Mabel

I am leaving the trail. I never thought I would have to say that because of how much I enjoy it. Mabel has some aggressive cancer cells on her leg that need immediate medical attention. It was very fortunate that I discovered this at all. It is very possible that without the help of a very kind trail angel, Mabel would have gone undiagnosed for some time.

Since I have started I have noticed a strong amount of synchronicity in the events that have seemingly guided my steps down the trail. About a week and a half ago I was in a small town called Salisbury in Connecticut attempting to locate a veterinary clinic. I stopped in a cute pet grooming store called the Ultimate Dog Spa & Boutique and asked the clerk there if she knew a nearby vet that would be able to look at a cyst that had opened on Mabel’s hind leg. She telephoned a local vet for me and quickly was able to make an appointment. Soon after, a kind woman behind me, I now know as Libby, offered to give Mabel, Blue and I a lift to the clinic. I accepted her generous offer and she drove us to the clinic.

There they saw Mabel almost immediately and Libby told us to call her when we were finished so she could give us a ride back to the trail. The Dr. there was very helpful and told me that the lump on Mabel’s leg needed to come off immediately or she would have to stop hiking because it would not heal on the trail and could be life threatening as an open wound. After hearing the cost of the surgery I decided Mabel would have to come off the trail and the cyst would have to wait until I was finished and could raise the money to have it removed. I was sad but not disappointed because hiking such long distances is tough work for a dog and she was beginning to be very tired. She had already hiked nearly 1000 miles and she had more than proven herself as an amazing hiking companion. Mabel and I have grown very close since the start of our trip and for her sake I was ready to let her rest.

Hitch Hiking to Chicago With James, Mabel, Blue, and George (the lump)

Mabel & Marilee

Fortuitously I had already made arrangements for my friend Marilee from Brooklyn to come pick up Mabel in Kent, CT., the next town on the trail, because Blue and I were making a side trip to Chicago for his friend’s wedding.  After I heard the news I thought, I would be able to make arrangements for Mabel from Chicago and after that, continue to finish the trail. Libby arrived soon after we finished with the Dr. and I told her the results of the visit. She then told us that she was well connected through her husband to the Animal Medical Center (NYC) in New York City and that she could see that Mabel could have her cyst removed so we both could continue the trail. To my further amazement, Marilee, who lives in Brooklyn, agreed to take care of Mabel and see to it that she received treatment!

To make a long story short, I left Mabel in the care of these two very generous women in New York and she could not have been in better hands. She had the cyst/tumor removed and a biopsy performed on the lump. On Tuesday I received a call from the surgeon that cared for Mabel at the AMC and she informed me that Mabel’s lump turned out to be a rather aggressive sarcoma. The lump apparently sends out fingers of cancerous cells into the tissue and they need to be removed. It is not clear if another surgery will be needed or if she will need radiation therapy. This much is clear. She will likely need some costly care and I feel 100% sure that the responsibility for the care and cost lies on my shoulders. Therefore, I have decided to leave the trail behind and take care of the thing that I love most.

It wasn’t a hard decision but I do feel a little lost as to what will come next. I have had some difficulty getting out of Kent and back to Mabel but hopefully that will all work out in the next few days. It may be a little challenging adjusting to normal life again but I am looking forward to seeing Mabel recover quickly so we can go on our next adventure.

I would like to thank everyone who has supported me thus far and I hope I can have the opportunity to repay all the wonderful kindness and generosity that was shown to me on my journey. It has been a life changing experience without question and I am excited to see how my life events will be shaped by my new perspective.

I plan to write more about my trip and fill in some of the blanks on the blog. Also if you sent any care packages or letters and you do not believe that I have received them, please send me a message and I will have them forwarded home.

I wish everyone a pleasant fall and I can’t wait to see my Knoxville family.