Our Week Long Vacation in Room #19

Little did we know when I descended downhill from our night at Long Branch Shelter and the 'tilt-o-whirl' campsite, that we'd soon be winning a week long luxury, vacation at The Budget Inn, in Franklin, NC!! Whoo, Hoo!!

Descending down into Wallace Gap, just a few short miles from our scheduled shuttle ride, I (Socks), stepped down the 'step' on the trail and twisted by knee and body to make quick work of the switch-back. Shooting pain immediately stabbed my left knee and almost made me vomit, the pain was so intense. I didn't fall, I didn't hit anything, I just twisted my knee.... Nothing earth shattering. But, boy oh boy, has it caused some serious grief and subsequently got us awarded this week long stay with the staff at The Budget Inn. 

After catching an earlier shuttle, we came into Franklin, got our room and immediately applied ice, but it was obvious I wasn't getting much relief from the pain. Mr. Ron Haven's, owner of the motel, quickly delivered me to the local urgent care where it was totally undetermined what I did, but they did splint it, give me pain meds and oral steroids for the swelling, which was now becoming considerable.

I faithfully did all the offered instructions, but my Monday, was seeing no improvement. Mind you, we intended to breeze in here, snag a shower, eat a good meal and be back on our way.  

Still enjoying a couple remaining friends who zeroed here with us, we went to dinner, celebrated Escargot's 55th birthday and watched more TV than I'd like to admit. (Not much happening here in Franklin, especially when the weather is 35-45 degrees during the day.)

Monday, I hobbled across the street to the Emergency Department of the Franklin hospital and was pretty much told the same thing...rest, ice, splint and take more time off. (The term Emergency Room is used loosely here.... we see a lot of helicopters moving in and out daily, taking people elsewhere that really need treatment). Not acceptable to two thru-hikers, anxious to get moving and exit Room #19!!  They did, however get me an appointment with a sports medicine Dr. who could see me Wednesday afternoon.  

Again, we settled into our Room #19, which had we known now, we couldn't have gotten a 'weekly' rate...  We've got a warm room, albeit, decorated in early 1950's original tile, heat and furnishings. The sweetest housekeeping women who daily smile with us, ask us how we're doing and provide us clean, see-through towels, and the front desk clerk who has mostly cheerfully replenished our 6L Platypus water bag, with ice for my knee. 

If we have to be stuck, sure it's not a 5 star hotel, but we're warm, dry, clean and now with hopes of being trail-bound again on Saturday! We've been able to use the on-site laundry room, which we've nicknamed, the leprechaun room....it's more like an underground cellar, with a couple of washers and dryers and a door so short, that even I need to duck to enter. It's provided a bit of entertainment watching some of the taller hikers enter and use the facilities. (Do you see the lengths we've gone to to find what might be called entertainment.)

Team TNT should own at least half of this pop machine! At only $.65/ can, it's a great deal and I've consumed more Sierra Mist than I want to admit!

Trying to stay mobile, we limped down to the local Piggly Wiggly to obtain a few more groceries to sustain ourselves for another couple days....as we'd already eaten our initial rations intended for this 'ZERO' day! Mobility certainly improving, although it s not right. Swelling down considerably. Once given a definitive answer about the nature of the injury, we'll make the tough decision about returning to Michigan to be seen by my Dr. and resting or returning to the trail, disregarding any further potential injury. (Having already undergone a right knee replacement, I don't relish the procedure again).

Dateline: Wednesday, March 20, 2013; Dr. Jeffery Kessler, an obvious conservative in terms of his treatment and philosophy of joint replacement, indicated to us right off the bat, that he thought I was crazy for being out here with an artificial joint. Well, that's his opinion. He obviously doesn't know who he's dealing with!  After examination he pretty much concurred with two options. I'd either exacerbated the already present arthritis so badly as to make me lame, but probably more likely, that I'd torn something, which was then pretty much confirmed when he aspirated a good amount of bloody fluid from the knee before injecting it with pain meds and steroids. We plan to lay low today....stress it tomorrow with a hike around town and head back to the trail on Saturday. If its a tear injury, it will return and we'll know that I'm likely finished on the trail. If I can keep going....I'm in this for the long haul!

Daily we see other hikers coming and going, hear of tales from the trail and today are rejoicing at the warm 'nest' of Room #19, we find ourselves in....it snowed in town last night here in town, so we know what happened up on the mountain to the current hikers. 

We have been inundated with constant notes of support, encouragement and the gates of Heaven have been stormed with prayers on our behalf this week. Thank you so much. It means so much to us as we sit here, painfully aware of how much farther behind we fall each day, but acutely aware that God has us where He wants us for some reason... Maybe which we'll never know, bit we trust Him with this trip, our health and our lives. He is in control. We want to thank other hiker friends like Dane and Connie, who have offered to come and retrieve us to recuperate at their home about three hours from here! We are so thankful for all the friends this hike has brought into our lives. Little did we know all this hike would bring, good and bad.

****We initially thought of making this a satirical post like "The Escape From Room #19" and liken it to the Bates's Motel in Psycho.... But can't in all good conscience. These people have kind and welcoming to us and very helpful!

Looking forward to posting again from the trail this weekend!! More snow predicted through Wednesday!! Team TNT WILL be back on the trail!!