When I was diagnosed, I was very compliant with my doctors and nurses. Whatever test they wanted, I’d cooperate. Whatever hurdle they wanted me to jump over, I would jump as high as I could. I always had questions though, I find an inquisitive mind helps with coping.
That’s not to say I enjoyed each experience but I knew each one was required to move onwards to the next step – everything seemed to be on the critical path. In particular, the liver biopsy was a challenge but totally necessary to get to the diagnosis which would then dictate treatment and prognosis. Surgery for Stage IV small intestine NET is tough – it’s not normal bowel surgery! Due to post-surgical complications arising while in hospital, I had an extra week to ‘endure’. Again, there was no option, no alternative route, this was necessary to get back to normality, or to be accurate, my new normal. I had to climb these ‘hills’, it was the only route and no matter how tough it was, I had to make it to the top, I had to endure to survive and get well.
Fast forward 14 years and I still endure the challenge of a ‘hill’ but for totally different purposes. During a recent trip to the Peak District in Derbyshire, I decided on a circular walk of around 9 miles featuring two peaks with a scenic ridge in between them. The ridge is a walker’s delight known as the Great Ridge which looks down at two beautiful valleys on each side called Hope Valley and the Vale of Edale. However, from the start point on the ridge (Lose Hill) it included a few ups and downs along the ridge to get to Mam Tor at 517m (approximately 1700ft), spookily the same figure for the total ascent (climb) of the whole hike.
As the lead navigator, I decided to do the walk counter clockwise by starting the climb up the smallest of the two peaks at 476m (1562ft) – called Lose Hill. That comprised the bulk of the climb and it was one of the toughest physical challenges Chris and I have done to date (annoying it had several false peaks). I wanted to pack it in a few times or at least take an alternative route to reduce the challenge it was presenting to my legs and back. However, alternative routes are not always shorter and I don’t like quitting! Chris and I really wanted to see the view on top, and walk the ridge to Mam Tor rather than take the easier option.
We plodded on – spoiler alert, it was worth it!
Sometimes you gotta climb that hill even if you don’t want to. It’s a metaphor.
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If you click on each picture, you can enjoy a pictorial with captions view of each adventure.
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