Sigh.
I'm back home. Feet up. Well, foot up. It is improving – it can now bear weight with only a small amount of pain – but moving my ankle up and down still causes a stabbing pain in my calf, although much less than before. Hoping to be able to drive again in a few days.
Where next? Well realistically, I do not have enough contingency to re-start this year. I'm looking at at least another 2-3 weeks of rehab, and I've already wasted over a week. Even if I had the time, I'd be pushing well into October, and that's not really the time of year I want to be walking alone in the remoter parts of northern Scotland. If I can arrange the time, I'm going to try again in the Spring.
I am going to do this thing. *sticks chin out resolutely*
Thank you all for your messages of support both on this blog and via email and phone. I've been sick with disappointment these last few days, and your words of commiseration and encouragement have been immensely helpful. As one person put it "you feel bad now, but imagine how much worse it would be if you had completed 90% of the journey and then had to pull out". There's wisdom in those words, I think.