Six years ago…I hiked Koko Head Crater for the first time…over a 1000 stairs…straight up.
At that time, I didn’t even know cancer was lurking in the wings…
Today, I had the opportunity to tackle the beast again. I went through the fire again!
From Leo on Trip Advisor “Some hikers throwing up on the side. View on top is great. Getting to the top gives a good feel of accomplishment.”
Koko Head Crater 630 am
After reading the reviews, I was apprehensive. Could I do it again after all the crap I’ve been through….surgeries…chemotherapy….radiation…?
The beginning was not too rough
The railroad-tie bridge is not for the faint of heart. I remembered that from before. The crab-walk seemed to be the preferred method for passing over the 65 railroad ties suspended above ground. Shirley, you would love this!!
The view from halfway
I’m pretty sure I was crawling for the last 100 yards to get to the top.
Finally made it-love me a fanny pack
Thank you Stephanie for pushing me!
Stephanie helped me get there! I only fell twice on the way down!
At one time, not too long ago, I was actually able to walk up Koko Head Crater-it was challenging, yet not impossible. The popular Oahu hike was approximately 1 mile…straight up…1048 stairs/railroad ties up the side of a enormous cinder cone. The view from the top was spectacularly breathtaking. These days, I think I could only walk from the parking lot to the trail head. However, even when I was able to successfully complete the hike, there were a few other folks that passed me like I was standing still. On the way down, still others were barely making it up. My challenge was a cake-walk for some and an impossible dream for others. Food for thought as I refocus my efforts toward getting healthy.
Now, I’m trying to get up the hill of recovery! What’s the plan? It’s a work in progress, a multi-pronged work in progress. Exercise-check. Ableit, in a much smaller fashion than BC (before cancer). My immediate goal is to walk up the hill in the neighborhood (all the way to the top). Healthy eating-check. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but for now, it’s plenty of veggies/protein and bags of spinach (they say it’s washed, but I am suspicious, therefore doing that hard salad spinning myself). I am re-acquainting myself with plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of Grape Nuts and fruit on top. It’s not as terrible as it sounds…really. Reading-check. On order from Amazon:
Small Victories-Spotting Improbably Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott
This Thursday marks my second maintenance treatment along with a Doc appointment on Monday. I haven’t been to Tripler Army Medical Center in three whole weeks (3.3 weeks). I am focused on getting myself sussed each day and up by 5:17 am and back into bed by 9:36 pm (this has something vaguely to do with sleep cycles and a sleep calculator). Still a long way to go, but the view on the way back up again is pretty rewarding. Plus, I am enjoying the lack of vomitting more than you can possibly imagine.
In a reflective mood? Maybe a little, but I’m looking backward and forward simultaneously. Musically, maybe some 4 Non Blondes will help you start your day with What’s Up?
