[pct-l] Shroomer & Dusty

[Scott Williams]

Thanks Mango, and thanks for all you did and are doing out there for Dusty.
 After 4 wonderful weeks on the AT, deep snow in the Smokies, Arctic chills
nearing 0 degrees and tons of gorgeous, we were passing 40 to 60 people per
day and  feeling great on trail.  We were flying last Sunday when Dusty
started feeling intense intestinal pain late in the afternoon  and within a
very short time, collapsed in the trail unable to even lift his head.  This
was about 3 miles from Kincora, Bob Peoples' hostel.  He's one of the real
trail Saints of the AT.  I was way ahead and knew nothing of this till
later, but within 5 minutes, Columbus and Queen happened upon Dusty and,
classic trail magic, Columbus had EMT training!

Queen ran down trail to Kincora where Lumpy, who has been helping Bob out
lately, took off running back up trail to  render aid.  (For those who
don't know, Bob had intestinal surgery recently, but is doing well and
sends all his love to those out West who know him.)  SAR was alerted and
had to cut a swath up the mountain for their ATV as the AT was  too narrow
for their vehicle.  They put Dusty on board and chainsaws blazing and
winches winching (used the winch over 20 times to get the ATV over rocks
and crazy terrain, the SAR guys called it the Hillbilly rollercoaster) got
him to a local hospital.

At first we thought it was food poisoning given the intense pain, but he
ended up in surgery at 2am for what was actually a perforated small
intestine.  This put a whole new spin on it.  Columbus, Lumpy, Queen and
all those SAR guys turned out to be bone fide heroes.  They saved Dusty's
life, no question.  Dusty's wife has flown out and is with him at the
hospital.  I just talked to him as he was exercising and walking his
feeding tubes around the hospital and he said that the doctors believe it
was ibuprofen that caused the weakening of his intestine.  He'd been taking
600 mil, 3 to 4 times per day for several weeks.  Let this be a warning to
us all.

The surgery he's been through is considered major and he's been advised not
to fly home as there is a possibility of blood clots.  So they have tried
to book Amtrak and there are no seats for weeks.  Anyone out there who has
any idea of how to get a surgery patient from Tennessee to California
without those two options, send me a note.  They may just rent a car and
drive, but that would be hard in his condition.

Meanwhile, later on the day of Dusty's surgery I get a call at Kincora from
my wife Katie that she's fallen hard on pavement after a hike in the hills
behind our house.  She called from the hospital and assured me it wasn't so
bad, but just wanted me to know what was going on.  Well, next morning I
get a follow up call that in fact she'd broken her upper arm bone, just
where it joins the shoulder.  Holy smokes!  This was like the perfect storm
of a people all around me in trouble at once.  She urged me to hike on and
I hung up and within 5 minutes knew I couldn't do that and called her back
and was on my way home that afternoon.  Thank you so much Bob for the lift
at such short notice.  What a magnificent human being.

It was with great sadness that I drove with him to the Tri Cities Airport.
 The dogwood was blooming pink, white, rose and yellow and deep purple
cherries colored the landscape and it was snowing!  Talk about an
Appalachian spring!  I could hardly bear to leave it was so beautiful.  So
far I'm loving the AT and the folks in the South have been marvelous.
 Southern Hospitality is for real.

Katie and I saw a sports medicine orthopedist this morning and she will be
in recovery for over a year for full movement, but should be able to drive
and dress herself in a few weeks.  So I'm planning on being back in
Brooklyn the first week in May to marry two of my favorites from our 2010
PCT hike, Little Engine and Plain Slice.  Reverend Shroomer indeed!  That's
a good one.  Holy smokes for sure!  After that I'll be back on trail, just
a bit hotter and stickier, but back on the trail is back on the trail.

Thanks for all the well wishing.  I'm hale as a horse and itching to be
mashin' miles!

Shroomer

More details by tonight at Postholer.com/shroomer


On Wed, Apr 16, 2014 at 5:22 AM, Jim & Jane Moody <moodyjj at comcast.net>wrote:

> Some of you know Shroomer (Scott Williams) and Dusty (Richard Birss) and
> that they are doing a thru-hike of the AT this year. I hosted them near
> Roan Mtn in northeast TN last Friday/ Saturday and greatly enjoyed
> reuniting with Shroomer and meeting Dusty. Sadly, they both had to get off
> the trail within a few days, perhaps for the year. Dusty suffered a medical
> situation that required extraction by EMS near Kincora. He is still in the
> hospital following surgery but is progressing well. His wife arrived
> yesterday.
>
> Shroomer had to leave due to a family medical situation back home. He's
> fine physically, not sick or injured. He is more likely to return this year
> than is Richard.
>
> BTW, you can now refer to him as The Reverend Shroomer, since he will
> begin performing weddings next month. Is there anything that guy can't do?
>
> I have tried to inform the list of their situations without violating too
> much personal info. Shroomer is on Postholer, so he will probably update
> soon.
> Mango
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