Friends,
Happy Labor Day. I hope you enjoy your Labor Day weekend this weekend.
MS Just Keep Moving ‘Day of Endurance’ – Labor Day Weekend 2023
As I’ve lived with MS through the years, I often reflect – When did I feel the best mentally and emotionally since I’ve had MS? It certainly wasn’t when I was first diagnosed. That was a really scary time for me. When did I feel the best physically? When did I feel the best spiritually knowing I was in good hands? When was I the least afraid of MS? When did I feel I was inspiring others with MS and perhaps minimizing their fear of living with MS a little? MS is different for all of us. Those are some deep and emotional topics for me to reflect upon. MS has been tough and continues to be.
As I reflect on these topics, there’s an 8 year period of time; from 2008 to 2015 that I felt the best in all those areas. What was I doing during those years? Exercising with friends at a level I could make it to an Ironman distance triathlon start line and finish three out of four attempts. This did way more for me mentally, emotionally, socially and spirtually than it did for me physically.
For the last few years, especially through the pandemic; I really miss these years. I’ve been thinking about what “we” can do to create an opportunity like this and share this experience with others with MS. I’ve been waiting for Labor Day weekend this year to announce that I have an idea. I hope you’ll join me on this journey. I hope you too will personally make progress mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically living with the challenges of MS on this adventure.
Regardless of the level MS has affected us, we can all make progress in some way. Let’s put something “BIG” on our calendars for Labor Day weekend next year and work “together” toward it for an entire year. Let’s call it our first annual “MS Just Keep Moving Day of Endurance”.
What does that mean? It means we work hard together for an entire year (starting now) to see what we “can” do. I realize some people can’t do much and only wish they could do more. I know that’s a tough spot to be. I’ve been there. Since MS is so different for all of us, we’re going to need to be a little creative on how we help each other do the best at what we each person “can” do. Perhaps we can get some people without MS to help people with MS do what they can do that day.
We will have swimming, biking, walking, running, wheelchair, etc. options available. We won’t have any rules (other than being safe) so you’ll be able to do what you “can” do. It will be somewhere in the Lake Country area on a nice route and out of traffic as much as possible.
More information will come as we put this event together. We’re going to need event planners, volunteers, cheerleaders and participants. This will not be a public event. It will only be open to anyone living with MS, our volunteers, family members and friends. It will be on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend 2023. Save the date, mark your calendars and start training for it now. I get it that there’s not another event like this out there for people with MS. That’s ok, let’s work together and make it epic. It’s nice not having any rules to follow and each person can do their own events at their own level with or without the help of friends.
Please let me know what your intention is for our “MS Just Keep Moving Day of Endurance” next year. Thanks for joining us in some way!
Fund Raising / Event Planning Team
We are ready to start our fund raising and event planning meetings back up. Are you willing to help us with either of these initiatives? If you are, please let me or Joan Ruffino know. We’ll have our first get together this Wednesday, August 31st at noon in the lunch room at the gym. I hope to see you there.
Just Keep Dancing
Ricky and Shirah asked if they could do a dance lesson. We’ve been wanting to do this ever since Dr Ng had a dance study that many of you participated in. Here’s some information from Ricky and Shirah:
Just Keep Dancing
Taught by Shirah Apple, Panadanza Dance Company
Sunday, September 11th, 1-2pm
At MS-Just Keep Moving Inc.
Based on the Yes You Can Dance program this class is open to anyone that can dance on level ground including those who need to use a cane, walker or device for assistance. We will start out learning basic dance steps and have a good time. Bring a dance partner or make one at this fun class. Dance helps improve coordination, balance, and social connection while having fun together.
RSVP to Ricky, 414-759-8169 or openlotusyoga@yahoo.com
I hope you will join us!
Amazon Smile
Thank you to all who are using Amazon Smile and choosing MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc. as your chosen non-profit as a beneficiary. So far Amazon has donated $806.46 to MS-Just Keep Moving as a result of you using Amazon Smile and choosing us when ordering from Amazon. We have instructions for this at the gym. Please continue to use it. It all adds up.
MS Education
Tom Holtackers is preparing another educational event for us. Hopefully I’ll have more information next week. If you would like to contact Tom directly, he’d love to talk with you. You can e-mail Tom @ mssux@mac.com
Tom is excited about doing MS Education presentations on exercise in the near future. Thanks again Tom for doing this for us! It’s much appreciated.
Open House – Save the date
We’ll be having our 2nd annual MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc. open house on Saturday November 5th from 2:00 – 5:00pm. We’ll be having a program at 4:00 expressing gratitude, sharing info about our programs and sharing some inpirational stories of people living with MS within our MS-Just Keep Moving family.
Volunteers are appreciated at our gym
Thank you to all the volunteers who are stepping up while we’re a little light on volunteers this summer. I really appreciate it and I know all our friends with MS appreciate it as well. Thanks also to all our friends with MS who are helping each other. It’s a beautiful thing to see this happening. I wish the rest of the world would be more like the people that come to our gym. The world would certainly be a much better place.
Let’s get together!
We’ll be getting together again from 9:00am – noon on Wednesday and Friday mornings at the gym. I hope you’ll join us!
Wisconsin Metal Parts – Westmound Building
W228N791 Westmound Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186
Prayer Group We’ll be having our prayer group Wednesday @ 11:00am.
I just love the way we share, pray and laugh together while we witness prayers being answered weekly. It’s truly amazing!
Thanks goes to God and to everyone that joins us. Let’s get together to share, listen, talk, give thanks and pray however God leads us.
MS Just Keep Caring – Our Caregivers support group will be the first and third Friday of each month from 10:00 – 10:30am. The next one will be this Friday, September 2nd . If you’re a caregiver of someone you love with MS, please join us and share your experience of caring for your loved one. This has been very helpful for many. Thanks to all who participate!
Friday Morning Bike Rides
Let’s continue to ride as long as it’s not raining. If you’re considering riding the MS Bike ride next year, now is the time to start riding with us.
We’ll be meeting Friday mornings at 7:00am at Nettesheim Park in Pewaukee. It’s on the SE corner of Hwy SS and Oak Street. The GPS address is: N26W27495 Prospect Ave, Pewaukee, WI 53072. Come a little early so you can get your bike out of your car and be ready to ride as close to 7:00 as possible. We’ll ride until about 8:45. Let’s ride and have some fun!
It’s amazing to see so many people with MS riding together and having fun 😊
For those of you who wish you could join us but can’t; please know we have you in our hearts on these rides. We’re riding with you and for you. I hope you too can join us someday. We really need to get this MS thing figured out. Let’s keep working on it together.
COVID There seems to be some COVID going around again lately. We’ve all been dealing with this long enough and are very well educated on it by now. Let’s make good choices and be safe.
Please stay home if you have any symptoms or know you’ve been exposed to someone with the virus. Please don’t come until your symptoms go away. Let’s also give each other some space when talking to one another and continue wiping the machines down before and after you use them with disinfectant. Again…let’s be socially responsible and stay safe!
Our Facebook page is private. That means you’ll need to join if you want access to all our fun and progress. Lots of people are doing more and more and sharing of their journey on Facebook. Feel free to join and share your experience and comments. We’re now up to 252 members…awesome! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2639832389489709
Thai Massage with Ricky Heldt Ricky will be here Wednesday and Friday again this week doing Thai Massage. Ricky says he is comfortable to work with you even if you’re not wearing a mask. Ricky will continue to wear one to protect you.
Many continue making great progress with chronic pain relief, range of motion, walking better and a new sense of hope when Ricky works with them. Please keep in mind that consistency is key. Not only with Ricky…with exercise too. We need consistency to realize the benefits long term. We want you to have long term relief.
Ricky has a sign up sheet based on first come first serve. You can pick the time slot that works for you. I highly encourage you to take advantage of Ricky’s Thai Massages each day and sign up for your time slot as soon as you get there.
Reiki with Linda Linda will be here on Fridays doing Reiki. Many people say Linda’s Reiki work is “magical”. We’re thankful for Linda offering her gifts and talents to us. Feel free to let Linda know you’d like to do Reiki with her. She also has a sign up sheet.
Inspirational Humor with Adam Wollert
We’ll be having our inspirational humor zoom call with Adam again next Tuesday. Adam is a gift to all of us.
Please join us if you can.
Tuesdays @ 1:30PM
Here’s the link to join us…I hope you do!
Join Zoom Meeting with this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9431389152?pwd=bWlYbFNaazVnM1M1cWxWMitlODdXUT09
Meeting ID: 943 138 9152
Passcode: 3qP2hu
Phone: 1-312-626-6799
Let’s reach out
I encourage you to share a smile and encouragement with someone. Perhaps you could call someone that you haven’t talked with for a while just to say hi and see how they’re doing. We all could use a little extra love and encouragement.
MS is tough. Let’s have faith, remain calm, be flexible, help each other and learn as much as we can about the challenges of each day as we make good choices.
Let’s keep moving and smiling 😊
In God We Trust…we’re in good hands
Dan
P.S. Last week on one of my early morning bike rides, I had an awesome sunrise through some fog in a valley. I just thought I would share.
This past weekend I had an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunrise at a good friends’ cottage up north. So peaceful!
We even caught some nice fish 😊
