I had such fun hiking with everybody on the prehike to Spring MAHHA 2012. Then on Saturday, a bunch of us took what was supposed to be a 3 or 4 mile day hike. BobMac noticed that we were, um, not where we expected to be, but we just kept going for what ended up to be a 7 or 8 mile day hike, I think. This day hike turned out to be one of the least enjoyable I've had.
We stopped for lunch, and I started feeling some discomfort, uh, down there. It was a pretty weird feeling like I had to pee or poop, but at the same time I didn't. I went to the privy, but nothing happened.
As we started our hike back to camp, my brain kept saying, "stop and pee now." Not one to ignore what my brain is telling me, I stopped for a whiz. However, this was not a yellow whiz, it was a red whiz. That got my attention.
I didn't hike more than another 100 yards when brain said time to whiz again. This time it wasn't just a red-tinted whiz, it was more like pure blood coming out. Now I was officially freaked out.
I took off for Pine Grove Furnace State Park, hiking as fast as I could; I didn't want to be stuck out on the AT with a medical issue. Back at camp, I drank a bunch of water, figuring I probably passed a kidney stone and there could be more to come. However, I have always heard passing a kidney stone is pretty painful, and I didn't have any pain to speak of, just discomfort.
The water passed through me, and when I relieved myself, there was no more blood. Part of me wanted to run to the nearest emergency room, and part of me was saying, "screw that - a little blood in the urine isn't gonna ruin my trip." I felt fear and dread, so I went and talked to BlackWolf to see what he thought. He didn't think that a one-time urine-in-the-blood thing warranted a trip to the emergency room and I agreed that it would be a waste of time. I'd just go see a doctor when I got home. Still, it was good to talk to BlackWolf 'cause his calm words made me feel a lot better.
The incident was pretty much a buzz kill, though. I wasn't feeling too social, so after the potluck dinner I just laid in my hammock while others gathered around the campfire.
Back home, I went to see a urologist and he sent me for blood work and a cat scan. Finally, the doctor had all the results and brought me in for an appointment today. He said tests were all clear, but the cat scan showed a small kidney stone I can look forward to passing in the near future. He said it was tiny, and probably wouldn't hurt much, but I could expect some more blood when it happened. He wished me luck and said to come back and see him in six months for a follow-up.
I was so glad the waiting was over. After the appointment, I took my dog Peanut for a walk in the woods near my house. As I parked the car, I saw a groundhog walk slowly out of the woods into the parking lot. He was a really old, grey-haired groundhog. You could tell he was about to die any minute. Peanut and I sat down next to him. An animal control officer happened to drive by and joined us for the groundhog's final moments. It took him about twenty minutes to give up the ghost. It seemed like the right thing to do, keeping that groundhog company. I think he appreciated our presence, and that he didn't have to die alone.
So all in one day, I experience the joy of a clean bill of health, and watched the sad departure of a groundhog from this earth. The last two weeks have been agony just sitting around waiting to find out if I'm like that groundhog, or if I have a new lease on life. I even put off several gear purchases 'cause I didn't know what condition my condition was in. The wife can expect to see a spike in credit card purchases now that I know I'll live!
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