickup pulls up next to me and drives at my walking pace and we have a conversation while I am walking, but out of the corner of my eye, coming towards me is a Schwan’s truck and he is pulling over.  I think that he may want a photo or wants to talk, so I make a comment to the guy in the pickup (as a joke) that I am having the Schwan’s guy delivering to me, and low and behold, the Schwan’s guy gets out of his truck, runs to the side door, pulls out something and runs across the highway and hands me a…………… are you ready for this……. A Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich!  Oh my Lord… my prayers have been answered.  He said that he lives next door to Matt (remember him, the great guy I met in Paxton), and Matt overheard a conversation that I was having with Matt’s little daughter about Dairy Queen ice cream and told his neighbor that if he saw me on the road to help me out with an ice cream donation.  People…. You have no idea what a wonderful taste and moment that was for me and my stomach.  If you have never had the Schwan’s “Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich”, you are missing one of the most pleasing tastes to the palate.  By the way, it is really… really… tough to eat just one and then watch him drive away.  I could have eaten the entire container that they came in.

Heaven in a bag

Well… as usual, it’s past my bedtime and I am beat.

Thursday July 30, 2009

Paxton NE, 12 Miles

Once again, I got drenched last night… not by the rain, but by the sprinkler system.  This time I just dealt with it and laid in a wet tent.

For some reason, I just have had an extra difficult time getting my feet to walk down the road.  It just seems like the further west that I get, the slower I walk.  It couldn’t be because of the lack of food or sleep or having walked 650 miles… could it?  Hmmmm….

I would usually give an update as to my physical condition, but everything still is the same and everything still hurts, so instead of beating a dead horse… I hurt.

I was just given a surprise gift(s) from two wonderful people here in Paxton.  Phyllis Peak gave me some wonderful jerky that I will be consuming in the days ahead and also Matt Bergen gave me a package of dry cured bacon, the kind that I lost a number of weeks ago because of the multiple rain storms that have plagued me.  Both will be consumed with pleasure, but I still have a craving for more ice cream… DQ…  Also, Shirley made me a 10 oz loaf of sour dough that I will get to eat tomorrow.

I also went through a grasshopper infestation this afternoon.  There were thousands upon thousands of them.  I’ll post the photo asap.

Wednesday July 29, 2009

Southerland NE, 23 Miles

I have once again doubled up on my walking and put two days into one.  I am willing to accept some additional pain and suffering so I can have that extra day off, so today is just tough.  It started in North Platte at 2AM when the park that I was staying in had the sprinklers go off.  Now these aren’t just any sprinklers, these things could be used to water crops with and when the two that were aimed at my tent went off, I didn’t stand a chance.  I dealt with it until 3:15 with water pooling up at my feet and every seam was leaking so I escaped to my truck and slept the remaining 2 hours, sitting up.  All I want is one… just one, good nights rest.

So then at 7AM I had KNOP, the local TV station come out and do a story on me.  Go to: http://www.knopnews2.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=5846.  I then had to walk in a driving rain storm today and with the temperature only in the low 60s, it was cold, but I haven’t any option, so I keep walking and eventually in a few hours I am dry again.  Also, if you go to:  http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2009/07/29/news/50002539.txt , I was the front page news for the newspaper.  Fun stuff.

Also, I had a chance to catch up on the comments section of the blog today, and it was the lift that I needed to get through today.  I really appreciate all of the great comments that I receive and like today when everything hurts so bad that you don’t know how to keep going, that little burst of enthusiasm from the comments is all that it took to get me 23 miles down the road.  It’s amazing what a little support will do.

Well it’s 10PM and I am beat and I am sleeping next to the trains A G A I N, which means that it will be a sleepless night.  I am excited about being half way home this coming Sunday! Good night folks…

Tuesday July 28, 2009

North Platte NE, 23 Miles

Had 4 oz of Dutch oven bread for breakfast (cooked two days ago) and about an ounce of buffalo jerky. Since this is the area where there were a number of buffalo shot for the company, I thought it appropriate to finally crack open my cherished 16 oz of home grown buffalo jerky.  It was good stuff, so I am only eating a little at a time to be able to savor the taste.

I then folded up my soaking wet tent, which will be wet when I open it and try and sleep in it this evening and walked two days into one.  I was originally supposed to only walk to Maxwell, 9 miles, but decided to add 14 more and go all the way to North Platte so I could have a day off this week, which I wasn’t scheduled for one.  I left at 7:25AM and arrived at about 4:30PM.  I got rained on twice today but no lightning so I just dealt with it and kept walking.  I was also interviewed on the road by the local newspaper and the television is coming tomorrow morning at 7AM to do their piece.  I’ll let you know what the link is when I find out.

Body-wise, everything is the same.  Feet are doing as well as can be expected.  I have 3 blisters now, but they are small ones and are not debilitating.  I’m walking flat pavement at the moment, so I back spasms have subsided, and I don’t mean to beat a dead horse, but I am just mentioning these things so that you may get just a touch of what the pioneers may have had to deal with in some small way, and my hernia’s are what stops me multiple times a day.  As for the carpal tunnel, both hands are still the same and I just seem to be getting used to the condition.  What other options do I have?

You know, I ask everyone that I meet and I also have the media mention it, but it seems like I haven’t had a companion walker from another faith in a long time, over a week or more.  That’s too bad, because I really would like to start some kind of a movement that would help build more tolerance and unity amongst all religions, but it is slow going at best.

Well I’m going to eat one of my cold deer steaks and have a roll from a couple of days ago and compliment it with a cold bottle of water, and I’m thankful for each bite…  Bon Appetite

Sunday, July 26

Brady NE , 13.2 Miles

I enjoyed the hospitality and donated deer steaks from Jim and Karen Smith from Gothenburg, and so after the walk today, I cooked all of the steaks to keep them from spoiling.  Now everyone from NE says that they deer meat here is exceptional because the deer feed on corn, well I’m here to testify to you that the steak that I just ate was a culinary delight.  I swear that you would never know that it was deer meat, so I gave a bite to Shirley, who wouldn’t touch wild deer meat with a 10’ Barbeque and she liked it so much that she had to have her husband taste it.  Point is, that it was a wonderful addition to my meals.  It was given as charity and it was found wild in the area.

Evening came and I was sleeping 1 block away from the 190 trains (truly) that pass Brady each day and because the town is less than 300 people, there is no escaping the 190db horn that literally blows all night long.  Then at 2AM, I was treated to another NE lightning and rain storm.  My tent always gathers a pool of water at the door and so I have to sleep on the opposite end of the door so I can stay reasonably dry, but when lying next to the upper wall of the tent, you get wet by osmosis.