FitFriday: Take a Hike...My 2 Mile Hike with MS

Me Down by the River

As a child, my mother always said that I liked to go on adventures. I was a social butterfly that loved to meet new people and go to new places. I have always had an affinity for the unknown. I thrive on change and respond well to challenges. Maybe that is why I was chosen, yes chosen, to face my current battles. One day my daughter told me that I was built to have MS, and it took me a long time to figure out that she was right.

There is a quote that says, "God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers." When you are in pain, it is hard to recognize this truth. When you are in the valley, it is nearly impossible to the view from the top of the mountain. In some rare instances, with the help of others, I can envision the view from the top and use it as a compass. In other instances, each step toward the top of the mountain reveals glimpses of our desired destination.

This where I had to stop,
 the stairs were too steep.

Our PSC hike was a combination of both. It was on my birthday and something that I had never tried before. We have had several hikes, however, my MS and asthma were my main deterrents. With MS, heat plays a major role in temporarily exacerbating existing symptoms. With Fibromyalgia, cold and rain temporarily exacerbates existing symptoms. With asthma, the cold makes it harder to breathe and over exertion makes it worst. The thought of hiking brought on anxiety; yet I was working on becoming a new me. I had vowed to never be the same and running away from a challenge wasn't in my DNA.

So the morning of my birthday, I decided to boss up! I woke up and first did my nebulizer treatment. Then I used both of my inhalers and took my routine handful of pills. Next, I found my cooling vest and iced down the gel inserts. I found my Frog Tog (it is a cloth that you wet and it stays cool for hours) and put some bottles of water in with my gel inserts for my cooling vest. Then I prayed. I asked the Lord to order my steps, give me strength, and with my family in tow off we went to face what I thought was the impossible due to my various illnesses.


When I arrived, I found that I didn't have to do this alone. My friends and family literally held my hand and had my back. And oh was it worth it. we crossed a beautiful lake and walked along side of the river that had waterfalls. Though I did not complete the whole course, I did my personal best and saw a glimpse of what was to come. Now I have a new challenge and goal and that is finishing the entire trail!

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