English Way:
La Coruña to Santiago de Compostela
A big scare before the journey....
This time our story begins 4 months before we set off to walk a section of the Central Via Francigena. This route starts in England (Canterbury) and continues to Rome. For those who are feeling really excited, you can head south to Italy and continue to Jerusalem. Our route would be from Gran San Bernardo , on the Swiss-Italy border, to Rome.
We had been preparing all year to walk in April 2018, but at the end of November 2017 Vera suffered a “herniated disc”. The pain was unbearable. The neurosurgeon said we would have to wait two months to see if the little piece that had broken off would be reabsorbed by the body. If not, surgery would be necessary. It was two months of agony and nightmares for us, with Vera in a lot of pain, unable to sleep and not knowing what would happen next. What’s more, the tickets had been purchased and everything was planned for our walk.
After two months, another MRI was performed and the results were spectacular. The small piece had been reabsorbed by the body and the doctor gave her the go-ahead for physical therapy. She would be able to exercise again, with or without pain. That was great, but the orthopedist, who was not at all optimistic, said that she would not be able to walk that year. That was the reason she changed doctors. She was willing to make an effort and was sure that she would be able to walk. That's when Igor Weber, a physical therapist, came into the picture. Physical therapy was every day. It was an exhausting 40 days, until Vera was able to return to the gym at the beginning of March. Even so, the question was whether she would be able to carry her backpack.
We discussed the weight of the backpack a lot, we started walking with two poles, we did a lot of exercises to strengthen our lower back... And then, the decision came. Before going on the Via Francigena Central, we would do the Camino Inglés in Spain, which was short, to see what it would be like.
Everything ready. We started walking on April 15th in La Coruña. The backpack, for some reason, was heavier than in previous years. On the first day, with a lot of cold and endless climbs, we walked 37 km to Hospital de Bruma. Just a note, “Hospital de Bruma” is actually the name of the city.
It was quite a test. Vera didn't feel anything, other than the natural fatigue. She passed! From there, we went to Sigüeiro, on a shorter walk. Of course, our muscles were tired from the previous day's antics, but there was no pain. The next day, with a lot of fog and no rush, we headed to Santiago de Compostela, passing through the “enchanted forest” and arriving, for the sixth time, on a different side of the city. In addition to thanking her for her recovery, we asked for protection for the more than a thousand kilometers that lay ahead.
Companionship, belief, encouragement and willpower were decisive in making both paths, just 4 months after a serious spinal injury, when the recovery period was expected to take one year. With this, we learned that, no matter how difficult the problem may be, it is necessary to believe, have faith and focus.