More on MS150

First I want to say thanks to all those that so quickly jumped up to support me on this adventure I decided to undertake. Your response has been really touching. Thank you! We finally had some nice weather at a time when I could enjoy it so I took my new bike out for a ride with my friend Amy on Saturday. 20 miles barely but it's a start!! As my training gets underway, I'm going to give the floor to my dear friend Kerri for a moment and let her explain in more detail why I am doing this ride.

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Hello All,

Some of you that read this letter know me, and others will not, but as Jen has shared with you, I was diagnosed with MS in November of 2002. I cannot begin to explain what a shocking revelation this was for me, as before this time, I had always had very good health. As a matter of fact, when the symptoms first showed up, I had just returned from a month long trip on my own across Europe.

It started with a slight tingling in my neck, and then within four months a tingling that ran down the entire back of my body. After 4 MRI’s, 1 spinal tap and a WHOLE lot of blood work, my doctor let me know that MS was the cause of my physical discomforts.

I am blessed with a wonderful support system of family and friends, as well as the best neurologist a person could wish for, but this physical opportunity is still a lot to deal with. The medication I began with required a shot once a week (with a 1 ½ inch needle!!) . I used to be absolutely terrified of needles, I got over it. My Dad was even more terrified of needles. He got over it too.

After the first year when I did my annual MRI’s, it turned out that I had new “burn spots” on the back of my neck in the area that affects my legs. Even before seeing these MRI’s I knew that things were not going as smoothly as we would want because I was so exhausted all the time. I also was having challenges when I tried to walk. I used to go for walks in the mountains, but I had one of my major “exacerbations” out there and was almost in a position where I had to ask my girlfriends to carry me back to the car. I tell my legs to move, and sometimes my left leg will just drag and I trip and fall. Then other times, I am holding something in my hand like a pen -and all the sudden my hand just throws it across the room without my willing it to be so. My personal philosophy is such that I believe that this is an opportunity to learn and grow from, but I will not deny that there are days that this opportunity can be quite humbling.

I started on a different medication (Rebif) in 2004. It requires me to take a shot 3 times a week. I have to structure my life with the awareness that whatever I do, I need to plan on having my shots with me. The medication has been working well very well, it burns when it goes in –but knowing the benefits that come from the shots makes it more bearable. I am getting ready to go on a trip to Spain and Morocco for 2 weeks. I know even just a decade ago I would not have been able to make a trip like this because without my shots, I would still be experiencing the extreme fatigue and decreased ability to walk. But because of all the amazing research that has been done, I have more freedom than I might have at any previous time. I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am for that. In saying so, I must also say that I was amazed and honored when Jen let me know that she would be doing this trip in the honor of myself and my mother (who was diagnosed in 2007 and oddly, is not my biological mother.) I know that the money is incredibly helpful to the MS foundation, but it is not just that. It is knowing that there are people out there that care so much and are willing to try and help to make a difference. My thanks to Jen and all who support her on this venture, be it financially, emotionally, physically or prayerfully –and I believe all are equally powerful.

To finish, I want to say thank you to all of you who are willing to take the time to read this, and my best wishes to you all.

Namaste’

Kerri
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