MS Mondays: Week of July 23

Not everyone who reads our MS Monday series has Multiple Sclerosis, but almost everyone knows of someone who does. Often times when someone we know ­­and love has an illness or affliction we want to help them any way we can, but short of finding a cure or treatment, our options are somewhat limited. Thankfully, The National MS Society has ways for everyone to get involved and raise funds and awareness — from the ultra-runner to the couch potato. Here’s a look at the ways you can get involved!

Walk MS

Walk MS is the easiest way to get involved. And by easiest, I mean you don’t have to train for it and you probably won’t break a sweat. There are almost 600 Walk MS events all over the country, and since its inception in 1988, the event has raised $770 MILLION for MS! Wow! To find a Walk MS event near you, click here.

Want some a tad more challenging? Then hop on your bike!

Bike MS

There are over 100 Bike MS rides around the country. These rides can vary from easy 30 mile rides to longer 2-day rides that span up to 100 miles! That’s over TWICE the length of the entire state of Rhode Island! Find out where the nearest ride is by clicking here!

Still not enough? Try this out.

Challenge Walk

“Challenge Walk MS is the perfect way to embrace a personal challenge of spirit and strength, while making an important difference in the lives of people with multiple sclerosis. Walk together during a 2 or 3 day, 30-50 mile event in one of 10 exciting destinations. Accept the challenge. It will be the most rewarding journey you’ll ever make.”  To see what exciting destinations host the Challenge Walk, click here!

Want something completely different?

Muck Ruckus MS

 

Get down and dirty with the MS Society’s Muck Ruckus.

I hope you like mud because the Muck Ruckus will get you dirty. The Muck Ruckus is a 5 mile trek through water, mud, slime and anything else they can throw at you. According to National MS Society, “MuckRuckus MS™ is the toughest, muckiest event you’ll ever experience. And best of all, it’s for a good cause. Whether you participate with a team, or fulfill a personal goal, you’ll have a blast tackling this challenge course featuring miles of water, mud, and muck, and will be rewarded with much more than a finish line. It’s for the active and the outgoing, as well as amateur and recreational athletes. It’s a good time, and above all, it raises awareness and funds to move us toward a world free of MS.” Click here to find a Muck Ruckus event near you!

What if you want to help, but have no desire to do any sort of physical activity?

Try volunteering! Your local MS chapter loves to get extra help! And you’ll be making an impact for a great cause. Or get your company or community involved with sponsorship or monetary giving! Go to the National MS Society website to find more ways you can fight MS.

And as always, here’s your MS Monday Motivations!

MS Mondays: Week of 7/2

The alarm went off at 6. Most mornings, I’d go ahead and drag myself out of bed, but today I hesitated. Would 10 more minutes make a difference in my overall day? Was it worth being in a hurry to get ready just for those extra minutes? Today, the resounding answer was yes.

Like most of the country, Atlanta is experiencing a record heat wave. And thanks to that, I was awake at 1 am with swollen hands. For 45 minutes, I tried moving my hands to various positions to alleviate the swelling, but nothing seemed to work – I even contemplated soaking my hands in ice water. Finally, around 2:30 I succumbed to sleep and awoke at 6 with slightly less swollen hands.

Needless to say, my feelings toward this Monday were something like this:

Even though I don’t have MS, I know that some days it is harder to get out of bed than others. Some days it takes a little extra motivation to get going. Some days it is harder to smile than others.

That’s why MS Mondays exist. We are here to offer you support and motivation to help you triumph over Multiple Sclerosis. And this week, we are bringing you a full serving of motivation and inspiration. Inspiring people, inspiring books, motivational quotes, and maybe even an inspirational puppy or two.

First, have a look at a few people we think are awesome. 

Jason DiSilva and everyone featured at We Keep Moving

Jason DiSilva, a documentary filmmaker, set out to film people living with MS to raise awareness. Each week, 3 user-submitted videos were voted on, and the winning submission each week got their story told by Jason and his crew. You can view all of the amazing stories here.

Jason is currently working on a film about his own experience with MS. Check out  When I Walk for more information.

Lauren Parrott

Lauren is a young woman who was diagnosed with MS when she was 18. Since 2007, she has been posting videos on YouTube chronicling her life with the disease. We found Lauren’s YouTube channel by accident and were immediately in awe of her never-ending optimism.

Check out her website here: http://www.laurenparrott.com/ and her YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/laurenvparrott

 

Here are a few good reads perfect for pool-side/beach/lake reading! (And water offers great benefits for those with MS!)

Awkward B*tch: My Life with MS by Marlo Donato Parmalee

“Awkward B*tch: My Life with MS is Marlo’s first book. In 2004, at the age of 32, Marlo was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, the most common neurological disease amongst young adults today. From diagnosis her attitude has been ‘forget MS, I still look hot!’She has worked with the MS Society and charities such as Attitude is Everything to raise awareness for MS and other disabling conditions. Marlo has a popular YouTube channel www.youtube.com/teslagirlm where she vlogs candidly and amusingly about her battle with MS. Her topics include sex, injecting medication, fatigue, and travelling. Marlo regularly gives talks about her Multiple Sclerosis at the Royal London Hospital.” (Amazon.com)

Coffee in the Cereal: The First Year with Multiple Sclerosis by Lorna J. Moorhead

“In the quirky, sassy voice that has made her popular on health Web sites and with the women of MS MOMS, Lorna Moorhead recounts the experience of her first year with multiple sclerosis with a vitality unique in the often gloomy world of personal medical histories.” (Amazon.com)

Plus, her follow up book: Phone in the Fridge: Five Years with Multiple Sclerosis

Life Interrupted: It’s Not All About Me  by Chris Tatevosian
“Life Interrupted: It’s Not all about Me, is a candid and humble memoir about one young man’s diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and how his ‘poor-me’ attitude cost him his marriage. Chris hopes others might learn from his mistakes to communicate more effectively and not allow disability and low self-worth to destroy relationships. Chris also writes about his faith in God, and his new wife, Jane, who he married in April of 2007.” (Amazon.com)

 

This week, some pretty cool things happened in the news world of MS.  

Research finds Botox Eases MS Tremors (ABC News)

“Researchers have discovered Botox can significantly reduce the severity of tremors in people with Multiple Sclerosis.”

Balance vest helps multiple sclerosis patients (ABC 7)
“The vest, called Balance Wear…is designed to compensate for involuntary movement and loss of balance using a system of counter weights. Velcro panels inside allow therapists to move the cube shaped weights around as they test the effect on patients.”

Mayo Clinic Uses New Approach to Reverse Multiple Sclerosis in Mice Models (Mayo Clinic)
“Mayo Clinic researchers have successfully used smaller, folded DNA molecules to stimulate regeneration and repair of nerve coatings in mice that mimic multiple sclerosis (MS). They say the finding, published today in the journal PLoS ONE, suggests new possible therapies for MS patients.”

 

There are several Bike MS events in July. Check out the Bike MS page for details on individual rides. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/raceMap.aspx

Bike MS: Minuteman Ride
Chapter: Greater New England
Location: Concord, MA
Start Date: Jul 14, 2012

Bike MS: Mason-Dixon Challenge presented by Capital BlueCross
Chapter: Central Pennsylvania
Location: Gettysburg, PA
Start Date: Jul 14, 2012

Bike MS: Finger Lakes Challenge
Chapter: Upstate New York
Location: Keuka Park, NY
Start Date: Jul 21, 2012

Bike MS: Cactus & Crude Ride presented by Apache
Location: Midland, TX
Start Date: Jul 21, 2012

Bike MS: TRAM Ride
Chapter: Minnesota
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Start Date: Jul 22, 2012

Bike MS: Ride the Wind
Location: Fargo, ND
Start Date: Jul 28, 2012

Bike MS: Wild West Ride presented by BP
Location: Amarillo, TX
Start Date: Jul 28, 2012

 

And what’s an MS Mondays post without some words of inspiration? 

 

 

And finally, because I promised puppies…

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