Walking with my 30 lb pack is almost the equivalent of walking with the weight I used to carry. I don’t know how I did it, especially since I wasn’t always heavy.

When I mentioned that, Jeremy told me how proud he was that I’ve kept the weight off. Another time, when we were talking about camp, I mentioned how when I first got home and he hugged me, he asked, “Did you get smaller on me?” I didn’t- I the next day, I discovered I was actually exactly the same as the last time I measured myself.  I told him that, and that I was surprised because I ate so much at camp that I was sure I would gain. I said that I would be worrying that he would think I had been eating too much if he had been there. He told me that he wouldn’t worry at all because I do so well with moderation and balancing out the times I do eat more that he completely trusts me with food. (Sadly, I don’t always deserve that trust.)

So what I started out typing as two supportive comments Jeremy made while hiking turned into another post highlighting how obsessed with food & weight I still am and how it seems to come into everything. I just want to live my life.

Jeremy had a pretty bad reaction to something, mostly on his legs, last time. We thought it was poison ivy, and took all the precautions this time, but he still got it- and it’s all under his clothes. And it’s so much worse. His legs are covered in sores.

We don’t know what’s causing it, but he was so miserable around lunchtime that I suggested turning around instead of staying for another night. He was hesitant at first, but so glad after a while. It took us almost 2 hours to walk what took us 1 last night.

I was bitten all over by these tiny black bugs-

I counted 25 bites on one arm, and then stopped counting. I also found 21 ticks on me. And it was so hot and humid.

I think we learned our lesson about backpacking in Alabama in July during a heat wave. We probably won’t go again until the fall, mostly because Jeremy is pretty sure his sores are somehow tied to the heat.

We still enjoyed our time together, but this was definitely our least favorite hiking trip. (I’ll still have pictures later, though.)

We just finished getting cleaned up, and very soon we’re going straight to PriMed to see if they can help him.