This boot was made for walking

Even with the super annoying boot I've been forced to wear since being run over with a gurney in the OR (ok, that was slightly dramatic, but whatever) I managed to still do the Walk MS this year. The weather was GORGEOUS this year and I'm so proud to report that Team Hope raised $5000!

Mason was in and out of the stroller the entire walk, but he did great. He was totally into all the airplanes on Lake Hood, and was excited to see a couple take off from the runway. Only in Alaska would a walk have to stop to let a plane go by!

I know I say this every year, but I am so overwhelmed by the love and support of our family and friends every year. Thank you all who donated, and thank you all who came out and walked for our team. So many people aren't as fortunate as I am to have such an amazing support system, and sometimes I need to be reminded of just how lucky I truly am.

My baby brother. His sign says "I walk for my sister"

Mason's friend Ashe and his daddy came

Mason and Todd running around 

My sweet boy. His shirt says
"I wear orange for my mommy"

Trying to get that kid to look at the
camera is impossible sometimes! 

The kids all got balloon animals after
the walk. Mason and Haily each got monkeys.

Ashton and his alien

Me and my boys

Finally looking at the camera and it's the
most phallic shot ever! Ugh!

Sticking out his tongue like monkey

Couldn't get everyone together for a picture, but
here is some of Team Hope. Check out Mason, what
a bookworm! Just like his mama :) 

Team Hope

This year's Walk MS will be held on Saturday, April 16th. I really hope you will consider walking with our team, but if you can't make it, please help us out by making a donation. Our team's fundraising goal for this year is $3000.

Here's the website where you can sign up, donate...or both! http://nationalmssociety.org/goto/teamhope2011

Thank you so much!

Walk MS 2010

This year's walk is just a little over a month away!!! Please go here to make a donation or to sign up to walk with us. Our team fundraising goal this year is $2500 and right now we are only at $1500. It's a long way to go, but I know we can make it!

I went to AK Serigraphics last week, and this year, all Team HOPE members will be getting a Team HOPE t-shirt!!! Whoohoo! (thank to KK for the design) As always, if you fundraise $100 you receive an official Walk MS t-shirt at the walk.

Please please please please! If you can't make it to the walk, make a pledge to one of our team members.

Thanks so much!!!

Team Hope 2009

Thanks again to everyone who walked or donated. Hope to see you next year!

A big thanks

Thank you to everyone who showed up and/or donated to the Walk MS this year. We had a good size team again on Saturday, and the sun even came out for a little while. I'll get pics up soon, I just wanted to say thanks first. And, as far as I know, Team Hope was the #1 fundraising team for 2009!!!

Side effects

It's official. As of Monday morning, I am on a disease modifying drug for my MS. After learning about the "big three" and weighing the options of each, I decided to use Copaxone. It's a daily sub-q injection that I give myself. So far, it's going pretty well. Luckily I haven't had any of the side effects other than right after my injection, the site gets red and itchy. I had a lot of anxiety leading up to this week, mainly because up until now I could still push MS into a tiny corner of my brain and now being on treatment makes it suddenly so real. It was also difficult to decide to wean Mason and give him formula much earlier than I originally planned.

(side note: he took to formula like a champ! If that boy is hungry, he eats! And a HUGE bonus...he sleeps longer at night...often up to a 7 hour stretch!!!)

(another side note: don't forget about the MS Walk this year! Sign up or donate here)

Walk with me

The 2009 Walk MS is coming soon! April 18th is just around the corner!!! Todd, Mason, and I will all be there again this year (Mason was there last year technically, I just hadn't really told anyone he was there yet).

PLEASE join our team and walk with us. If you can't be there, you can make a donation that will help raise funds to find a cure for MS! Team Hope, as well as me individually, were top fundraisers last year...and I would love to do it again this year! Your help would be greatly appreciated.

For more information on MS or to find out more about the walk, go here or just ask me!

A few simple facts

I haven't had to rant in a while about MS, so maybe it's just that I'm overdue, but it seems that lately ignorance is rearing its ugly head again. I admit, before my diagnosis, I was fairly ignorant about MS as well. I honestly don't mind talking about it, answering questions, none of this bothers me. What does bother me is people who think they are the expert. Anyway, here are a few facts. And if you don't want to take my word for it, the National MS Society has a great website with tons of information.

* Multiple Sclerosis is NOT the same as Muscular Dystrophy
* It is estimated that 400,000 people in the U.S. have MS, although these numbers are thought to be much higher since it's not a reportable disease to the CDC
* I did NOT get MS because I drink Diet Coke! Or because of any other reason other than I have bad luck. It's an autoimmune disease, my body attacks its own myelin.
* It is OK to be pregnant if you have MS! Actually, because of the immune response and extra hormones produced in pregnancy, MS usually goes into a remission period.
* With the above being true, yes, the post partum period can be difficult. That being said, for me, I'm prepared for it and have already decided on my course of action. (For those of you who are curious, I'll be doing monthly IVIg infusions for a while so I can still breastfeed)
* MS does not mean I'm dying. Nor does it mean that I'm going to be in a wheelchair.
* No, I'm not passing it on to the baby. Seriously, if this were true do you honestly think I would have gotten pregnant? The decision to have a baby was not an easy one, and I still worry about all the what-ifs associated with MS and what they would mean for my child.
* My MS has been fine since I've been pregnant. Since my diagnosis I've been lucky to have only had mild symptoms, and since I became pregnant, the symptoms have all been gone.

I know there's more. I get asked some pretty heinous things sometimes, but this is all I can think of now. Maybe I should start a weekly post for MS Rumors/Updates.

One last thing, I received a "Save the Date" reminder for the 2009 Walk MS. This year the Anchorage walk will be April 18th. I will be putting together a team again, so be expecting an email with more info soon.