Let’s Go (Again)! - Medford, OR
10 December 2021
It was a complicated set of feelings that we had upon receiving a positive test for Lyme disease. After so many months of dealing with mysterious symptoms, the hassle and cost of endless doctor visits to no avail, and the general feeling of crumminess that has prevailed most of this trip, to receive any diagnosis at all was a great relief. Lyme disease, however, is not a fun condition. It’s difficult to identify, difficult to treat, and in some people may last many years. We know this isn't the sort of thing that is going to be over quickly. But! It can be treated, and can be treated on the road without much complication beyond trying to get a lot of medications shipped to us in various places.
So! We can start making tracks, and boy are we ready.
We are about a month behind when we left a year ago, and our goal is to try once again to make it to Florida, or at least the gulf coast. Where last year we turned north in March, this year we intend to continue east and south. But first, we need to get out of Oregon, and quickly – winter is coming.
Happy Fun Bags
On our last day in Portland I made one final upgrade on the truck at the 4 x 4 shop in town. I’ve learned not to have work done on the day before travel, but I trust this shop. What I had them install was a set of truck lifting airbags with a compressor. The idea is to improve the ride while we’re towing, and boy did it pay off. Our trip south to Medford was incredibly smooth, at every little bridge and expansion joint where we used to have have to hold onto coffee and brace ourselves, the truck just sailed smoothly over. I found myself much more relaxed when we arrived, since I didn’t feel like I got my kidneys punched for three hours straight driving the truck. It did negatively impact the unloaded ride a bit, especially after the buttery soft ride delivered by the Sulastic shackles, but it makes travel days dreamy, and for that I am quite happy to keep them.
It was good that our travel date day smooth, because we crossed almost the entire state of Oregon in one trip. We're pretty good at traveling now, and ready to stretch our legs after so many short trips in and around Northwest Oregon.
I’ve never spent much time in Medford, it’s pretty cute but a little strange. It’s definitely rural Oregon and not urban Oregon. The Lyme doctor I’m working with happens to have his office just south of here in Ashland, so while our schedules didn't work out that I could see him in person I was able to pick up some of my medication‘s and meet the office staff.
Vaccination Fair
In more positive medical news, kids vaccinations are finally open and they have a site just next-door to our RV park. So the kids have their first Pfizer doses, putting us on track to have everybody vaccinated in the next couple months. This comes as a relief, because now we know I have a complicated illness and we don’t need yet another one to hit us.
Just around the corner from the fairgrounds was the Crater Rock Museum, a tremendous and impressive display of rocks and minerals. The area has a very active rockhound club and the museum is their storage and display place, it’s really an amazing collection.
From here - California, the fast route this time!
