Complete success at the MS Walk!!

So the MS Walk was today, and it was awesome! First of all, the weather turned out great - 60 degrees and sunny, with a light breeze. Really good walking weather. I cannot believe all the people that were at the walk this year! I think that the way they changed the route to having only one start/finish area made it seem like there were more people at all parts of the trail.

I documented our day in photos, and they are shown for your enjoyment. :)

Lisa and Jessie as we were waiting in a ridiculously long line to get a backpack in which to carry our tshirts and assorted loot.

Lisa and I in the same aforementioned line. I am rocking an assortment of ND gear.

Oh boy, the line was awesome. At least we eventually got the backpack deal, it was worth it. Who wants to carry shirts for 6.5 miles?

Now all three of us are in line. This is the last picture of us in line, I'm sure you are sad already.

Here's Dad, Lisa, Jessie and I at the starting line! We got to have a special photo up there because Dad is a VIP at the event...note the orange VIP necktag on Dad there. Sweet! I also learned that team AmandaJCR was ranked 17th of ALL teams at the walk because we were able to raise so much money ($5,900 at last count!) Not too shabby for a four person team, I bet there aren't too many small teams like us with the big donations!!!

Lisa, me and Dad at the first rest stop where Great River Energy was a sponsor.

Lisa, me and Jessie at that same GRE sign at rest stop #1.

Anchor Bank was the presenting sponsor at the walk, and their team had these great blue shirts that said "Stomp out MS."

We found my name on one of the Golden Soles Club cards - to be in the Golden Soles Club, you need to raise at least $1,000 the previous year. Last year, right after we saw my name, Lisa was nearly killed by a flying tent. We were definitely on the lookout after this point.

Such a good thing, we took two pictures. Unfortunately, we never saw Lisa's name on the Golden Soles Club cards, but we all know that Lisa is a rockstar fundraising genius, and she was probably listed on the other (shorter) route. Maybe I should photoshop the second image and add her name in there. :)

Lisa reenacting the Great Tent Debacle of 2007 - she doesn't really look scared. This is not a true reenactment.

Lisa again, I think she is smiling even bigger in this one. Trust me, when it actually happened, it was very scary, and Lisa was lucky to escape with only a bruise. Check out her blog for the whole story: http://lisamschmid.blogspot.com/2008/05/goal-for-2008-ms-walk-survival.html

Party at the end of the walk - there were so many people there, cheering, eating lunch and enjoying a fabulous spring morning. The cheering at the finish line really makes you feel like a rockstar, it's impossible not to smile.

More of the party after the walk.

A little more food, fun and chilling after the walk. The MS Society does a really great job on the whole day. All of the rest stops and the opening and closing events are really a class act.

The walk ends at Minnehaha Park, home of the famous Minnehaha Falls. This is Lisa in front of the falls - aren't both of them just beautiful?

All in all, the MS Walk was a huge success. We all hit our fundraising goals (both personal and team goals - Lisa, where did that extra $200 come from?? AWESOME!), the walk went swimmingly, as evidenced above, and I think we are all set for another successful year next year. We're planning on building a team AmandaJCR web page for the event next year - so stay tuned (OK, tune back in for that in approximately February)

I hope you've been entertained by this blog posting...until next time, Gadget. Never fear, there will be continued blog posts about assorted fun things moving forward, I'm really trying to be good about blogging.

-SKH

MS Walk and Wandering Dinosaurs

In the past hour, team AmandaJCR has beaten its $5,000 fundraising goal! This doesn't mean that you shouldn't still donate if you were thinking about it, but I am just super excited that we beat that goal!!!

The MS Walk is this coming Sunday, and I checked out the weather today. It looks like it will be sixty degrees and sunny, which is just about perfect walking weather. Let's hope that the weather forecasters got it right, and that it isn't so windy that we repeat the Great Tent Debacle of MS Walk 2007. :)

I'm sure that you've missed all the fun information about Wandering Bront lately. It has been several days since I mentioned it on this blog. Rest assured, the band is still together! We now have several additional members, it appears we are taking more of a rotational approach to membership...that way more people can play. Beth (now rocking exclusively on the bass), Tracy (picking up some lead guitar riffs), John (filling in on drums and also playing lead guitar) and I (still sticking with the singing) played some music on Wednesday night.

I have one complaint about Rock Band, and I really think that this issue affects mostly the singer. Why in the sam hill do so many of the songs include references to rape, murder, waves of mutilation, death, anger and general meanness??? The meanness comment mostly refers to "Celebrity Skin" by Hole, I sang that one to Beth and I think she felt I was calling her a hooker waitress (hey, maybe I was*, but I don't judge). "I'm So Sick" - the bonus song - didn't feel like much of a bonus when you look at the words. During most of the songs, I would look at the words, sing them and then think, "WTF?" All in all, that is a small complaint, but when you are the main singer, it does seem to pile on the crazy lyrics.

We have had some discussions, we're pretty sure that we are actually going to order some tshirts. They'll probably be around $15-20 a piece - let me know if you have any interest, and what design preference you like (feel free to make suggestions here - check out http://www.customink.com/ to build some fun shirts)

I'll leave you with one last photo of Wandering Bront's sometimes groupie, sometimes lead guitarist - all members of this band really go all out. :)

Peace out, friends and fans. Peace out.

-SKH

*Clearly, I was not, but still.

Ta da! The interview with Amanda (from the AmericInn in Moorhead!)

Hello all! Here is the long-promised interview with Amanda...I wasn't really sure how to type it up, so here is my best effort.

(Samantha) SKH: When did you first start having symptoms for multiple sclerosis (MS)? What was it like?
Amanda (AJCRST): My first symptom was optic neuritis - my vision went from 20/20 in one eye to 20/60 in three days. This happened during the summer of 1998. Mom made me go to the eye doctor, and they sent me to the Eye Institute in Minneapolis. They told me that I might have MS, because optic neuritis is a common sympton of the disease. I was referred to a neurologist (Dr. Hiering), who told me to be on the lookout for further symptoms.

SKH: What symptoms did you have next?
AJCRST: Half of my body went numb that summer, 3 days before I was supposed to leave for France to study abroad for a semester. After about a million MRIs, a diagnosis was confirmed. During my bon voyage going away party, Dr. D (our family doctor) called personally to tell me I had multiple sclerosis. I actually ended up not going to France that semester, and went back to college in Moorhead two weeks after classes had begun.

SKH: That sucks. A lot. What kind of treatment did you start off with?
AJCRST: My first medicine was Avonex. I got a shot of this each week at the student health center. After getting the shot, I had flu-like symptoms every time. After six months, I would get fewer symptoms. I took Avonex for five years (1998-2003), and I eventually administered the shot to myself. In 2003, I had an MS relapse.

SKH: Tell me a little bit about your relapse.
AJCRST: My ab muscles hurt after I had been working out, and then they went numb. The numbness spread to the rest of body, and it was hard to walk and hard to go up and down stairs. It was hard to do even the everyday things, like laundry, as the machines in my building were down several flights of stairs. I remember thinking during this bad time that I was doing everything right (with the medication and eating well and taking care of my body) but MS simply doesn't care.

SKH: What happened after your relapse in 2003?
AJCRST: I started taking a new medicine called Beta Seron, which is a subcutaneous shot I give myself every other day. I've been taking it since 2003. During that year, I decided to tell the school district that I had MS. I also stopped directing drama programs at the end of the school year that year - the drain from the programs likely wasn't helping my health. The administration was supportive regarding my MS, but I also found that I received a lot of pity.

SKH: What would you say to someone with MS?
AJCRST: I would tell them that it is not a death sentence, you aren't going to die from it. I also think that is has made me appreciate life a whole lot more.

SKH: Are you involved in the MS movement?
AJCRST: I am not super active in the MS Society up in the Fargo/Moorhead area, but did participate (and encouraged others to participate!) in the 2008 MS Awareness Week this year. I've also attended the MS Women's Luncheon in the Cities, I donate money to the MS Society (supporting my sisters, best friend and dad down in the Twin Cities walk), and I am proud to say that one of my schools is walking in the Fargo walk this year! The staff at Ben Franklin Middle School are showing their Wildcat Pride by raising money for the MS Society and walking on April 19 (SKH: yes, this was today, and 49 people walked for the team!!!) I am the team captain for the Wildcat Walkers.


Interviewing Amanda was interesting for me...we would go from laughing about the silly things to being silent about some of the sobering realities of MS, all within a span of less than a minute. Overall, I think there is a message of determination, and ultimately of hope. As Amanda says, knowing what could happen with MS is very scary, but you absolutely have to live with MS every day, you can't wallow in it. Amanda's defiance against the disease is inspiring...she plans to go skydiving someday soon to prove her point:

"MS WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!!"

A quick update (don't worry, interview coming soon!)

I can't believe how fast this week has gone by...and I can't believe how tired I am.

The family went to Cafe Ena for Jessie's birthday last weekend, and then on to Jersey Boys. The atmosphere at the restaurant was pretty cool, and the food was good as well. The company was the best part there. After dinner, we headed over to Jersey Boys (with a short romp via Uptown, oops) - the show was awesome!! I loved it. The story was good, the singing was good, and I just liked it. I even ended up getting the soundtrack and the greatest hits of Frankie Valli this week. :) My sister Lisa is right, we three sisters and our dates were the youngest people in the audience around us. Crazy.

A great fluke of Facebook status stalking got me and some of the family a private backstage tour after the show - it was cool to see just how much detail and work go into each show.

Other than Jersey Boys, I've been pretty busy at home and work. I did some spring cleaning last weekend, and need to do more this weekend. My best friend Stacy will be in here next weekend, and she's allergic to cats, so I want to get as much cat dander out as possible.

I wanted to put your mind at ease...you haven't missed my interview with Amanda, but I haven't figured out exactly how I want to type it up, so it will be coming soon (look for it this weekend). In MS Walk news, our team is at 21% of our $5,000 goal, so keep those donations coming!!

Hoping to enjoy some nice weather this weekend...

-SKH

Why Samantha is walking

So I am hoping to get a note from everyone on our team that gives some of the reason that we are each walking, but since I am me, I can start with myself. The most important reason I walk is for my sister, Amanda. Amanda is one of my favorite sisters (I happen to have two favorites, and two sisters, funny how that works out!) - that's a picture of her and her husband, Blair, when we were on vacation in Montreal, Quebec last summer.

Amanda was diagnosed with MS nearly 10 years ago (wow, has it been that long??). For those of you who don't know, multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Check out the National MS Society's site for more information on the disease. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-is-ms/index.aspx

While there is currently no cure for MS (and that's what we are working to change!), there are several forms of medicines that some people living with MS are using now. When I interview Amanda on this blog, we can talk a little bit about the medicines she's taken, and get some of her perspectives on MS. Well, and we'll find out what cool things have been happening in her life lately; it's important to note that while MS is a serious disease, it does not have to rule your life.

This is actually my fifth walk this year, and each year, I've been able to raise a little more than the year previous. I'll need to continue that trend this year...as a team, we gave ourselves a big goal, and I think that we will be able to reach it!

Welcome to my world!

Well, this is the beginning of a whole new world for me. Sure, I've dabbled in MySpace blog posts, mostly spurred by my travels and travails, but have never had an honest-to-goodness blog. Does this mean I get to bug my friends to be on their blogrolls??

I've really decided to start this blog with a commercial (yet philanthropic) purpose: I am the captain of our team for the MS Walk this year, and I think that a blog might be able to share information in a better way than the MS site. However, I will definitely link to that site so that readers can donate!! (Starting...now...http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/amandajcr) We've got a bigger goal than we've ever really dreamed of, so we have some work cut out for us.

In addition to the MS Walk, I think I will use this blog to keep people posted on where I am and what I am doing. I'm guessing that my posts will often be silly and fun, because hey, that's who I am. :)

My next post will cover some details about the MS Walk for 2008, including why we are walking, when the walk happens and what you can do to get involved.

Stay tuned for fun times with me...

-SKH