Trial

You know how we're all different?  I have something that happens to me when I walk too much.  The thing is, I love to walk.  I've never been athletic, but most people can walk, right?

This started about 14 years ago, I'd been retired about a year, and there was an announcement in the paper about the very first Avon 3-day Walk for Breast Cancer.  I thought, "I can do this, I can walk!"  So, I told Bob about it, and preceded to train.  Silly, I know, training to walk; but this walk was 75 miles over 3 days, and I was married to a triathlete, and I really wanted to succeed.

Three days a week, I walked.  I started with only a half mile, then a mile, then two, three, four, five.  I was lovin' it.  I felt so great.  My daily migraines were gone, I was really toning up and I was meditating with each step  Life was good.

I worked my way up to 8 miles; I walked from our home in Long Beach, thru Long Beach State University, down to the harbor and back.  I was feeling healthy and in no pain.  Then disaster struck.  I started getting a red rash around my ankles.  I didn't know what it was and using the time-honored method of athletes everywhere, I ignored it.  I kept walking.

Soon, the rash was climbing up my legs, up, up, up to my knees.  I went to the doctor and she told me that it was hives, in response to repetitive motion.  She emphasized that this was serious, my body was not happy and was sending out histamines to let me know; I had to stop with all the walking.  I was crushed.  I loved to walk these long distances, I knew I could get up to 10, 15, 20 miles, my heart was broken.  The alternative was to live on steroids to void the effect of the histamines, and I didn't think THAT was a great idea.

Now, every time I walk too much, I have hives on my lower legs.  If I work a full shift at B&N, hives.  If I do too much walking while visiting the zoo, hives.  If I do too many tourist things while on vacation, hives.  This is what I mean.

Hives.  This is why I love riding the bus in NYC and taking the buses and ferries in Bermuda, it cuts down on the walking and I still get to see a lot.  The above photo was taken in NYC this year, when I walked too much the day I did the High Line.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my life with me,