Although I am enjoying every minute of this adventure, I will have to admit that I have had quite the challenging first week..There has been some expected issues, and then some quite unexpected ones.
For me, maybe the biggest challenge is to get enough food in me. I have never been a "breakfast person" and I hate eating when on the move..
These were things I knew beforehand, and had spent a lot of time thinking about. So I tried to find sollutions where I brought food and supliments I knew I would enjoy as much as possible. I have to admit what I missed the mark on was the lunches. Maybe the most important meal for fuel. And also bars dont go down to easy on the move.
After the disastrous crash the other day, I have very much realised that these problems are not to be taken lightly. I thought I could push it, and restock on land. I could not. With the problems I have in my wrist and well..Everywhere..My body was working overtime. I could have put myself and my friends in a really dangerous situation, luckily it only ended with a slight scare. And a very huge load of hard work. for them..Now the shame of that no energybars or food can fix. I have to admit I was crying my eyes out, really feeling the stress of holding my team back and making such a stupid mistake.
I am just so blessed and lucky to be here with such understanding and patient friends and SUPER strong paddlers. That not only wants the best for me, but also do everything possible to help and be supportive.
The group dynamics and just the whole learning experience of doing something like this in a group with 3 totally different girls. It might just be the biggest learning experience for me. Like Ash says...Vibeke..Just get over yourself...Come on..
A welcome, nice and positive learningexperience. The quality these two girls posess are nothing short of amazing, exciting and inspiring. Lucky me!!
Now, second problem was much more expected. Blisters. Of course I would get blisters. And they would be hard to heal, as you just keep paddling.
The beauties I now posess on my right hand....Oh wow...And then camping on beaches with loads of sand. Sand is clean, so not at all the worst thing. Only..You are not supposed to have grinding micropieces of sand and shell into open wounds for days. They will get infected if you are not careful right away. Which I was not. Enough....So one day I woke up with these swollen fingers I could not bend. Open soars and it all was just looking rather grim.
Luckily Frida is an excellent field doctor, and we also got sponsored with some brilliant first aid kits. So my suggestion as to what to bring first aid wise to a longer paddling trip would be: A flush surringe (this is to rinse sand and other grim stuff from soars and scrubs), anticeptic creams, variety of plasters and gloves (no matter how warm the weather), and anti inflamatories in pill form.
These little blisters are not to be taken lightly! They could easily ruin your whole trip!!
Third problem came completely out of left field..Tendonitis in my wrist...REALLY?? I have never in my life had anything like that. I have paddled on longer trips. I have paddled hard..I have trained..I have had amazingly physical jobs. Never before have I had any problems with that before...Just my luck!!
So when we decided to have a rest day I thought it best to go to the pharmacy. Try and get something for the pain and the wrist. The ladies behind the counter were just adorable. One of them kept staring at my arm that was very red and swollen..I showed it to her, and had her feel it grind and squeek whenever I moved the hand.
Scuuuuse meeee...Got anything for this maybe miss? Girls chuckling in the bacground..I tried my most charming Norwegian-Irish in the hope I would get some helpful advice..and maybe even some juicy pills. They oh my dear-ed me for a while before they suggested to go to the local family practice down the street.
Brilliant advice!! Got to see a doctor straight a way..
I told him what we were up to, and he looked at me for a while..Sighed..And said I had left him in a little bit of a spot there...
He didnt really want to give me anything as he wouldnt want to help me ruin my arm and hand..On the other hand he said he could see I would just continue anyway, so he felt he needed to try and help me as best as he could.
So got something for the swelling, painkillers he refused to give me. Said if i were to continue against his better judgement, he hoped the pain would stop me before anything got ruined in there. Fair enough..I rather liked that actually!!
So here we are then..Bad case of Tendonitis..The wrist will not get better as long as i keep paddling with it like this...And might likely get worse..He thought...
But then..I cant really quit now because someone thinks that. I have to keep trying atleast. So thats what I am left with really. Kind of between a rock and a hard place.
I do want to paddle on. I want to get around. I want to continue with the girls and will do whatever possible to be able to. At the same time, its a hard enough trip being fit and well..And the last thing I want is to be the reason for the other two not to get around. Also I never again want to put them in the same situation as I did the other day. So whats the best thing to do right now? I have no idea what so ever. Its all I can think about really...
But right now I think I will try to continue. Give it another week and see how the progress is, how my wrist is holding up and how I am affecting the girls. As the group will be my number one priority always!! Worst case I will have to go on land. Travel a week up the coast and wait for the girls. It would be devastating..But it would keep me with the girls. And Ashley really have me thinking..What are you really doing this for? It would still be an acomplishment..Even tho ive missed 200 km of the 1600 we need to cover. All of this have made me feel a lot more happy and optimistic. And ive reconsidered my whole reason for being here and doing this.
What a learning experience this all is!!!
Interesting days......
-Vibeke
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