Johanne's Pain!!

Five seconds after this shot Joey-Lynn said, "I need a doctor Frank." So we left our group and didn't go into Machu Picchu at this point but took the bus down Aguas Calientes and our guide took us to a his friend's restaurant who had a bed in an upstairs room where Johanne could lie down and get some rest and see a doctor. We arrived and within two minutes the doctor arrived and examined Johanne and took blood and urine to the lab. Two hours later the doctor came back with the results and it was a massive kidney infection. Her white blood cell count was through the roof. He gave her the biggest needle I have ever seen. A pain killer and Antibiotic. He also gave some pills.

Final push for Machu Picchu

What a horrible night we had. Johanne was up and going to the bathroom every 30 minutes and then when she was a sleep she moaned in agony constantly. We got up at 4:00AM and there was a great sense of urgency to trek toward the Sun Gate and Machu Picchu. Once we got on the trail Johanne was doing great to keep up with everyone. I knew she was only doing this for me. Everyone wanted to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu and hopefully get some photographs. The hike was a mere 6KM mostly flat except the last little bit which was quite steep up. Johanne kept pace but just prior to getting there I could tell she was fading out so I forced her to step aside and let other trekkers pass. She was getting real sick real fast. We were the last ones to reach the Sun Gate, after sunrise unfortunately and had arrived just as the clouds moved in and covered Machu Picchu. We left the Sun Gate and walked around and had a great view of it.

Some Flora

As side note the scenery was spectacular but the even though it was the dry season and everything was brown in the cloud forest we did some great orchids and flowers.

Suddenly I realize I can put more than one pic up at a time

Our Camp to the right,

Some steep hiking below.

Inca cave

Part of the trail leads us through an old Inca cave.

Day 2 pics

Joey-Lynn puts on a brave face here but is really quite sick.

End of Day Two

Being the good future husband I left Johanne to hike to this old Inca ruin.

She was with one of our guides so I had no worries.

Day two I to went to bed at 8:00.... two hours after Johanne. She was really out of it. We decided to give her Ciparo, an anti-biotic used to fight travelers stomach but she took a swig of water and barfed it and the little bit she had in her stomach all up all over the camp.

I am crazy concerned as Johanne hasn't eaten solid food in two days only water. .. I know through my Dad's survival training that the human body will be in big trouble after three days of living on just water but I was glad she was drinking. She became very mad at me for constantly harassing her to guzzle water. I begged and cried to make her eat... she wouldn't.... or really she couldn't... she was too sick. I talked to our guide Carlos, who was amazing and did everything possible for Joey-Lynn. We discussed our options rescue by helicopter retrieval, by donkey, alpaca, or a small statured Peruvian porter. It was hard for me to picture this woman who was the perfection of fitness to be so incapacitated. I could hardly fathom it. After a long discussion it was determined that we would see how she was on day three. We were beyond the point of no return so it was just as well that she try to walk out... after all it was mostly down hill...(BTW... down a mountain is worse than up a mountain… way worse!)

I kept track of Joey-Lynn's water intake as she is complaining about her kidney more and more. She took in 3.5litres of water but hardly pee’d a drop. I was really concerned.

Johanne Being Piggy Backed

End of Day 2 of the Inca Trail

I was incredibly glad to arrive at camp which seemed to be above the clouds. Johanne was piggy backed by a porter and arrived an hour before me. Those guys are incredibly strong.... all 120lbs of them soak and wet.

Johanne was a sleep. During the night she moaned in agony throughout the night. Suddenly her Kidney's started working and she was up all night going to the bathroom. Not a pleasant experience for her that's for sure. I talked with the guides about optiuons and we were past the point of no return so I was praying she would be able to walk out.

Day 2 Continued

Here we are at the top of Dead Woman's Pass. We walked up from the bottom of the valley in the background. God the scenery was incredible. I had one of the heaviest packs with all my camera gear but Johanne was so sick I carried her pack on my front. It was brutal but she was in more pain than me that's for sure. At this point it was obvious that Johanne was having kidney problems.

One the way down the other side Johanne was so sick she just couldn't go on. A couple of Porters came up and offered her a pick back ride to the camp.... I jumped in to decline when Johanne simply said, "Please." That was the point that I knew she was in incredible pain, to except a pick back ride down a huge mountain over an uneven path where one slip and you could be tumbling for an hour.

Day 2 - Johanne goes down hill fast

The start of Day 2 and Johanne seemed to be fine. Everyone was still sick from the altitude. After lunch I threw my guts up everywhere. Holly crap it was like it would never stop. A solid good 6 hard heaves hehehehehehe. So again Johanne's not feeling well wasn't a sign of anything out of the ordinary. We started walking at 7:00AM after breakfast and climbed 1200 meters over 6 KM with 300 Meters all down hill for 3 KM. It was incredibly challenging and the pass was call Dead Woman's pass... I was worried that Johanne might give the name meaning as she was getting worse fast, while the rest of us were getting better. This shot was mid climb and she was barely crawling and in a lot of pain.

Day 1 Continued

While on the Inca Trail on day one in the middle of no where in the Andes Mountains we came across a small village... the population doubled when we arrived I'm sure. These two kids were just hangin' out saying "Ola"... to the new trekkers of the day. It struck me how our kids are bored while surrounded by thousands of dollars of toys. I wanted to know what their world existed of but unfortunately had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I'm sure it was nothing close to even my own childhood. I guess if you're surrounded by love and are unaware of the luxuries of others than what odds.

Children in the Andes are drilled constantly with three vitues, "Don't Lie, don't Steal, don't be lazy." It's a concept that's simple but imbeded. As you will hear late in Day two... Johanne's rescue.

Day 1 of the Inca Trail

Day one of our Inca Trail trek was day 5 of our trip. Johanne was in good spirits along with our group.... 16 of us trekkers, 22 porters and cooks, 2 guides. We were quite an army. One gal from the UK, Ann was sick from a severe sunburn when we were on Lake Titicaca. She was real sick but getting better. We were all sick from the Altitude, so when Johanne started feeling down she was like everyone else. However, everyone else started feeling better after the first day while Johanne started feeling worse.

This day we walked 11 km but only climbed a few hundred meters. it was a great warmup as Day two is an incredibly difficult day. The views and scenery is spectacular. It is hard to describe the vastness of this country. It makes you feel very small and insignificant.

Joey-Lynn's Condition Post Wedding

The wedding really took a lot out of Johanne. She's pretty tired that's for sure. Hopefully the doctor tomorrow will send her for more tests to ensure everything is going in the right direction. Tomorrow I'll post a play by play of our ordeal in Peru where Johanne got sick.

Our Wedding

Wow I can not believe our wedding has come and gone. It was a very special day for us and we were so happy to share it with so many wonderful people. Johanne was her beautiful self and looked absolutely fantastic. Besides me screwing up my vows by refering to Johanne as my husband.... everything was great.... but that mistake is me to a tea.... I'm surprised I didn't refer to her as Troy, or Clarence or something hehehehehehe. Thanks again to everyone who sent us wishes and love.

Wedding Times

Because Johanne is still weak we decided to get married at the Hall at 7:00 instead of getting married at 5:00 at my parents place... it will be less stress for my mom and Johanne and less moving around for Johanne.

Happy Wedding Day

Today is our wedding day. Finally here. I sure hope everyone has a great time that's coming. I will be posting more about the trip and Johanne's ordeal in Peru next week.

Oh ya.... got our luggage yesterday.

Luggage

Oh ya... still no sign of our luggage!

Big Altitude

Johanne is doing well, just not as well as I would like but I guess it will take time. I think she is enjoying the fact she is not allowed to lift anything heavy and that the wedding is suddenly my burden. Maybe she planned this odeal after all.

If Johanne doesn't have more improvement tomorrow, she'll head to the doctor. I have to call the QEII tomorrow to see what the specuialists thought of the CT Scans.

I did so much bitching about the altitude that I thought I would post this shot taken at "Albra La Raya" our highest point 4338 meters or 14,332 feet above sea level. Seeing I live at 5 feet 10inches above sea level it was quite an affect on my body. These lovely ladies were here to sell some of their crafts and check out the shallow breathers from from the land down low.

At this height your skin sunburns in minutes. Johanne and I were using SPF50 and it still felt like we were burning.

Peruvian Ambulance

What do you do when you are at an altitude of over 2 miles high, deep in the Andean Mountains and become so extremely sick each step is excruciatingly painful? Call for an ambulance.

Here Johanne gets a piggy back ride from a porter half her weight (sorry Joey-Lynn) who basically ran her to base camp only switching once with the guy in red. Our group was a half hour a head of us and these two guys arrived at camp an hour before anyone else passing everyone on the trail. Unbelievable really.

I knew she was incredibly sick at this point when she agreed to do this as one slip could have been disastrous for both. But these guys are tough and rugged and more sure footed than an Alpaca.