A bad day

I have run into my first real issue concerning the walk. After a wonderful Easter dinner at my sisters and a great chance to visit with my family I returned to my lodging to prepare for the next days walk. I woke up at midnight covered head to toe with a rash and a mild fever. I had symptoms similar to what my niece Tracy's son Gavin had last December when he contracted staph scalded skin syndrome. Fortunately there was a 24 hour emergency care facility ten minutes down the road.

Dr Ami Loof was the physician on duty. She was puzzled. She took blood work and determined that it was a rare disease called National Road Syndrome. There have only been 17reported cases of NRS. In almost every case it has been someone like me who was in Ohio for a couple decades, moved away and then spent a very large amount of time on the National Road.

As every Ohioan knows we have the only state tree that bears a poisonous nut. The National Road was the first macadamized road using crushed stone. What they suspect is that I had acquired a natural immunity to Buckeye dust which I lost over the past four decades. The extreme amount of time I've spent on the National Road has triggered an allergic reaction.

Unfortunately the only treatment is bed rest. I have intense muscle cramping in both legs. She referred to it as plantar fasciitis of the legs. I am determined to continue walking as soon as I am able.

On interesting thing that the Dr told me is that her mother was the famous reporter Lipra Loof who wrote articles in the Newark Advocate every April 1st in the 60's.

In case you hadn't noticed the doctors name spelled backwards is Ima Fool and her mothers is April Fool.

The Newark Advocate had an article written by Lipra Loof each year on April 1st which always suckered me in. My favorite was when they were going to complete the final phase of the expressway through downtown Newark and they were going to raze the historic 1876 courthouse.

Next time I see each of you I want to know how far you read before you were 100% sure.

I thought one year Google compiled a list of the most absurd April Fools Jokes. If that is true and anyone wants to submit this one feel free.

Today was a good day.

With apologies to Paul Harvey, now for the rest of the walk....