Who knew? (A lot of you probably, but not me.)
Already three weeks since the sudden end to my camino and I am still using a crutch to get around. Three weeks!! At first I thought I would be fit to walk again after a couple of days before recognising that my camino was actually over. I was a bit concerned when I visited my GP after a week and was prescribed anti-inflammatories and painkillers to last a further three weeks.
When asking my friend Google how long tendonitis takes to heal the general response is…”The pain of tendonitis can be significant and worsens if damage progresses because of continued use of the joint. Most damage heals in about two to four weeks, but chronic tendinitis can take more than six weeks, often because the sufferer doesn’t give the tendon time to heal.” A lesson for the future there then!
I’m not whingeing (well, maybe a bit!), but I am just totally surprised that it is taking so long to get back to ‘normal’. I shall certainly pay attention to what my body is telling me in future.
listen to your body when it whispers and you won’t have to hear it scream
I’m off to Porto early next week and had assumed that I would be fully recovered by then. It was long planned that I would finish my camino towards the end of May, which happens to be the end of the half-term week in the UK, and therefore flights from popular holiday destinations are very expensive (Malaga is where I normally fly from). A bit of lateral thinking hatched a plan to take a bus from Santiago to Porto and fly to the UK from there to fulfil my childminding obligations whilst my daughter and her husband swan off to Mexico for a week to celebrate his ‘big’ (that’s entirely subjective – it doesn’t seem so big to me!) birthday.
Being unexpectedly in Malaga when my camino should have ended could have been an issue. Except that I can get an Easyjet flight from Malaga to Porto for £17.50, half the cost of the coach fare from Santiago to Porto. So I booked a flight to give me a couple of days in Porto in the deluded anticipation of being fully mobile after four weeks. It could still happen of course, but is seeming more and more unlikely that I will have a “throw away your crutches” moment in the next few days.
So instead of planning to visit all the really interesting places around the city that I missed when I passed through on my second camino from Lisbon (due to rain and lack of time) I am researching if there are any places within easy reach of my hostel – Palacio de Cristal (8 minutes walk), the wine cellars on the other side of the river Duoro (35 minutes, not sure about that one, perhaps a taxi ride). Luckily the weather is due to be mid twenties so if I have to hobble around the gardens of the Palacio de Cristal and spend long hours on a bench reading in the sunshine, I can think of bigger problems. And perhaps I will have to visit Porto for a third time when I am fully recovered.
don’t let your mind bully your body
So hopefully my darling grandchildren will be impeccably behaved whilst I am on duty (perhaps another delusion), but I may not be able to take that ramble I have promised my grandson the day after I arrive.
And before winding up, I want to reiterate that I do write my blog posts with tongue somewhat in cheek. I am totally aware that my minuscule problem doesn’t warrant any sympathy. In the big scheme of things I am so very grateful for general good health in a world where many are struggling with real problems.
Listen to your bodies folks – they know what they’re talking about!
amongst the inspirational quotes I found this beautiful meme…one day I’ll get there!
Trepidatious traveller - camino blog 
Hi Maggie, you always write with such care and understanding of peoples feelings you never whinge.
We must all learn to be kind to ourselves. We our own worst critics, usually giving good sound advise to others and expecting huge things of ourselves. I’m learning to accept my lumps and bumps (not gracefully I might add).
Give yourself a huge hug and I’ll send you one too.
Take a really good book and do some people watching in Porto.
Hope we can make dates work when you are in Bristol.
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Maggie don’t wanr to burst your bubble, but it took over a year for my knee and leg to be manageable.
Am fully prepared to have to change my routes especially as my walk abouts in Dublin got me some twitches here and there . Trying to take it easy…you should too. Remember my injury happened in early Spring of 2017..totally messed with my itinerary onward. Take care of those tendons, They can be a bitch. Hugs
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Glad you’re making progress Maggie but these things do take time, listen to your body (everyone says that) but be aware that you will almost certainly overdo it at some stage which will leave you sore and disappointed but you’ll get over it and eventually you’ll be right again. Do you know why it happened so that you can avoid it in future. Have a good trip back to the UK, I’m assuming you’ll be in the West Country again. Take care.
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Hi Richard. Thanks for the kind and thoughtful words. Yes, I shall be in Bristol and I hear the weather is set to be kind.
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Hi Mag
I have enjoyed reading your blogs & I’m sorry I haven’t written before. This blog resonated with me because I had to pull out of walking the Camino de l Norte 2016 with tendonitis & it was weeks before I could put weight on my foot. I returned in 2017 to continue on from Llanes & developed tendonitis in my other foot! This time I slowed down, took an occasional bus & made it to Santiago thanks to the wonderful support of Laurie (peregrina2000) I’ starting in Lisbon first week in June so your advice will be ringing in my ears! Given time you will certainly heal & continue to write wonderful blogs! Best wishes Ann Isaac (aussieannie)
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The hop on, hop off bus will allow you to see the whole city and a magnificent city it is! Good luck with your continued recovery.
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Good to read your post Maggie. Wishing your recovery is swift. Have you had any guidance on how to prevent it reoccurring on your future Caminos? Collagen,Glucosamine and chondroitin are supplements I’ve taken in the past. I’m on turmeric now. All as a preventative as I’ve been lucky enough to suffer mild tendonitis in my arms. Don’t know if any really work.x
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Glad to hear you are on the mend Maggie, even if it is slower than you had hoped. Take it easy and your body will be ‘new and improved’ for your next adventure. Melx
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Hi Maggi, I am really sorry to hear that your camino came to such a sudden and painful end this year and I wish you a speedy recovery! My wife and I are just about setting off on our second Camino (de Madrid) following your recommendations from a few months ago and having been very grateful for your tips and packing list. Just a quick question : do we really need to take along sleeping bags or do hostels and albergues provide blankets? We will definitely pack our silk inlets though. Leaving on Sunday. Would be very grateful for your advice. All the best!!
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Sorry for the late response. Who knows what weather conditions will prevail these days. I was really surprised at the low temperatures on my latest camino. I would certainly always take at least a very lightweight sleeping bag as well as a silk liner. Even with blankets provided, it can still be cold at night, particularly at high elevations, as on the camino de Madrid. Where there are no blankets you may need to wrap up in all your clothes. On the other hand it might be wonderful wether and you will have no use of your bags. But in my experience I would rather carry half a kilo of unnecessary kit than shiver through the night.
I wish you a buen camino. I loved the camino de Madrid – lots of lovely places to stay, almost no road walking, and wonderful architecture.
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Hello, i am sorry to here of your leg.
And it would be a shame not t see anything in the beautiful city of Porto,
perhakps you could go very touristic and take the hop on hop off bus.
hopefully your leg will heal fast and you will enjoy Porto
greetings, Trynke
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Thank you for that very sesnsible suggestion Trynke. I am going to do just that.
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Read my latest blog post about a radical remedy!
http://caminoconfidential.blogspot.com/2019/05/home-again.html?m=1
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I also want to add this:
It’s exceedingly difficult to rest properly when you are in a place where you long to sightsee. I know this having tried to do this travelling by public transport along the Invierno. Taxis for even short distances become costly. The temptation to walk “just” 500m. becomes too great and then you pay the price later! I too have had to come home early to rest my knee with a torn meniscus, still taking Ibuprofen 600 three times a day. Good luck in Porto – but don’t overdo it! Maybe too late now – but I’ve heard about some new accommodation over the Sandemans building, across the river.
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Thanks for your concern Margaret. I hope you are soon mended. I enjoyed reading your blog x
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Great advice Maggie
I didn’t get to read much of your earlier posts on your recent camino as I was ‘into’ my Vdlp .
I did get to read of your pain though and get how frustrated you must be. I think it’s more coming to terms with the fact that our bodies aren’t machines, when everyone around us is always telling us what great walkers we are. I actually didn’t try to keep walking the distances a number of lovely pilgrims I met this time were planning; and found that there were many more beautiful people coming through after them.
In my opinion you really are a strong walker, but these problems seem to choose at random, or when you’re not expecting.
I really feel for you on those crutches !
So debilitating. I’m hoping for a wee miracle for you soon so that you can at least take a leisurely ramble with your grandson.
All the best for the rest of your travel. Porto by taxi definitely will be great with a glass or two of your ‘favoritos’.
Annie
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Thanks Annie. I hope your VdlP was all you hoped for. Very wise not to overdo it. It is so easy to be swayed by wanting to keep company with those we meet along the way. Are you still in Spain?
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I’m definitely sympathetic. It is very hard to be sedentary and patient! You mentioned it was an inflamed ligament/tendonits. Do these go together? In hindsight, do you remember any hints?
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Hi Clare. To be honest I don’t know exactly what it is. My hospital spanish isn’t up to much. Both tendon and ligament we mentioned. There were probably plenty of hints and I ignored every one of them. Perhaps I will know better if there is a next time!
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Maggie, I feel so sorry for you! The iinactivety must be making you loco! Also wiser? I felt like I think you do now after my first dibilitating football injury. I made the mistake of coming back to soon. Xx Gerard.
On Thu, 23 May 2019, 16:22 Trepidatious traveller – camino blog, wrote:
> magwood posted: “Who knew? (A lot of you probably, but not me.) Already > three weeks since the sudden end to my camino and I am still using a crutch > to get around. Three weeks!! At first I thought I would be fit to walk > again after a couple of days before recognising” >
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Hola amigo. Thanks for those kind words, but it’s only a minor problem compared to others and will soon be mended. I feel a bit guilty getting all this sympathy when it was probably self-induced!
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