(and it's okay to ask me about it.)
Oh hi.
It’s been awhile and I apologize for that. These past six weeks have been relentless.
I don’t want to unload everything that life has thrown at me over the past six weeks too much here, but here’s just a sampling: significant MS attack (followed by a couple of smaller aftershocks), a close friend of mine passed away, one of my dog’s anal glands ruptured, and now….
Hey everyone! I’m giving away a copy of Just Jen: Thriving Through Multiple Sclerosis!
This is my friend Krysa Skaramagos-Leedy.
My last words to her were: “On your brain???”
Her response was that she wasn’t worried. She was optimistic and upbeat.
As usual.
And now, just over a month later, she’s gone. Continue reading “For Krysa.”
I recently had the honor of meeting with Colleen Kalt, President and CEO of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Wisconsin Chapter, so that she could hand deliver my Big Cheese shirt (Big Cheese=the top 100 fundraisers in the state–something you’ve helped me accomplish each of the three years I’ve done WALK MS so far) this year and hear my story! She’s so empowering and I cannot wait for what is in store for me this fall. 😉
Speaking of fundraising, it’s that time of year again and I’m excited to be walking alongside fellow MSers and our allies for the fourth year in a row! We have just under a month and about $2,800 to go! Year after year, you’ve helped me obliterate my goal for WALK MS—please consider helping me smash it again this year. Every dollar truly makes a difference in research and treatment options for people living with multiple sclerosis (like me!).
We’ve seen the results of this recently, when the FDA approved the first drug ever to treat primary progressive multiple sclerosis (!!!) and that has also been shown to stop the disease in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (!!!). That’s a huge victory for all of us and is a result of your support.
Also! Do you own a small business? I’m looking for sponsors by Friday, April 14—please contact me for info! I also am seeking sponsors for this year’s team t-shirts!
My personal WALK MS fundraising link: Click “Donate to Cat”
Last year’s WALK MS:
My thoughts on the newly-approved drug for RRMS and PPMS:
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting me.
Hey! I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Follow me for updates and musings between blog postings!
You can also read articles I’ve written for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society here!
Want to get updated when I post a new blog entry? Enter your email address in the field on the right side of your screen and get treated to an email alert when I post here! How modern!
Questions, comments, or love letters you don’t feel comfortable posting in the comments below? Email me at itsonlyabruise@gmail.com.
To wrap up Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, I thought I’d do something a little different and hand the floor off to someone who is very much aware of the effects that MS can have on a person and their relationships: my husband. Caregivers are often overlooked and need just as much support (if not more) as we do. These silent warriors stand beside us, stealing and forging spoons so that we can just simply get through the day.
So! Handsome and fearless caregiver, take it away! Continue reading “Through the Eyes of a Caregiver”
It’s quite a bit different than anything I’ve posted before and way out of my comfort zone, but my latest blog for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is now live on MSConnection.org!
You can read and interact with it by clicking HERE!
Also! I’m donating 25 cents to the NMSS for every new follower I get on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube) through the end of this month, up to $100! So if you’re not already, go show my social media some love. See below for direct links!
Hey! I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Follow me for updates and musings between blog postings!
You can also read articles I’ve written for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society here!
Want to get updated when I post a new blog entry? Enter your email address in the field on the right side of your screen and get treated to an email alert when I post here! How modern!
Questions, comments, or love letters you don’t feel comfortable posting in the comments below? Email me at itsonlyabruise@gmail.com.
What did I do wrong? What could I have done differently? How could this happen?
What did I miss?
We ask these questions in the wake of local or national tragedy. We ask them when our children misbehave. We ask them when we suffer a financial loss. And we ask ourselves these questions when we hear the words:
You have multiple sclerosis.
Traveling with MS, for me right now, isn’t terribly inconvenient. As long as I make sure I carry snacks and water, plan out activities with naps and recovery time factored in, pack clothing that’s appropriate for a wide range of weather, and ensure that I have refrigeration for my medication, I’m all set. Easy!
I’d mentioned in my review of “Just Jen” that I’d recently spent some time in San Francisco and I just wanted to share some of my California adventures with you. 🙂
Buckle up, folks. There’s going to be a lot to look at here. Continue reading “Gentle People with Flowers in Their Hair: My Trip to San Francisco”
Last week, I had the honor of being contacted by Jen Powley, an amazing and inspiring woman who has spent nearly her entire lifetime battling an aggressive form of progressive multiple sclerosis. She is a quadriplegic, is catheterized, and is on a feeding tube. She had the opportunity to write a memoir and asked if I’d like to read her book, which is due to be published in May of this year, and review it from the standpoint of someone who lives with MS.
Alright, gumshoes! Have you ever considered every decision you make throughout a single day? Neither have I–until those small decisions had the potential to turn into big consequences.
My most recent article for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is LIVE on their blog and you can read and interact with it by clicking here! It offers a tiny glimpse into a day in the life of someone who lives with a chronic illness and it was inspired by one of my favorite books as a child, starring Carmen Sandiego.
Say…where in the world is she, anyway? 😉
Hey! I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Follow me for updates and musings between blog postings!
You can also read articles I’ve written for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society here!
Want to get updated when I post a new blog entry? Enter your email address in the field on the right side of your screen and get treated to an email alert when I post here! How modern!
Questions, comments, or love letters you don’t feel comfortable posting in the comments below? Email me at itsonlyabruise@gmail.com.
