Hiking With Diabetes: The Physical Toll

I took a shower today, not for the first time since coming back, but for the first time I actually looked at myself in the mirror.
I mentioned in my blog that certain parts of my body were considerably thinner than before I went on the trip, and looking in the mirror, I realized the differences in my chest.
I can recall looking in the mirror before the trip and feeling disgusted with my entire body, let along the chest. Today, I looked at just the chest area and I am amazed at the differences.
No, it's not perfect, yet, but it's considerably thinner than it was before. Scarily thinner, in fact. If 10 days on the Trail could do that to my body, just imagine what I could do with regular exercise and a proper diet. I hope to find out.
I still have not fully recovered as far as energy goes, though I have not done any truly strenuous work for the last 6 days. I have had much rest, though at times it still does not feel like enough.
I still have numbness in both my hands, and once I get a new job with insurance, I'll go visit my doctor to see if perhaps it's something else that Wake Med did not catch or even think of.
I have to say that my mind does not feel sharp.
Because of all this and the amount of money spent, I have to say that if I had it all to do over again, I would not hike the Trail.
That is not to say that I would not attempt the walk across America. I still would like to attempt it, if I could get the support to complete it. Support for instance, to spend at least one night a week in a motel. Support to make sure I have proper food and water.
Given how hard the actual hiking was on me, I would likely take it far easier than I did. Hopefully, though, walking along a road would be less strenuous than hiking on the Trail, though the pack would still be heavy. There would be mountain ranges to cross as well, but hopefully I would be in better shape when I came to those.
But for now, I'm concentrating on finding gainful employment, perhaps working on my writing, and regaining my strength.