Rest Day

Bad morning.
Last night I thought if the ankle feels alright in the morning I would walk today.    I took most of my pain patches off before bed except one, thinking maybe I would sleep better without them on.    They help with the pain, but sometimes cause me anxiety through the night and interfere with my sleeping.    Well I did sleep good but the pain in my ankle was hurting like crazy when I tried to stand on it this morning.   Usually on the Camino there is pain for the first bit of walking then it goes away but this wasn't letting up at all, and the pain is coming up the front of my leg.   So I had breakfast then decided to go across to the Farmacia to get more cream to rub on it.   The cream is an anti inflammatory. I asked the Girl behind the counter if they had any stronger than the 5% ones I had been buying.   She said let me see your ankle and I showed her.   It is swollen a bit, and somewhat bruised.   She said I needed to go to the hospital and I said no I would just rest it for a day or two.   But she insisted and even drove me, but she took me to a clinic not a hospital.   She knew the Dr. and he didn't speak English so she translated.     He checked my ankle over and said I had a real bad sprain and that I should end my Camino.   I said no I would rest for a couple of days and every thing would be OK.   So he said take a week off and see if it's better then.     Compromise.

So I guess I was wearing too many pain patches and didn't realize how bad it was hurt.   I just slapped on more pain patches.   I was almost doubling  what I should have been wearing.  I have a pain disorder and cold causes me to feel a lot of pain, and the cold in the mornings was hurting so much I could not tolerate it.   That's why I kept putting on so many pain patches.


Well I guess you could say lesson learned.   So now I have decisions to make. Sit here for a few more days, then if it is not good enough to walk yet, I either take a bus or a taxi either to the next stop or to the last 100km.    As long as I do the last 100km I still get my certificate for doing the Camino.    I could also do a lot of shorter days.    I need to check out the maps and see if that is possible.   I could take a bus or taxi daily on to the next stop, stay at the Albergue's and meet up with the other pilgrims each day until I am able to walk.   Or,  I could just go home and come back again and finish it.    That's definitely not my first second or even third choice, but it is an option.  

So for today and tomorrow I sit here.

Bummer.

But, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade...time to catch up on some movies and television programs.

This is the bridge I should of left over this morning

And the river that runs through Leon.