Life's a Stitch

We're weighing each item we're carrying in our Camino backpacks. Prior to the recent ankle fracture limb care included metatarsal pads, one ankle brace and a just-in-case knee brace. Our updated list has the addition of  gel inserts, an additional ankle brace and Injinji toe sock liners.

Marathon physical therapy sessions and two trips to the podiatrist have me thankful for my post retirement insurance coverage. My sweet young physical therapist laughed out loud when I replied to her question regarding the length of our trek. Not to worry, we have a Plan B if necessary.  This trip is not about winning or losing (except maybe the 5 lbs I gained while cast encumbered), it's about the process of bridging our lives into retirement and being open to whatever happens. 

A good portion of the weight is in the packaging. This reminds me of the year 1984, when we moved to Canada from Omaha, Nebraska. The cost of moving items came out to fifty cents per pound. We weighed everything, including the fridge to determine its move worthiness. Can you imagine what it would cost now?

Regardless of re-emptive plans for foot comfort, we know from all of our research that pain is part of the Camino process.The real inspiration, however, came from the woman at the medical supply store where I bought my braces. She told us that she has done the entire Camino, St. Jean Pied de Port, France to Santiago, Spain, 500 miles, three times – the first at age 65, the second at 67 and the third at 70.