Better Late Than Never

It has taken 13 years, but now, I am able to acknowledge that I have MS.  I can also acknowledge MS Awareness Week.  I have been involved with the last 3 MS Walk- Wyandotte’s.  My brother’s girlfriend was instrumental in getting me and some of my family and friends involved with these walks.  My Mom, Sean, and I have been to numerous informational lectures offered by the MS Society.  Finally, this year, I am able to do something for the MS Society and to raise awareness.  It’s better late than never I suppose…

My first MS Walk 3 years ago.

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This is me with my brother, Steve.  I met Patti Radzik from the MS Society-Michigan Chapter at that walk.  I cried with her.

me and Steve 1st MS walk

I don’t have any pictures from my second MS Walk.  There were A LOT more wheelchairs at this walk.  I met and talked (and cried) with  Cheryl Rothe that year.  She also works at the MS Society – Michigan Chapter.

In past years, my school has raised money for the MS Society by having casual dress days.  They would pay $1 and wear jeans opposed to wearing their uniform.  They would purchase a shoe (I used to wear “Chucks” (Converse All-Stars) ALL THE TIME)!  They were paper “Chucks.”

CCA window with shoes 2

CCA office window with shoes

My 3rd MS Walk was last year.  Cheryl asked me to speak to kick off the walk.  There is video of me speaking (and crying) somewhere on YouTube or Facebook or somewhere.  I have never seen it.

  Click picture to see the MS Walk – Wyandotte Homepage.

 

This site is where I looked to get information on MS Awareness Week 2014.  It is where I discovered that I’m kind of a celebrity!  Me and my boy!

This past summer, my son, my brother, and his girlfriend completed the MuckFest.

About MuckFest MS

MuckFest® MS rallies you and your friends for a mucky romp through mud and obstacles in support of a world free of multiple sclerosis. The run is pure athletic hilarity on a 5K course full of mud, and featuring 15+ outrageous obstacles that will spin, swing and fling you up, down and sideways. The only cramp our muckers get is from laughing too hard.

Afterward, there’s beer (or soda), a tasty pick-me-up treat and music in the MuckFestival area. We operate on “the more, the muckier” principle, so invite your friends and family to join you in the hilarious spills and thrills. To get the most out of your MuckFest MS experience, you should start a team or join a team. When you slosh through the mud or take on one of the outrageous obstacles, you’ll want someone to laugh with and to give you a hand up. Later, you and your team can decide who had the most epic spill of the ay. We even have a specially-designed mucky playlot for the kids called Lil’ Muckers.

Me and Sean Muckfest

 

MuckFest 2013 IMG951135

Muckfest all f us

Muckfest me

After the Muckfest, my son completed the Glow in the Park 5k.

What is “Glow in the Park”?

The best way to light up the night! The ultimate party fun run! But most importantly, it’s the freakin’ awesome foam-pits-fluorescent-colors-blacklights-glowing-warpaint-dance-moves night you’ll never forget!

What to expect:

  • YOU will light up the night as you run a 5k – no speed needed!
  • Before the race, you and your friends will each get a goody bag of glow accessories and paint to adorn yourselves to the height of glowy fashion
  • Now to brave the seas of foam (industrial machines spewing foam to the beat of some hot music), the rain storm of UV glow water (volunteers will spray a rainbow of glow water as you run past), and the dust cloud of neon powder (volunteers will toss handfuls of neon goodness to make sure you are covered in color and glowing like a champ)!
  • Once you have triumphantly reached the finish line you will be greeted by a celebratory dance party and a chance to show off your accumulation of glow and your fabulous dance moves.

Glow in the Park 2013 IMG_20130817_214819_183

We are now involved with the MS Society.  It has taken me a while but I am glad to be at this point in accepting my disease.  No matter when I walk (because I WILL walk); I will always have MS.

 

MS Awareness Week T-Shirt Sale 2014

This year, I sold t-shirts to raise money for the MS Society – Michigan Chapter.  Purchasers of a shirt (staff and/or student) could wear it and jeans  ALL week instead of their uniform or work clothes.

Orange is the national color for MS.  This picture is an Aztec Eagle (our school’s mascot).

FRONT

MS Shirt 2014

BACK

MS Shirt 2014 2

I sold 144 t-shirts!  I am EXTREMELY humbled is the only word I can come up with.  I did NOT have any extra shirts after placing the original order and no one had problems with their order.  I think I will do this sale again.  MS Awareness Week is March 3 through 9 this year.  I enjoyed spreading awareness because I knew NOTHING about MS until they told me that I had it.

Monday of MS Awareness Week 2014

The students at CCA were given a presentation about MS on Monday.  Cheryl Rothe from the MS Society came in to talk with them.  Students came to the cafeteria and it started as a power point presentation that morphed into a Q & A session with Cheryl.  She was amazed by some of the questions that the students asked.

6th grade MS presentation with Cheryl Rothe.

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7th grade presentation with Cheryl Rothe.

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8th grade presentation with Cheryl Rothe.

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Overall, the students were attentive and well-behaved.  I was happy to hear some of the questions being asked.

#MSConnections 2014

I was a bit nervous about my 2 worlds colliding.  My personal life (my life with MS) and my professional life (my life as a teacher) have never explicitly crossed paths.  But after sitting in on the Q & A with Cheryl and NOT crying; I realized that it wasn’t SO bad!  Cheryl helped me get okay with this sharing.  MS stops connections from being made between my body and brain.  Making these types of #MSConnections is a really good thing!

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MS Walk 2014

This past Saturday was the MS Walk – Wyandotte.  It took four years, but I didn’t cry!  I only welled up on my way there but NO tears fell!!  My cousin Kimmy was there and she took pictures of Team Rios (my brother named it).

MS Walk 2014 3

I did get some pics of MY team though…

He pushed me the ENTIRE 5k!  I got him a Fudge Brownie Temptation Sundae afterward and called him “My Champion.”

Next year, I am WALKING the 5k on my own!!!

MS Awareness Week T-shirt Sale 2015

I sold T-shirts again this year to raise money for the MS Society – Michigan Chapter. Purchasers of a shirt (staff and/or student) could wear it and jeans ALL week instead of their uniform or work clothes.  Staff and students could wear their shirts from last year as well.  It was SO COOL to see so many orange shirts!

Orange is the national color for MS. This picture is an Aztec Eagle (our school’s mascot).

FRONT

BACK

I sold 125 t-shirts this year! I am EXTREMELY humbled AGAIN. I did NOT have any extra shirts after placing the original order AGAIN and no one had problems with their order. MS Awareness WeekwasMarch 2 through 8 this year. I still enjoyed spreading awareness because I knew NOTHING about MS until they told me that I had it but it all seemed a bit taxing on me this year emotionally which led to physical.  But STILL WELL-WORTH it so I hope to keep it up!

Mike even joined in to support me at Barwis!

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