The People Around Them

Last week I was privileged to be able to go with Trace for his treatment. Most of the time I just give him a hard time for faking it just so he can go and spend time with Lynn...his nurse for the last 11+ years. I had no idea that I was the one in for an unexpected experience. What I was able to see was the pain and especially the fear that goes along with MS and the treatments. People like you and I have to sit there and have some liquid pumped into their bodies in hope that it will improve their quality of life in some way. Some people sit there all day!

Now Trace is a veteran at this so he is somewhat unfazed by the process at least on the outside. It amazed me that everyone that came in for a treatment seemed to be more concerned about others. Trace kept making sure I was "OK" and a mother of two very young kids was very concerned about her father's ability to entertain the boys while she was detained. She made a simple but profound statement: "I just want to be there for my boys". What a reasonable request! Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way to assure her that opportunity?

For me the real eye opener was the waiting period after the infusion. For these people it is a time of worry and filled with fear of how there body is going to react. We all have enough fears in life. Can you imagine adding another one?

As I walked out I realized that these people that I crossed paths with are all doing everything they can to manage and improve their situation in life. I'm not so sure that people without these kind of heath issues (my self included) can openly state that they are doing everything they can to help themselves and others. My message is for those that do not have MS to get up and do more. Take better care of yourself and the ones around you. Most of all if you can find a way to assist someone with MS, I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and do all that you can for them.

Team Inspiration Texas strives to encourage, empower and ignite individuals with diagnosed neurological challenges and the people around them to lead more active, fulfilling, and healthy lives.

Jim

THE KEY: QUALITY OF LIFE

My triathlon coach, Michelle, has a gentleman on her team who about a month ago had a tragic cycling accident that currently has him paralyzed from his mid-section down. As you can imagine, this has been and will continue to be very challenging for him as well as for his wife and two young children. This event gave me great pause. I know what my diagnosis did to my sons. I also know that my boys gave me the biggest reason not to quit fighting and to do whatever it took to create as normal a life as I could for them given my “limitations.”

What I have been fighting for for about the last year has not been about beating everyone else in the triathlon or even getting a great time. It has been about my quality of life. I had my infusion yesterday and Lynn told me about a patient that may never be able to complete a triathlon or 5K or any athletic “event” but, because she read our blog, decided that she wanted to improve her quality of life. Lynn got her a bike pedal set that simply sits in front of her chair so that she can move her legs. None of us knows what that might enable her to do in a year, two or ten. It doesn’t matter. I would bet that the simple fact that she is pedaling has already improved her quality of life and lessened the natural human response to dwell on “our problems”.

I spoke to a group of young leaders at some of our team members’ high school the other day. One of the young ladies in class said that a family member died of MS because she quit when she got the diagnosis. I guess my rambling point is that being active may not make our medical problems disappear but it most assuredly will improve our quality of life and will certainly keep us from dwelling on things that are negative. That is what is important. Not winning a race. Maybe it is not something physical or athletic. Maybe it is painting. Maybe it is singing. Find SOMETHING that prevents you from dwelling on the negative, gives you a positive attitude and improves your quality of life. Do not expect your life to continue as YOU planned. Take the life you are given and make it GREAT.

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace

CB&I HERE I COME!

48 DAYS 13 HOURS 38 MINUTES AND 15 SECONDS!

DANG IT! I AM GOING TO BE READY TO DO THIS THING!

BRING IT ON!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

Trace (aka Trace the future triathlete)

YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME

It always interests me to see how folks deal with their challenges, whatever they may be. We frequently see people that handle things negatively and quickly let their challenges define who they are and ultimately defeat them. I am learning through the amazing folks around me to face them head on, look them straight in the eye and shout “You’re not the boss of me!” I know. A bit juvenile but, hey, it works.

Yesterday I had a chance to have an awesome chat with Ron Brannigan with the group Because We Can. I loved how he described his group to me. He told me that his group rides the MS 150 from Houston to Austin every year and how much he enjoys that ride. Oh. And the riders all have MS. But Ron said when starting to describe his group that they are all in denial of the fact they have MS. (Ssssshhhhh – don’t tell them.) I thought that was such an amazing way to describe how to deal with a challenge and it is certainly not a form of denial that requires enrollment in a 12 step program! (www.becausewecanms.org).

Being a part of Team Inspiration Texas has allowed me so very many opportunities, the most rewarding of which is that every time I turn around, I discover and am surrounded by folks who positively destroy their challenges. It empowers me even more. How cool is that?! The point to all this ranting is do not let your challenges define you. YOU define them. Take them and deal with them in such a way that others will be led to defeat their challenges the same way. Why, you may ask? Because We Can!!!!!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace

THE MYSTERY OF RECOVERY

I want to talk about recovery today. This applies to everyone, not just folks challenged with MS, although it has always been a huge issue with me. I think we are scared to extend ourselves based on our previous experiences. In the past, if I would exert myself, it would frequently take me a long time to recover so that I could function somewhat normally. It could take me several days to a week or more. Sometimes, I would have to go on IV steroids to combat the weakness and fatigue. What does that do to us? It discourages us from exerting ourselves to that level again. But what does that do? Gradually, we just get weaker and weaker because we have not engaged our muscles or our minds. We have not made ourselves “uncomfortable” or challenged our bodies. By the lack of exerting ourselves, we just get weaker and weaker so that when we do something which causes us to challenge ourselves, our needed recovery time actually increases. It is a vicious circle.

One amazing thing that has happened to me in the last 10 months has been through physically challenging myself, my recovery time has become practically non-existent. In the last week I have done a couple of things that some might say were not smart as far as exerting myself. I have on more than one occasion when leaving the gym been asked if I needed help or if I was okay. Perhaps it was the obvious limp or perhaps it was the fact that I looked like I was 3+ sheets to the wind drunk. Now in the past, it would have taken me at least a day or two to recover from this state if I was lucky. Now, I return back to normal usually in less than an hour. (Yes, there is a serious question among many as to whether I am capable of being “normal”.) So, I have added to my growing list of stupid Trace tricks fetes to amaze those around me by showing them that I am fine. Like everything that we have talked about here, this has not happened over night. Be smart about pushing or exerting yourself and know your limits. Push yourself a little every day without over doing it to the point that you actually increase your recovery time. Patience and baby steps, a recurring theme! Particularly patience. It has taken me almost a year and I still have a lot of improving to do. Ask me in 10 years or so where I am!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace

CB&I ALMOST FULL!

If you would like to join Team Inspiration Texas for the CB&I triathlon, registration is almost full. We would LOVE for you to join us! You can register at:

http://www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/index.aspx?NID=306

Peer pressure: Come on. Do it! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

Trace

Today with Trace

Folks,

Trace is entering into the final stages of preparation for the CB&I Triathlon. This morning Trace and I met for a bike ride and a walk.

I know it sounds like a broken record when I say this but Trace was AGAIN amazing. I had planned a 5 mile bike with a 1-1.5 mile walk.

Well we biked 10 miles with ease then proceeded on the walk straight away. Not only did we proceed on the walk, Trace went without his walking sticks, a first out on the open road in a long time. Trace was super strong today. I think we could have made the entire CB&I course today comfortably. Oh yeah, we road 10 miles and walked 1.2 miles in 1:20 minutes. Pretty awesome.

Then we went for breakfast! This man excels at everything that is put in front of him. Was a great morning.

Nathan

WINNING

I was approached by someone yesterday asking about the triathlon. They asked, rather incredulously, “You aren’t racing to win or even place are you?” I simply looked at them and said, “Of course I am.” They looked at me like I was crazy as many usually do.

The Light the Night walk for leukemia was just last fall. Trisha, Joe, Heidi, Anne, Terry and I met at Market Street in the Woodlands to start the short 2 mile walk. I would say several hundred people were there and the square was buzzing with excitement and noise. When I finished the walk, basically being carried by Heidi and Joe, the event had already closed down. Very few people were even in the square, the tents were already taken down and gone and the bands had packed up and left. I mean, you could hear crickets chirping! But there was a young man named Ross who excitedly congratulated me and another who decided to begin his weight loss journey, saying that he was inspired. I won.

Since this started, I have won. New, amazing friends. The formation of Team Inspiration Texas, a team that can only be described as huge and growing of people doing this triathlon with me. An opportunity to reach out and talk to others with challenges and give them hope and encouragement. The creation of a nonprofit organization that will continue this work for years to come. The excitement of knowing that the CB&I tri is the first of MANY events that I will complete. By doing, I win. PERIOD.

I may be acting a bit arrogant when I say this here and now but YES I DO PLAN TO WIN THE CB&I. It is my sincere hope that each of you win as well. The winner’s podium is as big as we need it to be. See you there!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace