48 Days post Op - first week of PT and Xmas

So on Monday I had PT. It was fine but 4 hrs after I had nerve pain in my left forearm.  What? Everything pre op was right arm. This of course freaked me out.  And by ned time muscle pain, plus new nerve pain, plus small knife in my back pain and I started crying and just couldn't seem to stop.  And this is where I wonder - was/is my attitude made worse by being perimenopausal?  I am not normally a person who cries but my god it was most all day the 23rd.  

Went to MD for clearance to go back to work and told him of new pain and was blown off.  Told if I have nerve pain *just* from elbow to finger its probably carpal tunnel. Um WTF? First how convenient that it's the same pain and where it started on my right. And happened within hours of PT?  And within weeks of spinal surgery on the very vertebrae that has that root nerve? Are you kidding me? Do you think I'm a moron? Throw in the dagger in my back and no - I'm not convinced.  He placated me by setting up an appointment for a month out to see how I'm doing.  But I really did not appreciate the blow off.  So upset I had a cigarette. First one in six weeks and a day. 

People in my acdf support group on FB told me it's possible it was just that the muscles I worked at PT swollen squeeze on the nerve so I calmed down and hormonally I felt so much calmer Wednesday (see I really do think peri has something to do with this extra swinging roller coaster) that we had a lovely Christmas Eve. I had done my PT exercises twice in Tuesday but only once on Wednesday and skipped Christmas altogether because -life, but back to twice a day Friday/ Saturday/ Sunday.  XMAS Eve and day were exhausting from either being upright, visiting with people, preparing or hosting that I crashed xmas night at 745 with a house full of people and didn't care.  Slept almost ten hours.  

Friday, had PT and asked on the swollen muscles squeezing nerves theory and he said "it could be....or....not" great. Thanks.  We did different things than my home exercises and I took my first muscle relaxer in two weeks.  As I didn't want a repeat cryfeast come bedtime.  I decided the next day to cut out one of five PT exercises (bending my ear towards my shoulder) as this hurts like a freakin mother fucker and activates the knife in my back pain like no other.  I will tell Pt tomorrow to hear their thoughts.  

I go back to work tomorrow and have PT at 4pm.  We'll see how I do with both.  But I feel it will be a muscle relaxer night.

40 Days post ACDF surgery

 So last I left you,  I was almost off meds and that next day I went cold turkey.  Had only one muscle relaxer in the first 3 days of no pain killers and I'm doing OK. Pain is there but eh, liveable and I'd rather be able to drive.  

Scar at 38 days, aka my 48th bday

But what was the pain killers masking?  A UTI. Oh goodie!  So two days after being off them I was at my doctor's office to get antibiotics for that.  Prescribed a new drug I've never had before and that Friday night at 10pm I had chest pains for a good 30 mins.  Didn't really know what was going on but since it went away, oh well. Then next day, from 6p-8p same thing only even more intense.  Felt like someone had a glove made of tiny needles had my heart in their hand and would squeeze any time I breathed in.  I knew it wasn't a heart attack as it only happened on in breaths. Looked up drug and it said a rare complication was breathing problems and chest pain.  Ok, not gonna take that again.  Left message Sunday at MDs office so that Monday they could give me new drug. They didn't call me all Monday. So at 345pm I left a message instead of on the general office (only option on Sunday) on my MDs nurse's voice mail (as this office has like 6 doctors). Tuesday morning first thing, they call saying "sorry no one listened my first message from Sunday until now" 😲🤨 but please immediately go to ER to be checked for pulmonary embolism since I recently had surgery.  Oh so fun 4 hrs in ER to learn, nope possibly the drug, possibly some random complication from surgery, maybe GERD, we don't really know.  But here is a different antibiotic.  

My birthday outfit to make my brace as invisible as possible 

After that excitement. Wednesday I went and got my nails done and ran a few short & close errands as my first time driving.  Oh, driving is a bit scary as I'm fearful someone will hit me and paralyze me. And turning my head at lights (particularly left) hurts and I can only turn my head so far.  

It's amazing how AI can now fake a picture 

Then Thursday for my birthday we had reservations down at Joliet to do a little casino time, dinner and drinks (had not had a drink in seven weeks). Turns out being in a recliner so much, I can only hold my own head up for about 4 hrs before I'm in need of laying down.  But enjoyed two rum & diets and one cosmo with a piece of tiramisu.  Happy Birthday to me.  And we only lost a little over 50% of our gambling budget so that was nice.  

And Friday, was my work department's Christmas luncheon that I went to.  2 hrs at Biaggi's.  I feel I talked too much about me.  But admittedly after 7 weeks of not seeing them I felt like I needed to tell all that went on from my surgery as a sort of "I'm off work for a reason, it's not been fun and games" (told ya I get massive guilt about missing work).  But it was so nice to see everyone and know they're caught up enough spreading my work between 3 people that I won't be coming back to insanity in 10 days.

Took brace off for picture and eating.  Kept turning my head so much to hear stories from either side. Probably should have been at head of table for less turning...but that was for two bosses.

But then OMG am I dead from 3 days of doing stuff. Even just a few hours here and there.  So Sat/Sun will be resting. Monday is first day of PT and then Tuesday is my 3rd follow up appointment with Ortho (second set of x rays and work clearance).  Then the Holidays with Xmas Eve at friends and hosting Christmas dinner here.  Then I'll probably need those next three days to rest up again before returning to work.  

But basically after 7 weeks of being away from society as a whole, today was the start of returning to the world outside my little bubble.  Small victory to remember aside from what is above: while trying to sleep on my side still hurts beyond belief if trying to turn to my left.  I was able to sleep on my right side for 15 - 20 mins once this week. I'll take it - as maybe this means I'll be back to my side sometime down the road.

30 days post op ACDF Surgery

 So I did return to recliner for one week.  And then tried back to bed.  It was a better transition this time.  Getting in and out of bed is still the most painful thing I do in a day but not *as* bad as 10 days ago.  And I'm sleeping on just a single pillow - no wedge, no need for the two pillows on eother sides for arms like I was.  

I'm now down to one pain pill, cut in half, every 12 hours as I tried going cold turkey off a 10 mg and at 16 hrs after last pill I was so twichy and felt like my skin was crawling with bugs that I could see OK, that's withdrawls.  So I looked up how to step down.  It told me to cut the pills in half and start spacing out time intervals.  So that's what I've done.  Soon I'll try to just do half pill at bed time but I had leaned the biggest mistake I made was that day I had the withdrawal I had my last pill at 5am and they said you should have last pill at night. 

So, there are improvements from even just 5 days ago.  But it does still feel like there is a rebar attached to my shoulder blades and then a long screw from the middle of that to my spine.  So spine where neck meets back hurts but not like pre surgery.  And left shoulder blade muscle is currently worst of all.  And I still cannot lay on left side.  Layed on right side for 30 mins this morning but was fairly painful - just happy to get off my back.  Two more weeks until I can take a long hot bath and start PT where I hope there are some massages!  

ACDF 25 days post op

 So I couldn't bring myself to stop the pain killers when I ran out but I'm starting to think I should really try cold turkey.  I'm only taking 2 a day 8 hrs apart and then a muscle relaxer at night.  Icing only once or twice a day; usually around 430p and 8p after I've perhaps done a bit too much in a day?

But sleeping was still hurting my arms laying down and trying to get out of bed was still the worst part of every day.  Jeff convinced me to just sleep in the recliner.  It's only been 3 or four nights but I'll probably give it a few more nights before giving bed another try and will try not to feel bad if it's still not time yet.  

But it is annoying that I joined a FB group and it feels like half are like "I stopped pain killers in less than a week, laid flat in bed by a week and went back to work in two weeks."  Well frickin' good for you!  But then there's the horror story group that's like "I've been in a recliner for 3 months and still off work."  Like what? I have to get back to "normal" faster than that right? And hearing the stat that 20% need a second surgery in years from above or below your fusion weakening. Ugh. The idea of constant pain being a possibly for the rest of my life has given me bouts of depression that I told my GP about today at my annual physical.  But she brushed it off that this mood is temporary which I agree; but still the idea itself is based in statistics and family history so not totally out of left field.  

On the good news side.  All the glue is now off my scar and it's so nice and slim.  Looking pretty good!  So I startes using Moderna scar cream gel in the morning and overnight cream before bedtime.  

ACDF Sugery & Post Op to day 15

Monday Nov 10th is surgery day. We're to arrive at noon but no food after midnight, and only water, black coffee or juice until 730am. 

So I awake at 6am for a cup of coffee and an apple juice. I take what is to be my last bath for 6 weeks and shave my legs. I am not supposed to shower for several days post op so I try and get as ready as I can. Dress in comfy jogger pants and a large button up shirt like I had read online as it's easier than over the head.  I had forgotten to ask of I could have taken a pain pill.  So I hadn't.  That was dumb. Don't be like me. Ask.  I then try to nap to take my mind off both first day smoke free and surgery.

Because I hadn't taken a pain pill; by the time we get to out-patient surgery center it's been several hours. 30 Min drive and no liquid or nicotine I'm sure all contribute to my anxiety.  I start crying from the pain. They take me back alone saying they'll bring Jeff in a minute after I'm all 'set up'.  

Changing clothes & getting IV take forever and I really wish Jeff had been with me as I start crying more.  I think if he had been there to help and distract it would not have been that bad.  Nurse asks am I crying due to pain or fear.  Little of both I tell her which is totally true.  But dude if I could have had a pain pill!  I fear too now that my nose is stuffed from crying that they can't give me oxygen while out thru a nassal canula so I'm telling every medical professional I see; my nose is stuffed from crying.  Yet I don't think to tell them why I'm telling them this.  Dumb ass.  They can't relieve my fear as they don't know why I'm telling them. Like - girl no worries they're putting a treach tube in.  But they also don't know what to say so we're all instead just awkward.  My unknown fear makes me more worried which in turn makes me continue to tear up. Which keeps my nose stuffed.  Good lord what a mess.

Anesthesiologist comes to give me first cocktail shot and bye bye world, don't remember anything after that talk.  I assume my surgeon came to talk?  No clue.  Wake up in recovery and don't remember much until Jeff is already there and they want me to get dressed and discharged.  Arm isn't hurting at all.  Back isn't really hurting. (I don't know if there was a pain blocker used among other things as for the first two nights home I am able to sleep occasionally on my side for the first time in weeks.  I have only been able to do that those first two days.  Not at all since.  I haven'teven tried my side in days because the pain is almost instant and it's my brain saying "maybe there's a screw jabbing into muscle" because damn that feels so bad.)  

Throat is slightly sore but not too bad.  I had seen tons of tik tok horror stories about needing soft food/inability to swallow well after surgery but I did not have that problem.  I think I had grilled cheese for dinner? Remember having like a tube of Ritz crackers.  Clearly I can swallow.  Also never had voice box issues. I have joked with my mom I don't know if it's because I have previously had half my thyroid taken out that they had more room to shove my esophagus over. IDK?

For the first week, I sleep first 3 hrs of night in bed next to husband.  Then get up, take pain pill and sleep in recliner rest of night.  I cannot sleep more than 90 mins at a time first few days and by end of first week I can sleep 3 to 4 hours at a time.  I sleep 6-8 hrs overnight and then a morning nap and afternoon nap. Each 30 mins to 3 hrs but totalling about 12 hrs sleep a day.  

Scar fresh out of shower 6 days post op

Week two I have pain and muscle spasms in back.  I get nervous as back pain on left is same spot as this whole mess started on right a month ago.  But at follow up, PA tells me it's muscles freakin out from surgery and they'll calm down in a little while.  By end of week two I can sleep for 5 hours at a time but I can only sleep flat on back with pillow under knees or in recliner.  And if I sleep flat on back, (no recliner or wedge pillow) my major joints in my arms - shoulders, elbows, and wrists feel "fuzzy".  Like they're not totally alseep but half way there? So I decide only to sleep on wedge or recliner.  And it's best too if arms are propped up slightly under pillows.  It's quite the production.  But I want to be in bed with my husband.  Like I feel if I am not there we'll quickly grow apart for some reason? Irrational fear is fun.  Can you say undiagnosed anxiety?  I'm down to just one daytime nap but it's still 1  to 3 hours.  Still giving me 8 to 12 hrs total.

I have the knife in my back back.  But pain is at like a 3 or 4 if on pain meds and moving around.  Can get it to like a 2 if on an ice pack and relaxing in chair not moving.  Like an 7 or 8 without meds.  So not tears level but close.  MD says normal from wrenching vertebrae apart for discetomy and it will calm down.  Ice packs 2-3 times a day help.  

I can take the collar off for eating, sleeping, showers and when sitting supported in recliner.  Wore bandage uless showering first 14 days.

If I have to twist at all that hurts. Like a lot.  So getting out of bed I try to log roll but at some point you still have to twist slightly. So in and out of bed is the worst part of day.  Reaching behind me.  Like to scouch up the bed? Or if I've slouched down in recliner and want to move up.  That hurts a lot as well.

Scar 14 days post op

They say remember BLT -NO bending, twisting, lifting.  So while I am trying to avoid that there's only so much to avoid.  And you fear what if this pain is forever? What if I can't get off pain pills? What if the fusion doesn't take?  I try to remember my brain likes to always think of worst case scenarios so most of my fear thoughts are completely irrational.  (Like no, just had an X ray, none of the screws are rouge).  But I have 4 week until PT.  And now I'm not  planning on going back to work until the Monday after Christmas. And thinking half days that first week. So that's the update for now.  Trying to remind myself it's been only been 15 days since have spinal surgery for Christs sake and to give myself a bit of grace and remember a lot can happen in a month.  Just look where I was a month before surgery. 

ACDF Surgery - Lead up to Surgery

Background that may have some effect and may mean absolutely nothing at all... I don't know why blogger doesn't recognize paragraphs anymore. So as to avoid a giant wall of text I have put in photos. Sorry that it does seem a bit odd. But a huge wall of text was just too much. My mother was moving out of her house she'd lived in for 22 yrs. My brother couldn't take time off except the 4 day weekend to move her into his house. I knew downsizing 76 of life of a 4 br house to a U-Hual to fit in a 12x14 bedroom was HUGE. And my mom has multiple back issues to the point of being on narcotics the last 20 yrs and seeing a pain clinic every month that there was no way she could do this.

As it happened I could not help the weekend of the move as I had a vacation booked 9 months in advance. So I took 5 days off work unpaid solo and a 2 cubic square.ft dumpster to fill. And 6 car loads to Good Will. And found a auction company to take a lot of her furniture. But as her house sold and moving day got closer I knew there was *still* so much crap that the auction company didn't take. And Labor Day weekend my brother was supposed to come clean as I had; but it fell through. I knew I needed another 3 day weekend really just throwing so much out. Based on plans & My trip to Maine and Acadia the only available weekend left was the Friday to Sunday before my trip. I rented a 16 cubic ft dumpster, and felt like such a bad ass bitch and filled that thing with such precision in the 60 hrs I was there. And I think I know the exact item that was too heavy I should not have moved on my own. It was a solid wood file cabinet. Auction house was supposed to take it but then said it wouldn't sell so they weren't going to bother taking it. 3x3x5 I think? Probably 300ish lbs? A little awkward and hard to get out the house by myself but with mover coasters I did it. Only part I had to really lift it was over the lip of the door out to the garage and then the foot or so into the dumpster? Now I say a few things...I didn't feel anything when I moved that. So again it could have nothing to do with it. Also for months, MONTHS, I had been having some neck pain, would crain my neck toward my shoulders and back in like a figure 8 to crack my neck and sometimes it would freeze for a minute in pain in attempt to crack. And yes, when I cracked it - it was loud! I did think 'there's probably something wrong there a little' but I have degenerative discs, a bulging disc and spinal stenosis in the lumber region so while it wouldn't be a shock, since it wasn't causing any 'real' trouble I wouldn't see a doctor because it was fine. And for full disclosure I have been in 3 car accidents between 1995-1999 as a teen ager/early 20 something that totalled 3 cars. One as back seat passenger, two as driver. Only one of 3 being possibly my fault. All 3 with whiplash.

START OF PAIN - Friday Oct 10 2025. It's been 3 weeks since that weekend at my moms. I've had the super fun hiking trip in Maine, then 10 days of back at home, just work and relaxing. Doing nothing really. Woke up early to fly out for vacation of husband and I going to Zion National Park and Bryce National Park. I mention to Jeff that morning that my neck hurt a bit and maybe I slept wrong. He says his does too. I thought maybe we're both what my mom called "Journey Proud". When you're so excited for a trip that you actually stress a bit. I mean the government had been shut down for 10 days and we were going to a national park. What if the shutdown effected more that I had read about? But the pain wasn't enough to take even Tylenol. Off to the airport we go. Fly, arrive, hike, dinner, sleep. All the while not thinking much of my slightly aching back/neck.

Wake up day 2 and it's enough to take 2 Tylenol as we have a decent amount of hiking planned today. But again, went about the day as normal just mentioning the pain once or twice to hubs - who his pain has now gone away.

230 am Sunday morning; awake from sleep in excruciating pain. Take 3 Tylenol. Ask husband to give me a short massage. Tell him pain is 2 inches above bra strap and just to right of spine. Like in between spine and shoulder blade. Rhomboid muscle. That's like 3 inches lower than where neck meet shoulders. Never had neck pain like this. Worry we will have to stop at Urgent Care on way from Zion to Vegas. He gets me bag of ice and I'm able to get back to sleep for almost 2 hrs. When I wake up pain hurts but feel it's better enough to just drive on to Vegas and I'll "drink away the pain".

And that is what I do Sunday to Thursday Oct 12 -16th. I take a few Tylenol, reach my opposite arm back to self massage that muscle here and there and have another cocktail. But all we're doing is walking the strip and gambling. We come home and I think; well at least I have a 3 day weekend to relax before having to work. What this needs is rest.

Monday Oct 20th. I now have pain shooting down my arm a bit and the pain in my back is like someone has stabbed me with a knife. I leave work after half a day to go to my Ortho office's immediate cate center. PA gets X Rays, gives me a steroid pack saying nothing is broken and if I'm still in pain afterward come back.

Sunday Oct 26th. I've finished the steroid pack but pain is enough I am tearing up as I'm driving myself there from pain repeatedly thinking "I can't live like this. Something *has* to be wrong. This isn't normal". Same PA on duty. She give me a shot of toradol in my butt saying it will get me out of pain in 20 mins. And a script from Tramadol. And telling me she has a order for MRI stat in for Insurance auth. This pain med I cannot drive or work on, but doesn't matter. Neither the shot not the pain pill touches the pain. Tuesday Oct 28th. I'm getting MRI of both cervical and thoracic. I have googled enough I know the nerve pain down my arm is ulnar nerve between C7-T1. The pain is now back of upper arm, elbow, around forearm, wrist, and pinky and ring finger. Pain in back now feels not just of someone stabbing my back but the knife is on fire and now they're twisting it. Thursday Oct 30th follow up with PA on MRI. I tell her the drugs she gave me back on Sunday do nothing. I've cried describing pain to nurse. PA says I have several bulging discs and yes one is pinching nerve down arm nerve. Asks has anything helped at all? I say the steroid pack makes the arm pain at least a bit less so she gives me another 6 day steroid pack and this time pain med of 7.25 Hydrocodone. Tells me it's possible shots could help but MD *Might* just send me straight to sugeon so would I like to skip that, see surgeon first and see if he says lets try shots first? He only has two new patient appointments a week and one is open so I take it. It's the first mention of surgery and I warn bosses that this may happen before end of the year.

Monday Nov 3rd I can only work half a day from the pain since I cannot take narcotics and drive. I take Tuesday off work completely as the pain is too much and I have Surgeon appt. Tuesday Nov 4th, I meet Dr Tom Stanley and the appointment is short but straight forward. I need surgery and now; as the longer we wait, more chance of permanent nerve damage. He'll send for insurance auth and hopes to do surgery Monday or Wednesday. Um, you mean in 7 to 9 days?! Wow. OK. No I don't have any questions as this is thrown at me fairly fast...but also my mom had this surgery in 2017 so it's not totally foreign. Wednesday Nov 5th. I get dressed for work with no narcotics and am telling myself "You can work, you will work." I cry on the drive to work from the pain and think- 'this probably isn't safe as I'm not using my right arm at all now.' I work for like an hour knowing 'OK I have to tell bosses I will be having surgery and got to talk to HR regarding FMLA'. I'm going to go make my coffee and if HR is free I will talk to her. I'm walking towards her office and the door is open and I just start crying from both the pain and the realization of "No Kati, you're not Super Woman. You can't work thru this pain. You shouldn't even try." It's decided yes, I will start FMLA immediately I just need to tell me upper boss and get my immediate boss anything that will help others to do my job. It's also determined I am in so much pain it's not safe for me to even drive myself home. Good thing too as within half an hour I have a dizzy spell from just standing up. Upper boss asks "Why did you even come in?" Because, I'm the type push thru it, just suck it up. And in my mind these conversations needed to take place in person. And I honestly was just in such shock from it all happening so fast; it was just still mind boggling that I could suddenly be off work for weeks. What?! I've never been off work for more than 5 days for a really bad flu and the guilt of that way horrible. The guilt for this? Can't describe it. Why do I feel guilt for taking off when it's legit and needed? No idea. It's just my work ethic. Need MD clearance for surgery including bloodwork. Try all afternoon Wednesday to get into my MD. No dice. Have to go Thursday evening an hour away to a sketchy doc. I'm still pissed at my Doc's office for that. I think if my MD heard what I was having done and how urgent it was they would have tried to squeeze me in but I was dealing with front desk non medical chick. Friday I got cervical collar and MD has Peer to Peer with insurance as it was denied then approved. They wanted to deny it saying I needed to have quit smoking for 6 weeks before surgery. MD explained we don't have that kind of time with the nerve damage I will have by then. I had personally been weaning down on smokes per day from reading about how success rate of fusion is less than half if you're a smoker. I was at 50% in 3 days. With a plan to be at zero on surgery day. *I've now been smoke free for 15 days! Go me. Just needed to get thru the weekend. Surgery was set Monday arriving at Noon at a surgical center. Told my side of family, Jeff's side of family and updated friends thru Facebook and work thru text. Here we go. To be continued in another post.

Acadia National Park Trip Sept 2025

The below account is mostly from my TA trip report but edited and photos added. i had wanted to take this trip for about 6 years and am so frickin glad how wonderfulit worked out. If you are on the fence about going. Do it!

Saturday Sept 27 2025 my best friend of 34 years and I flew out of Chicago, landing in Bangor at 1130a, off the plane and got the rental car by noon (God I love small airports so much!). We planned two hours in Bangor going to Stephen King's house, Mount Hope Cemetery, lunch and Paul Bunyan statue before heading to the park.

We arrived at Hulls Cove Visitors Center at 330pm and while Saturday was a free park day I was grabbing an America The Beautiful pass as my husband and I are going to Zion & Bryce in two weeks. Quick in and out and on to Sand Beach. I will say there was parking spots everywhere, every day so while the park was not empty - even on a free park Saturday - it was not what I consider busy as a NP junkie. So we did not end up taking the Island Explorer shuttle bus at all so we could be on our own schedule. But we saw them quite often so they seem a great way if you want to leave the driving to others. We walked sand beach enjoying the smell of the sea air, hear the waves crashing and feeling ready to really begin our short stay. We moved on to Thunder Hole but as it was after 2 hours past high tide it was a bit underwhelming. The crash of waves was louder at Schoodic on our final day. A quick drive down the loop and we got to our hike for the day - Gorham Mnt. We were busy looking for blue paint markers that we missed a turn and ended up going on the Cadillac Cliffs spur. Wow! We learned quick what Acadia calls moderate rock scrambling! It was a little challenging for some non-health nut late 40 somethings but we are not fully out of shape so we made it and the views at the summit were amazing! We came down the normal trail where we met a local at the sign post we'd missed as we had a good laugh as I called the spur the "cliffs of insanity" (Princess Bride fans know the quote but no worries to others - I am afraid of heights and didn't feel this had any actual cliffs where you are right on the edge of sheer drop offs. Yes, there are areas where if you made a wrong step you could fall many feet, but not to your death.) The local said "that's a more 'technical' route." No kidding buddy! Hike took us 2 hrs with about 20 mins being up top gob smacked at the view taking pictures.

We then had just enough time to stop at Otter cliffs and then Otter Cove for amazing sunset pictures. And then up to our little cabin just minutes off island in Trenton to check in at Open Hearth Inn, get cleaned up and headed to Bar Harbor Lobster Pound 10 mins away for dinner before they closed to the night for our first taste of fresh Maine lobster rolls. Delightful spot with a charming outdoor seating area lit by fairy lights and fire heat lamps. We were full enough we didn't get ice cream from the boat next to it. Asleep by 9pm from exhaustion of the hike and having woke up at 3am.

Up and out at 830am and drove to Jordon Pond. Walked the loop around the lake. A quarter is the wooden plank boardwalk, a quarter is minor rock scramble (seemed easy after the cliff trail!), and half is hard pack. We went round clockwise so that's the order it came at us. Arrived back at the Pond House right before it opened at 11. Had lunch on the lawn overlooking the bubbles but of a picnic lunch we packed in the two Adirondack chairs they have just outside the restaurant on the lawn. I had read you can get popovers from a stand but didn't see it and honestly wasn't very hungry so missed out on that classic experience. Bellies full of PB&J and a protein bar, we moved on to our main hike for the day.

We had originally planned to do Cadillac Mnt North Ridge loop this day but since the previous days hike was more of a struggle than anticipated, and we had snagged sunrise tickets for the following day, we decided to shift plans and skip that. Instead moving on to our 3rd planned mountain...Acadia Mountain. I had read of the .6 mile steep ascend so was prepared for the up. Didn't know the down going towards Man O War trail would be a mile of hard downward rock scramble before a simple .8 miles of easy hard pack. My arthritic knees and hips got pretty angry at me about half way and we feared once again we had taken a wrong turn. But we went slow and I don't have so much pride that at several points I would just sit and lower myself down instead of trying to get my faulty joints to bend that deep. Half way we met another kind experienced hiker with a map that assured us we were on the right track, we only saw maybe 8 people on the way down. He finished the loop at the same time as us even though we had 1/3rd left to go in our direction and he had 2/3rds going the other way. But we thanked him again and he smiled when we triumphantly said "we made it!" Took us almost 2.5 hrs to do.

Because of our changed hike we had extra time. Got back to cabin in time to shower and catch Timber Tina's Lumberjack show that's 10 mins away towards Ellsworth. Fun little hour long show for just like, $18 I think? Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm. Went into Bar Harbor for dinner and shopping. Ended up eating at Blaze. OMG the lobster poutine! I should of just had that appetizer as my meal; I was so full couldn't eat even half my halibut fish meal. Highly recommend their take on poutine substituting bisque for the traditional gravy. Monday - up and out at 530am to drive up to Cadillac Mnt for sunrise. Got there at 6 for 630 sunrise and nabbed the last parking spot on the east side lot. Found a quiet, semi secluded spot far east on the rocks (seemed a lot of people didn't want to take the five minute effort to walk away from the crowds) and thoroughly enoyed the first light of the day across the eastern seaboard.

We got out fairly quick and made our way to Parkman mnt parking for a Carriage Road loop near Hadlock Pond seeing 3 of the bridges (Hemlock, Waterfall bridge and Hadlock bridge). Hadlock being my favorite of the three. It was a 4-ish mile walk in the park, literally, compared to all the past rock trails we had done.

We then drove down to Beal Lobster Pier to catch the Cranberry Island Ferry for a 90 min cruise around (we didn't get off at any of the islands giving our legs a rest; just enjoyed the ride and views) for $35pp. Then ate lunch at Beals while viewing a fisherman crew unload their fresh catch of the day.

Next we drove up to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. This was the only time we had to wait for parking. We were about 10-15 cars back in line but it moved quick with someone leaving every minute or so, so that we only waited 15 mins before getting a spot. MORE ROCK SCRAMBLE! in order to get those classic photos we've all seen and coveted. By the end of the climb back up the stairs after three hard days our legs are jello. We agreed to go back to the cabin for a shower and a much needed nap after a early morning before a night out in Bar Harbor.

That night we walked a bit of the shore path, some souvenir shopping, dinner at Geddy's (seared Halibut, jasmine rice and veggies with a shared app of brussel sprouts), and some ice cream ended the night.

Final day Tuesday we were on the road by 830am over to Schoodic Peninsula. It amazes me reading stats that only 10% of Acadia visitors come over. It was such a great last 2 and a half hours. We stopped at Frazer point and saw the Winter Harbor lighthouse in the distance, stopped at the hidden gem that is Raven's Nest (my favorite of viewpoints you don't have to hike to of the trip), and spent over an hour at Schoodic Point enjoying the crashing waves. Finally we said goodbye to the beautiful park, headed back to Bangor for lunch, returned the car and checked for our flight home.