"if you dare (or care)"

So, how does one raise money for the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge if you can't actually run the marathon? Hmm, that's a tough one. 2006 was my first DFMC Boston Marathon. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I was very happy with my time, fundraising, and first Boston experience. I participated with the patient partner program, running on behalf of Jonathan, a twelve year old boy with Leukeumia. Well, here we are in 2008 and I can't run this one. Just can't physically do it. Oh, I'm on the team. I've done a bunch of long training runs. But my neurologist, orthopedist, and neurosurgeon all think it's not a good idea. Why? Two blown disks. L3-L4 and L2-L3.

Ever wonder what all that pounding on the pavement can do to you?
Take a look:

That grey blog in the middle of the spine (where it looks curiously out of place), that's a ruptured disk pushing against the left nerve root. Right now, my problem is muscle weakness in the left leg. But it didn't start that way.

When you have a really bad disk problem the pain is, well, pretty severe. Health providers like to ask you to put pain on a 10 point scale. For the first couple of days I called it a 9, when I rate a 10 as muscle being ripped off your bone by a scalpel with no anesthetic. Ouch.

These are the pain medications (just pain, mind you) that I went through in the first 4 weeks:

They just brought it from a 9 to a 7 or so.

If it doesn't get better by itself, then the next step is surgery. But before surgery, we tried a neural block. That's when they put a syringe into your back, right up next to your nerve, and put in some nice steroids to reduce inflamation. This is what it looks like to get one:

See that straight thing coming out of the vertebrae on the left side? That's the needle. Pretty cool. Oh yeah, if you want to, you can look up at the screen and watch the whole thing happening in real time. Very cool. (Thank God I'm done with kids.. imagine how much radiation that is blowing through you to get that movie).

So, what's the worst part about the injury? The pain? Nah, I just couldn't walk for 3 weeks. The loss of muscle strength? Definitely not cool. But, no, the toughest part is not being able to get out with the rest of the team for track and the long runs. Not having that anticipation leading up to Boston. That's what sucks.

But then again, it ain't cancer.Everything in perspective, man.

Maybe I should send out some pictures for my next fundraiser?

--Martin

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=225656&lis=1&kntae225656=EC4A16A28B2A403B8AB4B6A5D850539B&supId=102569206

my day at the office

tuesday was by far the best day i've had in a while. why you ask? because yesterday i spent a good part of the day with my patient partner Hunter Donigan. before i get into Hunter, her journey and our day, a brief introduction of to the DFMC Patient Partner Program. the DFMC PPP matches runners with patients at the Institutes Jimmy Fund Clinic. this is my second year as a running partner to Hunter and her family. Hunter is 6 years old. she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) when she was 18 months old. her first treatment lasted 2 years and 1 month. she spent 2 months off treatment, then relapsed. my friends, one wish and prayer i have for you is that you never see an email in your mailbox that says "we got bad news today." on march 20, 2006, i got that email and it sucked, it sucked so bad. countless times i've asked how they do it? how this family has the strength to go through this not once but TWICE? i can't answer the question, but they have, through their strength, will, determination and love, here we are just over 2 years later and the kid (and family) are kicking ass and taking names! kcuf recnac (martin that's for you, thanks!).

i have known Hunter and her family for 5 years now but she's only been my partner for this year and last. you see my friend Katie, her mom, ran on the team in 2006 but with the new treatment schedule and a 4th "bun in the oven", she had to take the last 2 years off. next year when she is back on the team i am hoping we can share the duties ;-). i as a runner have grown to need this little persons strength. i can honestly credit much of my running success to Hunter. when you meet her and her family all you get from them is determination, love, unconditional support, and unmatched strength. selfishly i grab and hold onto as much as i can, when i know they are with me there is nothing i can't do. for us DFMCers, if i may speak for my peeps, our real success comes from truly embracing why we do this, that ultimate finish line. kcuf recnac.

on to my day, for the first time in about 5 years i called in sick. now was i really sick... no. i didn't feel great but on a normal day would i have called out? obviously not since it's been 5 years (and the last time i'm quite sure i was hungover). so i got up nice and late and went over to the Jimmy Fund Clinic where Hunter was getting treatment. if you haven't been over there GO, it's an amazing place. as soon as i get there we get right to work, creating her poster for the Pasta Party. seriously, the thing is LEGIT! we've got sparkles, stickers, mazes, pompom hair (i don't know what you call that pom pom stuff) and we've got "bling" like you read about! while i'm there, there was so much going on, nurses in and out, bells ringing, tears, laughter, wandering patients just stopping in to say "hi." no matter what it was, Hunter wasn't even phased, amazing, the kid is a rock star. finally the poster making comes to an end, (seriously we have so much "stuff" on this thing, all i can think is "abby is going to kill me, there is no way in hell they are going to be able to laminate this!" sorry abs!) and Hunter wanted a drink, so Katie leaves for a couple of minutes. Hunter and i are kicking back watching TV, "kimpossible" i think when all of a sudden something starts beeping (not alarming, just kind of annoying). obviously i have no idea what's going on but i do know it is coming from the apparatus by her bed. so i look at IT (give it the stare down as if that will make it stop), i look at Hunter (intently watching kim-what's-her-face save the world), look at the TV (to see if she is in fact saving the world because she certainly isn't turning the beeping off), then look back at the darn machine. without even looking away from kim-whose-a-ma-dinghy, Hunter presses the big red button on the gigantic remote thing... still dinging.... still dinging..... where the heck is this nurse..... still dinging... then like an angel a voice sounds "can i help you?" (p.s. not angelic) um... um... i look at Hunter, ah, kid are you gonna say something..... nope. so i say in the meekest voice (none of you have ever heard) "um, yeah hi, the, ah thing... um machine... it's 'dinging'." the voice "okay be right there." PHEW, saved! then from nowhere, a voice from the bed. without taking her eyes off of kim-dingle-nuts, "it's ringing, not dinging." i start cracking up laughing, and say to this 6 year old, "well, how am i suppose to know what's going one, you were suppose to do the talking, not me." Hunter just starts cracking up. it was hilarious, the kid totally called me out! the two of us got laughing pretty good thankfully, temporarily drowning out that dinging, i mean ringing!

so that was my tuesday at the office. after work i joined the group for beers and pizza in waltham, oh yeah and a hill workout. good times. as i said the first time i blogged, it's all about the celebration. for you, what you've done, for someone else, for their life. blow off work and celebrate my friends!
kcuf recnac!
RUN ON.
27 days
huntersrunningpartnerlaurie
http://www.caringbridge.org/ma/hunter/

FUNDRAISING PHASE II

i'm not sure if anyone knows this but i'm selling training shirts as a fundraiser. i am happy to say that the project has been ridiculously successful, and i owe it all to you! thank you, thank you, thank you!

now onto phase II; FAN T-SHIRTS for your sideline crew on April 21st or maybe donor thank you gifts. the design will be the same, except it will be a cotton t-shirt.
since everyone has been really receptive to the "slogan poll" on your right, i have added another one, color.
black (see training shirt)
or
red (seen here)

come on friends, polls are fun!?
i assume the reason no one has participated in the first one is because you need an explanation... so here it is. my hope is to screen the back with a slogan, something short & sweet (possibly creative). to entice you into clicking off your fav, the first 5 people to give me their thoughts on color and slogan will get one from me as a "thank you for playing" gift! so participate in BOTH polls, and if you are one of the first 5, add a comment to this post so i and everyone will know you won.

thanks again everyone!
laurie

PS - 28 days from right now we will be celebrating.... keep running friends... we're almost there!