Kicking MS Butt!

After a few years of being quite well, I decided to take the opportunity to do a fund-raising adventure for MS Australia. This adventure has been on my bucket list for a long time, to go bush walking in the snowy mountains and climb Australia's highest peak. The first part of the 6-month journey started in May, with the goal of raising $2500, but I had no idea how to do that, other than putting it out on Facebook. Eventually, the total kept ticking over, and my gymnastics club where I'm a coach donated the proceeds from pajama week... a gold coin ($1 or $2 dollars) for wearing pj's to class! $1000 I was so humbled by the spirit of my community, but I was also really nervous!

Now I really was committed!

I was nervous about being short and not being able to keep up or slowing down the group, whom I didn't know. I was also a bit overweight, and my previous relapses meant there were about 7 times I had to learn to walk again, so I'm a bit weaker on the left side. I wanted to use it as an opportunity for some good training and fitness.
I had also taken on a huge challenge of having surgery to reduce my breast size. It took a lot longer to recover than I expected, and I found time getting away from me! I had also started studying a post-grad course. I made myself a lot busy! So between work, study, and my hobbies and church involvement, it was a challenge just to get there!

I encountered another hurdle but was able to overcome it

Then I sprained my ankle 4 weeks out from the trip. Thankfully nothing that strapping and physiotherapy and some rest couldn't fix, or mostly fix! Finally, it got close to it happening! The weather report was a worry, with temps not far above freezing... it was supposed to be the end of spring in Australia! On the day I left my hometown, however, we woke to the news that our whole region had badly flooded. One village had been just about swept away, with a couple of people not making it out alive. There were roads closed due to flood water and road damage, and I had one chance left to go via Sydney. When I got to the next major town from where I live, they closed the road over the river.

I started to worry I wouldn't and boy am I glad I did!

Panicking, I followed the only other route, despite driving a section of closed road but made it.
Meeting the group was like meeting up with old friends! Laughed, shared our stories, and ate good food!
We stayed in a lodge, and did day walks. On the 3rd day, it was the day for our trip to Mt Kosciuszko. It was hard going at times, through thick snow covered paths but to my delight, I could keep up, and the group was very happy to cater to everyone's needs. There was even another person with MS! We had even been diagnosed the same week, and were a similar age!

I celebrated my MS anniversary in the most insane way possible

But the best thing? The day we climbed Mt Kosciusko, was 13 yrs to the day of my diagnosis. It was mind blowing the emotion! I hadn't planned it, and I certainly didn't think 13 yrs ago, I would ever be doing what I just did.
I wanted to do this for others with MS while I still could. But what I got in return, was so much more! Friends, a supportive community behind me, and knowing that my illness doesn't stop me from doing the things I love, or want to do!