My story of preparing for el Camino despite chronic pain

[Nick Meador]

Hi everyone,

I'll be traveling from Detroit, Michigan, USA, to Bilbao at the start of September 2015 to walk the Camino del Norte. I've been training for the pilgrimage in spite of living with chronic pain and fatigue for the past four years.

I wrote a story about my journey to overcome the limitations of this health condition, which the esteemed web magazine Elephant Journal just published.

The article is called "Walking my Way through Pain: Preparing for a Spiritual Pilgrimage." I thought some of you might be interested in reading and sharing with your networks. And I would appreciate any moral support you can offer. <3

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015...gh-pain-preparing-for-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/

Warmly,
Nick

 

[Sailor]

Thank you Nick for your first post in this forum. Guess what, the first reply will be my very first post in this forum. Thank you for the link to your inspirational article. I hope to see you some day walking El Camino. About me, I plan to walk my first camino in 2016 (Via de la Plata) and as of now I am looking at two potential starting points, one connecting to El Camino del Sur in Huelva and the second one connecting to La Via Augusta in Cadiz (both connecting to Via de la Plata). Again, thanks for the link, good luck and Buen Camino.

 

[Kanga]

Welcome @Nick Meador and @sailor to the forum, hope you find it useful in preparing for your Buen Camino.

 

[Sailor]

Thank you.

Thanks Kanga for "The Welcome Aboard" -- I joined today, but I have read a lot of good information in this forum for months.

Muchas Gracias y Buen Camino.

 

[Mike Savage]

Welcome Sailor and Buen Camino!

 

[Sailor]

Thanks.

Thanks for the welcome aboard, Caballero Mike, and say hello to all my good friends in the best looking state of Utah.

Muchas Gracias y Buen Camino.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hello Nick,

Norte? Are you sure? The pilgrim infrastructure is not what it is on the Frances. And the Frances can be difficult enough, even for people who do not suffer from chronic fatigue. It would give you more options to do shorter days. If you choose el Norte you will enjoy great food, on the CF more camaraderie. Either way, I wish you the best of luck, it will be a memorable experience, and perhaps adictive ;0)

 

[Mike Savage]

Hi everyone,

I'll be traveling from Detroit, Michigan, USA, to Bilbao at the start of September 2015 to walk the Camino del Norte. I've been training for the pilgrimage in spite of living with chronic pain and fatigue for the past four years.

I wrote a story about my journey to overcome the limitations of this health condition, which the esteemed web magazine Elephant Journal just published.

The article is called "Walking my Way through Pain: Preparing for a Spiritual Pilgrimage." I thought some of you might be interested in reading and sharing with your networks. And I would appreciate any moral support you can offer. <3

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015...gh-pain-preparing-for-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/

Warmly,
Nick

Hi Paul, I am starting Camino In Saint Jean on Sept. 5th. I live in Eureka also.

Welcome Nick and Buen Camino!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi everyone,

I'll be traveling from Detroit, Michigan, USA, to Bilbao at the start of September 2015 to walk the Camino del Norte. I've been training for the pilgrimage in spite of living with chronic pain and fatigue for the past four years.

I wrote a story about my journey to overcome the limitations of this health condition, which the esteemed web magazine Elephant Journal just published.

The article is called "Walking my Way through Pain: Preparing for a Spiritual Pilgrimage." I thought some of you might be interested in reading and sharing with your networks. And I would appreciate any moral support you can offer. <3

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015...gh-pain-preparing-for-a-spiritual-pilgrimage/

Warmly,
Nick

Hi, Nick, Welcome to the forum! I think the Camino is a wonderful place for you to test your limits without putting your health at risk, because you are never too far from "civilization" and help if you need it. Plus, you will be walking with people who are generally supportive and caring. I walked the Norte about 10 years ago, so I'm sure that there are more accommodations now than there were then, but we had to do some careful planning to make sure we always landed in a place where we could sleep. But I assume you've checked this out and know what awaits you. Wishing you a wonderful camino -- and know that there are lots of people here on the forum who are happy to answer questions, give opinions, and just generally be your cheerleaders! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[wayfarer]

Welcome Nick and Sailor, wishing you both a Buen Camino whichever Camino you decide to do.

 

[ricitosdeplata]

Nick, sounds like you have some intense experiences coming up in Spain on the camino and in your conference in Barcelona. What an exciting time for you. I have to admire how you're developing your coping skills and even sharing those skills with others. I hope to hear more about your journey on this forum. Buen Camino! Ultreya!

 

[CEBowne]

Welcome.... I am intrigued by your venture, and your thoughts about preparation BUT I am unable to open the link...

 

[naplesdon]

I have successfully walked several Caminos since 2011 after I found I had peripheral neuropathy. As far as I'm concerned it is one of those curious and frankly BS diagnoses doctor's opine to their patients like CFS.
For me the pain in my right leg and foot is unbearable at times, it feels like 220v shocks along with ants eating away at my flesh but I find the longer and farther I walk the pain subsides to some extent.
That being said I also have pernicious anemia requiring me to inject 1cc of cyanocobalamin once a month and I suffer from a genetic blood disorder called hereditary hemochromatosis which requires regular phlebotomies to reduce the level of iron in my body.
Sadly there is no holistic programs for me.

 

[Sailor]

Welcome Nick and Sailor, wishing you both a Buen Camino whichever Camino you decide to do.

Thanks wayfarer for the welcome aboard and Buen Camino.

 

[Nick Meador]

Welcome.... I am intrigued by your venture, and your thoughts about preparation BUT I am unable to open the link...

Hi, that's strange. Both links work for me. You could also search on Google for "Walking my Way through Pain Elephant Journal." I'm sure that would turn it up.

 

[Nick Meador]

Thank you Nick for your first post in this forum. Guess what, the first reply will be my very first post in this forum. Thank you for the link to your inspirational article. I hope to see you some day walking El Camino. About me, I plan to walk my first camino in 2016 (Via de la Plata) and as of now I am looking at two potential starting points, one connecting to El Camino del Sur in Huelva and the second one connecting to La Via Augusta in Cadiz (both connecting to Via de la Plata). Again, thanks for the link, good luck and Buen Camino.

Good luck with your future Camino! I hadn't heard of those routes yet.

 

[Nick Meador]

Hello Nick,

Norte? Are you sure? The pilgrim infrastructure is not what it is on the Frances. And the Frances can be difficult enough, even for people who do not suffer from chronic fatigue. It would give you more options to do shorter days. If you choose el Norte you will enjoy great food, on the CF more camaraderie. Either way, I wish you the best of luck, it will be a memorable experience, and perhaps adictive ;0)

Hi @Anemone del Camino, thanks for your concern. Some of those factors did enter into my decision process.

I have carefully researched and planned so I think I should be able to walk between 7-12 miles per day on the Norte and safely make it to an albergue (or similar lodging) each night. Maybe I'll be able to go longer. I'll see when I get there.

There's some kind of mystical feeling calling me to the Norte. And on a practical level, I actually like the idea of having a bit more space to myself, less crowded albergues, greener/wetter scenery, etc.

I might end up switching to the Frances in the later part if the weather doesn't hold up on the Norte in later October. I'm attending a seminar in Barcelona in early October, so I'm splitting the Camino in two parts. I'm planning Bilbao to Aviles from about Sept 4-28, then Aviles to Santiago>Finisterre from Oct 15-Nov 9. I've heard things can get a bit wetter on the Norte later in the fall, but I welcome advice about that.

 

[Nick Meador]

Hi, Nick, Welcome to the forum! I think the Camino is a wonderful place for you to test your limits without putting your health at risk, because you are never too far from "civilization" and help if you need it. Plus, you will be walking with people who are generally supportive and caring. I walked the Norte about 10 years ago, so I'm sure that there are more accommodations now than there were then, but we had to do some careful planning to make sure we always landed in a place where we could sleep. But I assume you've checked this out and know what awaits you. Wishing you a wonderful camino -- and know that there are lots of people here on the forum who are happy to answer questions, give opinions, and just generally be your cheerleaders! Buen camino, Laurie

Yes, @peregrina2000, I've read Perazzoli and Whitson's "The Northern Caminos" and I have a decent idea of what to expect.

On the other hand, I have no idea what I'm getting myself into and I'm terrified! haha

 

[Nick Meador]

I have successfully walked several Caminos since 2011 after I found I had peripheral neuropathy. As far as I'm concerned it is one of those curious and frankly BS diagnoses doctor's opine to their patients like CFS.
For me the pain in my right leg and foot is unbearable at times, it feels like 220v shocks along with ants eating away at my flesh but I find the longer and farther I walk the pain subsides to some extent.
That being said I also have pernicious anemia requiring me to inject 1cc of cyanocobalamin once a month and I suffer from a genetic blood disorder called hereditary hemochromatosis which requires regular phlebotomies to reduce the level of iron in my body.
Sadly there is no holistic programs for me.

@biarritzdon, thanks so much for sharing about your own experience. That's inspiring to hear that you've walked multiple Caminos despite those health issues. I too feel like things get better when I walk a long way. And somehow carrying weight adds to that. Our bodies are strange machines...

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi
There's some kind of mystical feeling calling me to the Norte. And on a practical level, I actually like the idea of having a bit more space to myself, less crowded albergues, greener/wetter scenery, etc. :)

Nick, there is absolutely no better reason to start out on a camino than to answer the inexplicable urge that draws you to it. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[susanawee]

A very warm welcome to this wonderful forum Nick and many thanks for the link to your extremely inspiring story. Wishing you all good luck and safe travels for your upcoming Camino.
I walked the Camino Frances in 2013 with complications due to quite severe degenerative arthritis throughout my spinal colum, but, I found that whilst I was walking this Camino, I had very little pain in my back at all which constantly amazed me because I live and have done so for quite a number of years, with chronic pain each day. Hopefully this may be the same for you. I think, for me, the fact that I was out in the open, free of daily constraints, carrying only what I needed etc. was what helped. My mind was also focused on different things and I tended to ignore my physical limitations because there was nothing I could do about them......Camino endorphins and Camino Angels were really on my side.....smiles.
Click to expand...

 

[jesben1]

Good for you, the thing I loved about the Camino del norte, is, (if you have the time), you can walk it in as many or as little stages as you please . Despite having your chronic pain and fatigue, I think on the camino you will not be alone in your struggles, as everyone will be in a constant pain and fatigue! I met an older scottsman about two weeks into our journey, in our conversation I learned it took him 6 weeks to do what we had done in 2! He walked with a slow shuffle, and I noticed he was a bit shaky, but hey who cares he was doing it and loving it. Listen to your body, take it slow, and enjoy every minute because it will be over before you know it.

 

[hecate105]

Go for it Nick! I had fibromyalgia that plagued me for 22 years and after 20 years of dreaming about doing the Camino - with my supportive husband, and on a bicycle, I did it! Despite some horrendous pain/fatigue/tears/tantrums, I felt better on pilgrimage, living mostly outdoors than I ever did before. I think it is a combo of outdoor living, more vit D and a total lack of stress from the usual channels (work/finances/family/society) Ok there is the worry of will I make it to the albergue? or find a place to camp/find an open shop? Will I wake up in as much pain as I went to bed with.... But - it works, it really does!
I have since found a total cure for the fibro - by reading Dr Sarno's books and using the (great and free!) TMSwiki website.... I would urge anyone with a chronic condition to investigate for themselves.
But anyone can do a pilgrimage - just choose the route and travel at your own pace.
Have a wonderful Camino Nick.