Michele and I leave just ahead of Rainer. It is a nice day, a bit chilly but the hill we climb just one mile into stage 16 will provide lots of opportunity to get warm quickly. We are moving at a good pace when I look ahead and see what is starting to look like a traffic jam.
It's the hill. Wow. Even from where we are I can see that is a challenge. There are a number of pilgrims scattered on the trail to the top. Lots of pilgrims stopping to catch their breath and drink whatever it is they are carrying. This will not be a single shot march to the top.
We take the first half of the 600 feet rise in good time passing many others. That's the way it's supposed to be. Just go at your own pace and don't worry about how long it takes to get to the top, just get to the top .
I stopped well before we started up to take a picture. It's an attempt to let you see what lies ahead. I don't know if it will show up but if I'm not to far away it should work. I also stop half way up and then again at the top and take pictures looking back. The village of Castrojeriz should be visible and may provide some perspective. I will send these to Robin.
At the top there are a number of pilgrims resting and also celebrating the climb. Some are waiting for others. Burgos Ray will surly be pushed today. I just changed his name to Ray because its just easier to remember and spell. Burgos Ray, it has a nice ring to it.
Just over the top of the hill there is a small monument with a simple plate which tells the story of a young man, age 42, who reached the top of the hill and died at this point. Sad, but it happens. I am glad that I was not aware of this before we left today.
From this point on there is very little to see that is more interesting than anything I have seen thus far. It will be just a long walk in the sun. It's a nice day, sunny and mild. It will not be long before I am down two layers and sweating. My feet are fine, my minor toe issue has been taken care of. It's sore but it won't get in the way.
There is almost zero shade. Water is not readily available but I have what I need. Just keep going. Michele and I are making good time when we catch up with Anna. We are now all walking together and as I stop to take pictures or drink some water Anna and Michele are moving very well ahead of me. Soon the gap between us is probably a half mile.
This trail is visible for miles ahead. The wind is up a little but its not a problem. The only "attraction" today (at least for me) is the Canal De Castilla, built in the 18th century for transporting people snd goods, it is now used only for irrigation.
I am about nine miles into the walk and I can see a small group of buildings about a mile ahead. I get closer and Anna is standing outside this small Albergue waving at me to come inside. Michele and Anna have stopped and Anna is having some problem with her right foot or heal. Michele has something like a sports cream which heats up once you apply it. They are discussing in Spanish if it will help with Anna's problem. She decides not to use it.
After a Coke Zero we are heading back out again, all three of us. It's not long before Michele and I pull away as Anna takes a slower pace.
We reach Fromista in very good time. Michele is staying at a different Hotel which we come to first. My Hotel is just a couple hundred yards past his. We stop and have a short beer as a reward for today's effort. I am for the first time in two days hungry.
Rainer and I are staying at the same Hotel and we agree to meet back at this location at 8:00 before dinner. Reservations at 8:30 at what turns out to be the best restaurant we have been to so far. Rainer knows what he's doing when it comes to a lot of things on The Camino. Food and wine are at the top of his list. I remind myself just how blessed I am to have met these two guys.
We meet back at the cafe and all of the "children" have arrived and gathered there. Rainer and I call them the children because they are for the most part very young. Today there are several new faces. I take a seat and introduce myself to a young guy next to me. His name is Fernando. He lives in Spain and this is his first Camino. I would guess that he is 25.
Grab a glass of wine. Really, go and get one.
He asks me "why are you walking the Csmino"? His English is pretty good, much better than my nonexistent Spanish. My response is simple. "Mine is a walk of gratitude". I can see he is confused. I attempt to tell him more but what I want to tell him he will not understand . But I will share it with you.
When Ryan was just three years old he got sick like all three year olds do. You know a cold, an ear infection maybe even the flu.
He was sick for about a week and his mother took him to the Pediatrician twice in just a couple of days because he was not getting any better. First diagnosis, the flu. I was working and fortunately not far away as would normally be the case.
I get a call and his mother has made what will turn out to be a critical decision to take him to the emergency room . That decision will save his life. I am on my way.
At the Bridgeport Hospital we are being looked after by a very young Doctor. Everyone in the emergency room is coming by to say hello and to of course tell us just how cute Ryan is. Some time passes by and I go to the front desk and I can't help but notice that all of the people who were so nice are suddenly not able or are trying to avoid making eye contact with me. I can sense that something is wrong, terribly wrong. I will never forgive the Pediatrician for what happened next. Never.
He is on the phone and wants to speak to both me and Ryan's mother at the sane time. There are two phones there at the emergency room desk. We are on the phone when the Pediatrician says "Ryan has Leukemia". I cannot put into words what I felt at that moment.
We are taken to a private room and the young Doctor who we had met a couple of hours ago walks in and hands me a brochure about the treatment of Leukemia! I can't think straight but I do recall that I asked him to leave us alone immediately. He apparently skipped the class on bedside manners or on how to deal with real people who have just been given the most terrifying news they had ever heard.
Ryan's Mother and I discuss this news and the decision is easy. We must get Ryan to Yale New Haven Hospital now where he can get the best Pediatric care. I grab Ryan and as I walk out I tell the young Doctor to call Yale and tell them we are on our way. He tells me that I can't just take Ryan and leave. I tell him to call Yale in a way that could not be any clearer. Nothing is going to keep us from leaving.
It's only about 30 miles to Yale. We arrive and they have been told we were on our way. They are ready for us. Ryan and his mother are taken into another room where the Doctors on duty immediately begin to figure out what to do. I am left to first complete the addmission paperwork. It's about 2:00 am.
I will never forget watching the clerk begin typing on an old electric typewriter Ryan's name and then going on to the next line and typing in each letter on the card ..... LEUKEMIA .
Ryan is admitted to the children's cancer ward. The nightmare just keeps getting worse. We are now in a small but private dark room. Ryan is in a crib, lifeless and his color tells the entire story. He looks very bad. I am scared to death.
I need to walk and think. He is sleeping. I get on the elevator and when the door closes I hit the stop button and get on my knees and ask God to save my son. I have never told anyone this before.
I return to the room. There is no change in Ryan, he is still sleeping. The door opens slightly and two young Doctors come in and sit on the floor across from me. A young woman and a young man. The young man begins to ask me questions about Ryan and as politely as I can I ask them to come back later. I have answered these same questions a number of times in the last three hours .
At that moment I hear the young woman whisper to her partner "I don't think it's Luekemia". I am now awake to say the least. I turn to both of the young Doctors sitting on the floor in the dark and I said "I heard that". At that moment I have the first sense of hope. I press them to tell me about what I just heard her say. They are both silent. I don't think I was supposed to hear that. I press harder.
The two young Doctors whisper among themselves and they are clearly concerned that they have allowed me to hear something that will cause them problems. They have spoken out or order or turn. I'm not sure what its called and I don't care. I want a response .
In what seems like an eternity the young man does respond. "We think its something else". My first ray of hope. He says "we think its Heremic Uremic Syndrome". ( please forgive the spelling it's really not important ) I am thrilled because they think its not Leukemia. I understand Leukemia . I know nothing about what they have just told me but I hope it's better.
I will shorten the details but at 7:00 that morning the entire staff of Doctors in the unit are with us telling us to not get ahead of ourselves. I understand now why the two young Doctors on the floor at 4:00 am were nervous when I heard what they said.
They need to have a sample of Ryan's bone marrow and that's a surgical procedure which we instantly approve. The test comes back, the young Doctors have it right! Treatment is immediate including potassium and blood . We now wait.
In less than twenty four hours Ryan is Ryan again! It is a miracle. Ryan's disease is the first case of its kind at Yale and one of only a handful diagnosed in the US. I will never know what would have happened if first his mother had not had the good sense to get Ryan to a hospital and we did not just up and leave and get him to Yale.
I thank the two young Doctors for having been willing to step out of being comfortable for their own benefit and getting it right. But most of all I thank Him for listening to me when I was in that elevator.
I am now glad that the young Spaniard who asked me why I was walking The Camino did not speak perfect English. It has given me an opportunity to tell a story which I have kept to myself for more than thirty years.
I am drained. I will complete this post about stage 16 tomorrow. I know you will understand. Good night Ryan, I hope you are well. Love Dad.
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