Challenge
It may seem as though I have been swallowed into the vortex of negativity lately...but I have been up to a few cool things. The most important and most pressing at the moment is this...
http://www.mymschallenge.com/amelala
I am walking in the MS Challenge Walk this September 7-9. It's a fifty mile walk from Carlsbad to San Diego and the mission is to raise money for MS research. My goal is to raise $2500. The reason I am doing this walk is that my sister has this awful degenerative disease. She was diagnosed when she was fifteen and is now 31. Her entire adult life has been spent dealing with this debilitating illness and the frustrating array of symptoms that it brings...you name it...muscle weakness, numbness, memory loss, blindness, and the list goes on. She'll often say to me, "Hey you know smart people, can you ask them to find a cure for this?" It breaks my heart because the smart people I know write screenplays, edit reality shows, and teach rich kids. And so when she asks me this I feel like a total blowhard inept loser. Here she is struggling every day just to get out of bed, fold clothes, do her hair, not be in a wheelchair, and I am depressed?
Anyway, this is something I can do. Well, the walking part at least. The fundraising part is my personal challenge. I have a hard time asking for help so this has been a new experience for me and as much as I hope to raise a few bucks for MS and show my support and commitment to my sis, I have a feeling I will learn a few things about myself along the way.
I am walking in the MS Challenge Walk this September 7-9. It's a fifty mile walk from Carlsbad to San Diego and the mission is to raise money for MS research. My goal is to raise $2500. The reason I am doing this walk is that my sister has this awful degenerative disease. She was diagnosed when she was fifteen and is now 31. Her entire adult life has been spent dealing with this debilitating illness and the frustrating array of symptoms that it brings...you name it...muscle weakness, numbness, memory loss, blindness, and the list goes on. She'll often say to me, "Hey you know smart people, can you ask them to find a cure for this?" It breaks my heart because the smart people I know write screenplays, edit reality shows, and teach rich kids. And so when she asks me this I feel like a total blowhard inept loser. Here she is struggling every day just to get out of bed, fold clothes, do her hair, not be in a wheelchair, and I am depressed?
Anyway, this is something I can do. Well, the walking part at least. The fundraising part is my personal challenge. I have a hard time asking for help so this has been a new experience for me and as much as I hope to raise a few bucks for MS and show my support and commitment to my sis, I have a feeling I will learn a few things about myself along the way.
7 comments:
Amie, my mom has MS, i am totally TOTALLY with you. my sister does the Walk in Boston every year. and my mom was at least, luckier in some ways--she already had her family and watched her kids grow up before she was diagnosed (though she's still young--fuck "prime of life" diseases). my heart goes out to you sister...but as far as my research indicates, there's much scientific peresual into this disease, more than most, so maybe they'll figure something out quick. and ok, i'm at work and have to go now, b.c writing this is actually making me tear up, and that is NOT cool at work. good luck with the walk and all my good energies to your sister.
havemycake,
They say 400,000 people have this disease in the US but I feel like that must be a really low estimation because since starting this I have learned that so many people I know have someone close to them with this monster of a disease. My husband's mom died a few years ago after battling a really progressive form of MS. I just really want to do anything I can to spread the word about it and speed up the discovery of a cure.
I hope my walk in some small way honors your mom too.
-Amie
I too know a couple people with MS. This is wonderful of you. Good luck, eh
Very cool. I'll contribute.
wow...just checked back; left a comment here days ago that apparently didn't post. anyhow, the gist of it was, Amie, I think your walk honors anyone that has MS and anyone that loves anyone with MS. So thanks for walkin! My mom just went to this conference about this new-old (once pulled from the market but now back) drug called Tysabri. It's controversial for a number of reasons, but also shows lots of promise. If what your sister's on now doesn't seem to be maintaining a stable level of health, maybe you guys should research it?
ps--sorry, didn't check for typos and just now, had to repost again!!!
havemycake,
Thanks for the info...i'll pass along. my sister is on beta-seron and has been for many years. Hey, I can't get onto your blog anymore which makes me sad. Is it something I said?
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