The Arthritis Foundation Walk

This weekend is my second and final walk of the year. We did the first one in Evansville, IN a couple of weeks ago.

I just want to share what this walk means to me. In May of 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 I walked the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in honor of my beloved Granny. That walk involves serious fundraising (minimum $1800 per walker) and then the walk itself is 13.1 miles the first day (up to 26 is you are super motivated and fit- which I am not-lol) and then tenting out overnight and then walking a second 13.1 back to the starting point. It is long, it is tiring, it is worth every single blister that I got-and I averaged 10+ per walk-lol. In the four years, one year was absolutely beautiful, one it was snowing, and two it was raining. But I would have walked it again and again and again.

Then- RA entered my life in August 2005. 2006 was a rough year. I did my walk and packed so much Thermacare along that I was a giant heat wrap all night. After the walk it was weeks before I could walk right again- it triggered a serious flare. 2007 I was almost afraid to walk- but I was determined because we raised enough for my son-who was finally old enough- to walk with me and because I was leaving the Northeast a few weeks after the walk. I did it- I completed the whole thing- and I paid enough that I knew that it was my last one. :-(

It has been two years since that last walk- and last year I really, really missed it. I missed the fundraising for a cause I believe in. I missed the training, I missed the camaraderie. I try very hard to live my life positively- but that was one thing I could not get past giving up.

Over the last year I have begun my methotrexate and got it to a good level for me, I have begun Enbrel- and it is working well- and most importantly- I adopted Harley who makes me get out there every single morning and night and put one foot in front of the other.



Those three things made me confident enough to find a new walk to work toward and I recruited my dad to walk with me. At the beginning of the month- when we did the first AF walk of the year- and we did it in good time- I felt like I had reclaimed a lost part of my life. And it felt GREAT. I can't wait for our walk on Saturday. If I do these three miles with as much ease as the last three- there will be no stopping me!