You see my packet, Michelle has scoliosis. She has a big curve in her back and was lucky to escape having her spine fused when she was younger. Recently, at the age of 32 she has undertaken a very onerous course of non-surgical treatment with the aim of reducing the curve in her spine.
She goes to the chiro three times per week, each time for three hours where she is whacked and cracked and put in to traction devices and bashed around. It takes her about an hour's drive to get to the clinic. On top of that she does one hour of exercises at home both morning and night. Every morning and every night, no matter what. Next month, she is going to The Clear Institute in Minnesota for two weeks of intensive treatment and when she returns, she will bring home a traction chair that she will sit in for a additional 30 minutes every morning and every night.
It's a massive commitment.
And she is totally committed.
If everything goes as planned, she will reduce the curve in her spine by 30-50% and add ten years to her life expectancy.
As an obvious beneficiary of her living a longer and healthier life, I am so excited by the treatment and what it offers.
I am so proud of her not only for taking this on but also for the way she has taken it on. She is so graceful and diligent and fiercely determined. As usual, she is a soul on fire who inspires me every day.
As I have watched her over the last few months, get up early, make up extra work hours, come home exhausted and often bruised from her treatment, I have tried to support her but have felt unable to really make a difference over and above cooking dinner and the usual things you could think of.
The physical adjustment to the treatment has been manageable, we have been working through the logistics of incorporating the treatment in to our lives with a shared car and work but three weeks ago when she got a notice that her health insurance will not cover any more of her treatments and we did our budgets, we both realized that a big challenge is going to be the expense of the treatment.
It looks like the first year is going to cost us $20,000 - $30,000 USD.
holy crap.
but you can't put a price on your health, can you?
so hence my cunning plan was borne: run a marathon, support my packet by going on a similar physical journey to her, ask our friends to join us and raise money to go towards her medical expenses.
easy.
easy?
I have never been a runner. I never ran track in school, I never ran for the train. I couldn't. My knees hurt and I would get out of breath too quickly so I never gave it a shot. Then over the last few years as I have taken control of my fitness I have slowly been able to cobble together the occasional jog, which has made me feel like a rock star. I love the idea of being "a runner;" it sounds so romantic and so quietly powerful.
The most I have managed to run in all of my attempts is maybe 2-3 miles with lots of breaks due to my faithful companion, Clancy, stopping to pee on every second tree. 26 miles will be a challenge but if Oprah can do it, then so can I, right?
So for the next 26 weeks, I am going to train four times a week, I am going to run every Saturday morning with the LA Roadrunners and I am asking my friends to support us by sponsoring me to complete the LA Marathon in March 2011.
Thanks for coming along for the ride
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