Something I didn’t want to mention in yesterday’s post was that I was feeling the need to pee a lot all day yesterday, and on one occasion my pee was red. I should probably have turned back and gone into town but I thought since I was close to camp it was better to sleep on the trail and see where things stood in the morning.
My pee looked fine overnight and in the morning, but I started having to pee often again as I started hiking, and an hour into my climb it was red again. I promptly turned around. As soon as I had cell service I called my travel insurance, gave them the Lincoln Urgent Care clinic as a proposed place to go, and they authorized the visit.
I got a ride more quickly than yesterday, from two women who had spent the night in one of the AMC huts and had a wonderful time, including a six course dinner. The driver was a paramedic. They dropped me off at the doors to the clinic.
I plugged my power bank into a wall outlet while I waited to be seen. A nurse took my vitals, then Valerie, a nurse practitioner, saw me. I gave a urine sample, which was red and very cloudy.
About 15 minutes later she told me I didn’t appear to have a urinary tract infection, and said I should probably go to the hospital in Littleton NH where the turnaround on bloodwork would be faster and they could do other needed tests. I caught a cab for $55 and got to the hospital in 30 minutes. I was soon in a private room and had blood drawn and gave another urine sample. The nurse who cared for me lived in Toronto for eight years and worked ag Toronto Western hospital.
A doctor came and checked me over and asked some questions. The possibilities seemed to be kidney stones (unlikely as I have no pain), other kidney malfunction, dehydration, or something to do with protein breakdown in the muscles from exercising too hard.
At some point I realized I’d forgotten my power bank at the clinic in Lincoln. I called them and they have set it aside for me.
The nurse showed me a lunch menu and I ordered a black bean burger, sweet potato fries and salad.
Several hours later I had a CT scan of my kidneys.
There was a three hour wait between the CT scan and the doctor giving his final diagnosis. The radiologist was on vacation and they had to wait for a radiologist somewhere else to review the scan virtually.
The conclusion was: dehydration mostly, and some overexertion. Drink more, push yourself less.
I booked a room at a Quality Inn just outside Lincoln, and caught an uber back from Littleton to Lincoln. First we stopped at the clinic to pick up my power bank, then he dropped me off at a pizzeria. After dinner I bought one extra day of food at Price Chopper, then started walking towards my motel. It was going to be a full hour walk. Then I saw the taxi from the morning going by. I called him. He picked me up almost immediately and I got to the motel without exhausting myself.
I can’t really do the usual Mile X to mile Y today, since in fact I lost some miles. It’ll all come out in the wash tomorrow.
Sorry, no photos today.