Thank goodness for Friends...

As you may have noticed I haven't been on here in a while...ok, it's been a long while. My friend helped me set up this web site. Then I forgot know to get back in to it...Yep, the MS and my memory are friends. I think they must have a great file system I still haven't figured out because now things go into my brain but don't anyway come out the same way. Let just say the messages must be written in crayon by someone who doesn't speak English.

Finally I remembered to ask the same wonderful friend to help me get back on...It's great to have friends that will help when you need it and not laugh to much. Plus another friend helped me clean my back room and we are doing a yard. I'm trying to learn about "life is a river" things must flow through. This means use it and pass it on! Thank you my friends!!!

Greeting and News

Thank you all for donating to Glen and me in this year’s MS Walk! Your support in this event is important to many people in the NW. The money raised is used to help with different programs like the yoga classes, water exercise classes, cooling vests or hand controls in the car, prescription medical expenses, scholarships for college, Kid's camp for kids when a parent has MS, and research for a cure. I know a cure is just around the corner.

We had a beautiful spring day! The temperature was in the mid 70's under clear blue skies with a light breeze, to keep the walkers cool. It was perfect! Could it have been because I told everyone it was going to snow? Glen says, “It’s the tent”.

DJ’s Doug and Denise Daniels from MIX 105.3 at KONA radio station had lots of great music for us to get the morning moving and start the walk (plus they brought the chocolate Spudnut donuts as promised!). Denise has some snapshots posted on the MIX 105.3 website from her scrapbook if you want to see for yourself. The Tri-City Court Club (Teri Lynn Nelson and crew) led the stretching exercises; Debbi Shea (our honoree) spoke, and we were off. I was sporting my new walking stick! Glen and I were near the back of the crowd as the walk started. If you could have only seen the walkers! There were all modes of transportation-some were running, walking, Mom's with strollers, kids with bikes, scooters, and wheelchairs. The path along the river was lined with friends and family joined together by the need to do something about MS. The one thing everyone had in common was a smile and friendly wave.

We strolled along the river chatting with different folks. I got a chance to talk to Sen. Jerome Delvin about some of the issues – research and life sciences being a couple of them. He was walking with my friend Jaime Hagarty’s Team MMSJ. The river was calm, people laughing, talking and just having a great time enjoying the walk.

These simple movements we sometimes take for granted can mean everything to a person with MS. Because MS can stop the movement in your leg, arm, hand, speech, or any part of your body, life should be celebrated and enjoyed. This too, showed on the walkers’ faces around me.

As the walkers stop for breaks under the shade trees of Columbia Park, water and snacks were handed out by many different volunteers. Our thanks to the many who gave their time and effort to make the walk possible, and we hope to see you all again next year! Before long, Glen and I headed back to our wonderful team tent (Nita’s Friends), and had snacks and lunch (prepared by the NMSS). Meriel Miller, from the Court Club, decorated the tent with star balloons and many colored punch balls. In fact, I still have one of the punch balls. It was great!

You know when someone says, that they know a band that might play for us at the walk, “They play some kind of jazz, I think”. Heads nod, eyes roll, and you think, “Sure, why not?”. Well Romagossa Blu (the band) was great!. They opened for B.B. King, I understand. Anyway, if you get a chance to go hear them, it is well worth the price of admission. We could hear these guys playing as we walked back the last little bit.

Our tent was waiting for us! Chairs, somewhere to put our feet up and rest again. And lots of food! What more could you have asked for? We had friends, shade, food, drinks and great music to listen too. Did I mention folks were dancing in grass to the music? Plus you could have massages; get your favorite thing painted on your face, and many more fun things. Then there were the prizes to be given out…no, we didn’t take home any of the winners (although my Mom did make a blanket that was given out).

Now I guess you are wondering how much money was raised? Our team is up to $7753 at this point. The number from all the money donated online and the money turned in on Saturday. Pledges are still out for some of the team. It was a huge team this year, 50 members. Anna Cirolini (9 years old), the youngest walker on our team raised $312.

Next year, when you hear me talking about the MS Walk maybe you will think about joining us for this fun-filled day. It is a day of hope, celebration and where people join together to raise awareness of MS. Ok, we raise money too! Step by step, the money we raise for research brings us closer to a cure every day.

Thank you again for your support.
Lenita

Interviews!

Yesterday was a great day for promoting the Walk MS event this Saturday! We had several interviews between yesterday and this morning. First we started yesterday morning with an interview at KONA radio with Dennis & Michael. Next we headed across the hall to Mix 105.3fm where we talked to Doug & Denise. The evening brought the first of our TV interviews. It started at Jaime's house with an interview about MS and her experiences, then we (Me, Jaime, Donna, & Dominique) all met at the Tri-City Court Club for a more in-depth Walk interview, where we all got on the exercise machines and it made for a great story!

This morning brought a VERY early morning interview. Before the sun even got up (5:30 am we hit the air). We were on KVEW's Good Morning Northwest with Kevin & Julie. They have even started their own team (lead by the weather girl...Molly). They have promised to be there Saturday with their walking shoes on and ready to go!

While on the air with KONA radio, Dennis surprised me with a beautiful walking stick! As soon as I am able I will get a picture up for all of you to see. :) It is hand made by one of his friends, with a lovely pink handle, compass, shamrock good luck charm, and my name is carved in it too! I can't wait till you all get to see it. The reason he did it is because we were talking one day after one of the other interviews about my grandpa starting a walking stick for me before he got sick and he was never able to finish it. I brought back the piece of wood he was going to make it with so at least I have that. I always wanted one though and so now I have one.

I am sure looking forward to seeing everyone at the walk. Please join us if you are here in the Tri-Cities, or happen to be passing through. We will have lots of food and some great entertainment. There will also be a raffle where some wonderful prizes will be given out. It is going to be a beautiful day and Molly (at KVEW) this morning said it is going to be 77! Let's hope she's right. It would be a nice change from the rain we have had over the last couple of years.

I hope I am starting to get some readers now that I am getting the hang of this (Jaime has been helping me). So to all of you who are reading, have a great Tuesday!

MS Walk 2008! Begging for $ Please :)

Spring is a time of growth and renewal. In 600 MS WALK locations through the county, family and friends gather together, all walking to raise money for a cure to multiple sclerosis (MS). Wouldn’t it be wonderful, if this was the year that a cure was found? MS is a disease that tends to strike people in the years they are most active with career and/or family (20’s-50’s). A diagnosis of MS comes out of nowhere and changes your life -- stopping momentum in what should be the best years of your life.

The sun was shining on the spring morning 1993 when I went to the doctor. I really didn’t have time, Glen and I were busy planning our wedding, the Candy store I was managing had just opened and I was training new staff. But my leg had been bothering me for a couple of weeks, and it was getting increasingly numb. I didn’t have a doctor, so I kept putting it off. Glen did and I finally went to his MD. Dr. Cable was an older gentleman, and we chatted about my case and symptoms. He told me that either I had diabetes so bad I should be dead, or I had MS. But he wanted more tests to be sure. Well, I’m not dead, and it turns out that I do have MS.

Little did I know about future, but then who does? Glen and I married that summer with me wearing FLAT shoes and trying not to fall. Over the years there have been some falls, bumps and bruises, things dropped or spilled. There have been days of tears and days of smiles, days of questions, and days of answers. Then you hold a new grandchild! But the whole time you’re holding this wonderful brand new bundle of Life you’re wondering if your hands are going to work, and if you can hold the new baby without your hands failing you. There is nothing like the feeling I get holding a grand baby! It chases away all the fatigue and blues. Grand kids don’t notice if I have to nap when they do, or talk with smaller words, or say the wrong words, because they do it too. Having trouble finding words (both written and spoken) has been a challenge for me over the last few years. Sometimes just a smile and nod is all that I can get out; other days I talk people’s ears off about topics that may (or may not) not match the previous topic of conversation.

So, with the spring coming, I have been busy building my MS Walk Team. This year we are 40 people strong. I have walked in the MS Walk for the last fourteen years, and have organized “Nita’s Friends” for most of those years. Over time, the team’s faces may change, but not the spirit! We walk to help those who can’t. We walk to raise money to help with research, which brings us closer to a cure every day. In the February 17, 2008 issue of Nature (a highly respected scientific research journal), researchers at Stanford University, the University of Connecticut and other institutions report having uncovered hundreds of proteins that are active at different stage of MS, particularly in the active lesions. Many of these proteins have known functions in the body, but a handful of them have no known function and may play a role in triggering an “event”. Researchers have focused on two proteins (using a mouse model), and using existing drugs have blocked their activity, and have demonstrated the ability to improve symptoms. This is real progress, and we are learning more about this disease daily! In addition, there are over 200 new drugs that are currently in clinical trials. The funding for this research comes in part from the National MS Society, much of it from donations to the MS Walk. Step by step, we are getting closer to a cure!

Glen and I will be leading our Team “Nita’s Friends” in the Kennewick MS Walk on April 12th, 2008 in Columbia Park. We are asking for help with donations to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. You can donate to me by checking out my personal page here or you can donate to my team by visiting my team page....Nita's Friends! Remember it is tax deductible donation. We appreciate your support, no amount to small or great.

Please choose to donate, no one choose to have MS!

Thank you, Lenita

Intro

Hi! I am new to this whole blogging thing. I can't promise anything at this time, but for now I am going to give it a shot. :)