Booo to Giardia

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HI, I bet you have been wondering where the heck we are….a day after our last venture out I got really sick and ended up having to leave the trail and go back to the last town we were at, to see a Dr. I was very sick and dehydrated….I had giardia…what an ugly word for an ugly illness. I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. For those of you not familiar with it, it is a parasite that you get from drinking contaminated water. We are still not sure how this happened or why Stephen didn’t get it and I did because we have been very good about cleaning our water…but who knows.

We got a hotel room in Bingham, Maine and allowed a few days for me to recover. I got a few doses of Flagyl and Stephens mom came to pick us up and brought us back to Tauton Mass, his home town. I was very weak and at that point I thought my hiking was over….thank goodness I am better now (however still very afraid to drink the water again).

It actually worked out well because we had to get off the trail for our friends wedding, we just ended up getting off the trail a few days early. It was amazing to be back in civilization again. My first request…I wanted to go to Target…oh how I missed walking around Target. I didn’t even buy anything I just wanted to be back to "normal" again J it was a treat.

We are spending the labor day weekend in Jackson NH. We had a section in the white mountains that we missed so we thought it would be a great opportunity to pick up those miles. Jon Horrigan (Stephen’s friend) joined us for the weekend. Its really fun to hike with a third person. It was also fun to come back and do those miles when we were actually in shape. Anyone want to join us for our last weeks on the trail?? Anyone? Anyone? It would be the cheapest vacation you ever took. If you don’t mind a diet of white rice, gatorade and power bars?

This week we will celebrate my birthday (a massage would be a perfect gift…hint, hint J ) and attend Sean and Cara’s wedding…looking forward to both!

We plan to hit the 100 mile wilderness and Katahdin right after that. Its all coming to an end now…I am so excited…a three year dream is finally going to happen for Stephen. Its exciting to finish something with him that he started long before I was even a thought in his life…

Stephen will update facebook with more photos and I will make another entry next time I have a chance.

We hope everyone is enjoying their labor day weekend with friends and family. LTD and Boston

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Comments

[Victor & Diane]

glad your bettere
Glad your better...I know you had fun at Sean's wedding. He is a crazy person. Tell Sean we said Hi. Remember Key West..Sean being tossed out of the bar? Have a great birthday, hope to meet you some day.... Stephen, glad you are going to finish your dream hike. It's been a few years but you just kept going and going almost like the Ever Ready Bunny. Enjoy and good luck the rest of the way. Dad and Diane