7.46 miles=2:04:03=A NEW BEGINNING

I walked Bloomsday this year with Josh and Sarah, or should I say they walked with me. They are both runners but stuck with me this year on the walk. Since last summer when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I have spent much time putting things into a new and different perspective. This was a huge milestone for me to accomplish. For so many reasons. I think through the fall of last year I was in a place of wanting things to be better but scared of what I could do..or what would happen if I did. Not just speaking of my physical body but also the things that I have struggles with about myself. How I emotionally handle things...being scared of things, being to shy to try things new or fearful of saying hello to someone I didn't know..let alone try and have a conversation with them. My mom always told me as I was growing up (and still today she says it all the time) "Life is to short" Well that is such a bell ringing statement for me at this point of my life. Being told that I have a disease without a cure that in the long run could lead to some pretty serious disabilities. How do I balance those thoughts. You can't just live on the edge all the time for the physical aspect of this disease but you don't want to live sheltered and protected. This is just the speck of information that flooded my head in late summer and fall. By winter I was totally shoving all emotions aside. Out of sight out of mind. If I didn't acknowledge the disease then surely it would just go away. I didn't want to read anymore articles and I definately didn't want to get my blood draw to make sure my therapy drug was not attacking my body. I found myself having some really tough days, battling depression. I just wanted to be where I was a year ago. Though I tried to shove the emotions aside my brain was still working overtime. In early February I started thinking about how hot it was going to be in the summer and heat is a horrible thing for MS. I kept thinking about how with my body being out of shape and the heat coming I am pushing myself into the perfect catch for an episode. I started realizing that I can't control the disease and the limitations it will throw at me, but I can control what I am throwing at myself. So about February 6, I started really watching the foods I was consuming and the activity I was involved in. It was like gear finally grinded into place and I landed feet first and ready to move forward to a new life. The life that I always dreamed about and just never thought I could have. For some reason not feeling like I deserved it. I'm not sure where along the line I got to that thinking place but I did. I am now working hard at understanding the disease, how to manage and what to expect from my body and find any limitations. I am also learning more and more about the important day to day nutrition and exercise that my body needs to maintain the best health possible. In March I decided I wanted to walk bloomsday and I started making sure that I was exercising a fair amount each week and well..Blooomsday was a huge success both physically and emotionally. For me I see it as the kick off to the life I really want. Here are a couple of picutres of the sea of people along the way. It never really thinned out. But I wonder..how can it when there are like 40,000 people. It was crazy! BUT SO WORTH IT!