Day 15 - 17 June 2009

This was the day when everything went wrong:

First, I twisted my back such that my sciatic nerve got pinched, causing a bad pain in the right side of my lower back and radiating down my thigh. This happened as I was attempting to attach the sewer hose to the RV to drain the sewage tank. The pain was so bad that I didn't think I could drive, which made my friend nervous because she thought she might have to drive the RV. I would describe the pain as a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is when you thankfully pass out because the pain is so bad. There was no position I could assume that made the pain go away so I gritted my teeth and decided to drive with the aim of finding a drug store or shopette to buy some strong pain killer because all we had was aspirin, of which I took two. The nearest medical facility was over 100 miles away and not in the direction we wanted to go. As I drove, the pain let up a little, but returned after a rest stop where I got out to use the rest room. My main concern was that, because the pain made it difficult to lift my right leg, I would not be able to respond to an emergency quickly enough when I had to hit the brake fast. My friend continuously lobbied for us to forget about Monument Valley, our next planned destination, and to head straight north toward the city of Moab, Utah, and more civilization. I was bound and determined to see Monument Valley, by golly, where John Wayne and numerous other Western heroes had fought Indians much to the delight of movie-goers. We made it to an intersection of two highways where there was a gas station, a couple of shops, and a visitor information center. While I was getting gas, my friend went into the visitor center to ask where we could find a drugstore or other store that carried pain relievers. A couple, also getting information, overheard the conversation and volunteered to let me have four generic Ibuprofen tablets since the nearest town was a ways down the road in the opposite direction than we wanted to go. The man also advised me to put ice on the places that hurt - he had had several back operations himself, he said. I took two of the tablets and since we didn't have any ice my friend got a package of frozen hamburger out of the freezer compartment of our refrigerator. I put that behind my back while driving and after about 15 minutes the pain in my lower back let up a little. I don't know if it was due to the pain killer or the hamburger. When the hamburger started to defrost I put a package of frozen steaks into the pocket of my hiking shorts to alleviate the pain in my leg, which was still strong. Unfortunately, due to the euphoria I experienced because the pain in my back was bearable, I got out at a scenic overlook and walked a few yards to look over the edge and promptly earned an increase in my back and leg pain. But we pressed on since I was not about to give up on Monument Valley at this point. Along the way we found a market that had pain relievers and we bought a bottle of Motrin. When the pain got so bad again that I had to pull off the road and stop I took a Motrin even though the time since I had taken the Ibuprofen had not yet been sufficient. After that I got better until by evening I was almost back to normal. Knock on wood!

Second, I discovered a small chip in the windshield, probably made by a small rock kicked up by a passing car. These rental people, from whom you rent these campers, are finicky about that sort of thing. I wonder how much that is going to cost, they probably will charge me for a new windshield.

Third, the vent hatch on top of the RV blew open because I was going fast and the wind was blowing strong. When it blew open it broke the mechanism that allows it to be cranked open to various amounts of "openness." We had to tie it shut and I will see if I can repair it good enough to get us by the inspection when we return the RV - when my back gets better.

Fourth, while driving around a curve in the road, one of the kitchen cabinet doors opened up and several of the dishes fell out. What a mess - splinters everywhere. Two cereal bowls, a big plate, and a little plate broke into a thousand pieces. Now we will have to take turns eating our cereal and our soup out of the one remaining bowl.

Other than that, we saw some fascinating landscapes, different at every turn. I decided to take a short detour to the Natural Bridges National Monument which is on the way to Monument Valley. We found a lovely little campground on the grounds of the National Monument and decided to stay there instead of forging ahead to Monument Valley and uncertain campground availability.

My friend thought that she could still change my mind about going to Monument Valley after my painful experience this morning because she didn't want to be stuck with an incapacitated hulk and a big truck (as she sees it) in the middle of the desert, but I assured her that I could make it. As she found out not only with the two nice people who shared their Ibuprofen with me, but also as she chatted with the attendant at the visitor center at the entrance to the Natural Bridges National Monument who offered us his first aid kit, there are always people who are ready to help. Onward to Monument Valley after this 15th day.