Journal

Episode 4: The Road, the Wildlife, and the Will to Heal

May 26, 2025

I am reflecting on my walk on California's historic Highway 111, built in the 1930s to accommodate the growth fueled by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The highway stretches approximately 130 miles, passing through key cities like Indio, Calipatria, and Palm Springs, dotted with sand dunes and interspersed with green fields, hay bales, and cattle farms. I witnessed hay being cut and bailed, along with numerous other agricultural activities in this area. This stretch was cloudless, and the air was still. I was grateful for the occasional breeze. I added walking sticks to my armature. They seem to propel me forward at a faster pace and provide the additional benefit of strengthening my arms, even though using them requires more energy.

As I was heading towards Brawley, Mike, my videographer and driver, congratulated me on completing 200 miles (we had accomplished that a bit earlier). He made a sign out of cardboard and took my picture to commemorate the occasion. At one point, I was descending the hilly dunes, which were challenging because there was no shoulder. I had to jump to the side of the road when fast-moving, large trucks passed. Those maneuvers really slowed me down. Safety first, I would rather jump over than meet the oncoming traffic!

By now I walk at a comfortable easy pace and feel great. The blisters that plagued me in the early days of the walk have healed. My feet have adjusted to walking for more than eight hours a day. One night, on a lonely stretch of desert road, we camped next to the roadside. Hearing an unfamiliar sound coming from the brush, we discovered a few stray donkeys. It was nice to encounter some wildlife along the way. In addition to the donkeys, I have seen one live snake, two dead ones, and many lizards.

A number of people posting on social media about my walk have asked what I do to stay healthy, and specifically what I have done to reverse my memory loss. The answer is complicated with so much to discuss, but gathering information about your body is one of the first steps. Find out where you stand by getting tested to learn about your body's inflammation levels, glucose levels, and whether you are insulin resistant or not. Find a good practitioner, a coach, or a nutritionist trained in the Bredesen Protocol. Free cognitive assessments are available online. As the saying goes, "you can't manage what you don't measure." Start with the basics: daily exercise, a healthy diet of fresh food, and restorative sleep. I'm not going to tell you that it is easy to get your brain back to a healthy state, but I am proof that it is possible if you are willing to do the work. Age shouldn't hold you back, promise yourself to make some area of your life better each day. Apollo Health has a practitioner locator tool to help you do that. Enter your zip code here to find a practitioner ideally near you, but one farther away is OK too. Telehealth enables us to get the expert help we urgently need. For more information on the first steps toward your healing journey, email info@ahnphealth.com.

Until next time,
Judy