Reach for the Stars!!!

It's been four days since our "Slice of Hope for CMT" fundraising event and I still can't believe how much we accomplished. Our event was a complete success with a full house, delicious pizzas and dessert pies, over 50 items being raffled off and over $13,000 raised!!!! Yup! Almost three times our original goal of $5,000.

The Chief of Police, aka John's boss, also made an appearance to represent the mayor and read the proclamation declaring September 13 as Charcot-Marie-Tooth Awareness Day in Shelton!!

When I first thought of doing the event, I thought we had a lot of potential since my husband was born and raised in Shelton and we would probably get a lot of support. The final results were beyond my wildest dreams. I originally wanted to set our goal around $3,000 because I thought $5,000 might be too much. HA!!

I have a background in marketing and event planning and expected this to be a lot of work. Well, it turned out to be even more work than I thought, but the rewards were also so much sweeter. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you plan to do something like this...something for a CAUSE...something that will help others and yourself.

I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, financial donations, and words of encouragement. So many people have approached us and mentioned how they never heard of CMT and how they would have never guessed I had any health issues. So many people have offered help and prayers. And so many others have simply just said what a great job we are doing at spreading the word.

As the event organizer, I knew everything that was going to happen that night, yet, I got the biggest surprise. Jeana Sweeney from the CMTA, drove up from Pennsylvania to support our event. This is the second time she drives up for a fundraiser that we're involved in and I was so grateful that she could be there to help us. To my complete shock, during our thanks and what I thought was going to be a short presentation by Jeana about CMT, she presented me with the CMTA I Am A Star Award!!! I was completely speechless. Lynne Krupa, our Support Group Facilitator, went on to read the emotional letter my sister submitted, which you can read here.

I am so thankful and honored that the CMTA chose me as their recipient. I see so many posts on Facebook and online about active CMT'ers and I can't believe they chose lil' ol' me.

I've been in "hibernation" since Saturday, pretty much just sleeping and relaxing...the event definitely took a physical toll, as much as I tried to sit whenever possible that night. I feel like we accomplished so much here in Connecticut this Awareness Month and I'm so proud of all the work we did to get there. I would encourage anyone who is interested in taking a more active role to do so. It may be taxing on our bodies but it's very fulfilling for our souls.

A Slice of Hope for CMT: Update

Our fundraiser is moving along so well and so much has happened since my first blog post about the event. Here are some of the updates that have been going on in the last few weeks:

• Governor Malloy proclaimed September CMT Awareness Month in Connecticut and Governor Christie did the same in New Jersey

  

• Our tickets are almost sold out!!! We will be done selling them all in the next couple of days
• We have received great support from the community and received lots of contributions for food and raffle prizes, we now have about 40 prizes to raffle off...gift certificates to restaurants, supermarkets, spas, gas stations, car washes, gyms, jewelry and bottles of wine
• So far, we have raised $3,500!!!! Our total goal is $5,000
• The CT media has helped us spread the word about the event and CMT. You can see the 3 interviews we did here:
  
  
  1. Shelton Herald: http://sheltonherald.com/24517/event-to-assist-shelton-resident-battling-rare-disease/
     
     
  2. WTNH: http://www.wtnh.com/news/health/raising-money-to-research-rare-disease
     
     
  3. Valley Independent Sentinel: http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/archives/entry/shelton_resident_raising_funds_awareness_of_rare_disease/

I definitely did not plan on sharing so much about our lives when we first set out to do this, but it has been a very rewarding experience. It has been great to receive support from so many people and also to be approached by so many who now know that CMT does not stand for Country Music Television!

If you would like to make a donation to support this event and CMT, you can visit this link:  http://www.cmtausa.org/url/sliceofhopeforcmt.

CMT and Yours Truly on the News

Things have been really busy around here lately!!! And busy in the best way possible :)

I did an interview today with Jocelyn Maminta, a health reporter from WTNH 8, a local TV channel. I am so grateful that my neurologist, Dr. Daniel Dicapua, was also available to do this interview with us and lend his expertise. This has been an amazing opportunity to raise awareness about CMT and discuss our "Slice of Hope" fundraiser on a much bigger forum.

To view the interview, please click here:
http://www.wtnh.com/news/health/raising-money-to-research-rare-disease#.Ug7hD_oV9zA.email

To like our Facebook page, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/ASliceOfHopeForCmt

CMT Awareness Month is going to be BIGGER and BETTER this year!!!!

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Awareness Month

It's official, Gov. Dannel Malloy has signed an Official Statement proclaiming September 2013 as Charcot-Marie-Tooth Awareness Month in the State of Connecticut. Thank you Governor for supporting our cause and giving hope to the millions of people who suffer from CMT.

 And thank you also to Governor Christie for proclaiming CMT Awareness Month in the State of New Jersey! Very exciting times for all of us CMT'ers!!

A Slice of Hope for CMT

Thanks to my physical and pool therapies, the right medication and lots of faith and praying, I have been feeling better the past couple of months. As CMT Awareness Month quickly approaches, I felt the desire to do more this year...to plan my first fundraiser and awareness event!!! It's definitely a bit daunting to take on the responsibility but the idea has been received really well by everyone, especially the wonderful support group I'm a part of.

My husband was born and raised in the town where we live and he works. Needless to say, he knows everyone. So I thought I could take advantage of that and plan an event at our local firehouse where he's a member and ask local business to participate by donating the food and sponsoring our event. All money raised will benefit the CMTA STAR Research Program.

We have lots of ideas in the works but I wanted to share our flyer and sponsor form here...in case anyone would like to contribute. Very excited for this to be a very successful event!

LIKE us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ASliceOfHopeForCmt

CMT and Pain

There are many different symptoms that identify CMT. Not only is our condition the most commonly inherited neuropathy, but it also manifests itself differently from patient to patient. One of these symptoms that I would like to discuss, which is not exactly accepted by all doctors, is pain.

According to Wikipedia, pain is an unpleasant feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli, such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, or putting alcohol on a cut. The International Association for the Study of Pain's widely used definition states: "Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage."

Pain is what led me to my Charcot-Marie-Tooth diagnosis and my pain has evolved over the years. Back then, I had pain on the balls of my feet because of my calluses and felt pain with each step. Then I began having a lot of "charley horses," pain in my calves, which I still have to this day. My most challenging form of pain wouldn't make its appearance until years later - my thighs. It's a strange form of pain, hard to describe. It feels like pressure, as if there is something permanently suffocating my thighs. This last type has become my biggest concern as it just refuses to go away, ever! It's my companion 24 hours a day...always present in my life. As I have described in earlier posts, I have started to take medication and do therapy that help give me some relief. However, many doctors still do not accept the idea that CMT causes pain. They try to tell you that you must have another unknown condition. As if one invisible disease wasn't enough! 

It can be extremely frustrating to try to persuade a medical professional of a symptom you have that is being caused by an actual diagnosis you have. The more and more I speak to different CMT'ers throughtout the world, I am convinced that pain indeed is a symptom of CMT. It would be great if we and the professionals who can help us were on the same page.

I wanted to write this post because I recently found out about an organization that very much cares about pain and is doing everything it can to help me and people like me. One of my dearest friends from church and I have always had a very special bond. She has a neurological condition and also has feet and pain problems. I always say that she's my body double! She recently attended a conference organized by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), mentioned in Wikipedia quote above. She returned from this event extremely excited because this is a very serious organization, highly respected in the science world that focuses on research about pain. She told me that there were over 7,700 individuals from all over the world at this conference; discussing updates, presenting new ideas, and exchanging information. All of these professionals had one goal in mind: helping to alleviate pain, physical or emotional.

Over 1,000 professionals during one of the sessions.

I just wanted to share this information because it gave me a lot of hope and maybe it can do the same for you. It's great to know that there are thousands of people out there looking for a way to help ease our pain and suffering, and not only professionals in the CMT field. I am not holding my breath that there will be a cure in my lifetime, but I am very hopeful that I will be able to live happier, less pain-filled days sometime in my future.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It!!!

Today is a very exciting day for our collaborative CMT blog: Clicks for CMT. The Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation wrote a great article about it (Kudos to Melissa for getting this interview). To read the article, please click HERE. It's so exciting that our Fab Five blog is getting this exposure!! 

We have had over 3,500 views this past month alone!!!! When the 5 of us set out to do this, we definitely did not imagine that it would get so much momentum so quickly!!!!

Keep up the wonderful work girls!!!!

Rolling Around

As we are halfway through CMT Awareness Month, I have been thinking about possible topics to write about and realized I haven't touched on a subject that has been part of my life for over a year or so...it may be because I am still in denial, skirting the issue, ignoring, or just not talking about it unless necessary. It's not as if I'm ashamed, but when I think about it, it's a bit of a different reality to accept.

What I am talking about is how much more dependent I have become on using a wheelchair. My ability to walk or stand has gotten so limited that I don't venture out anymore without it. Last year, I purchased a CR-V just so I could have the wheelchair in the trunk of my car at all times. It has become a constant support and major assistance for me whenever I go somewhere that requires any browsing, walking or standing for more than 10 minutes.

While I am more than happy to be pushed around and am very glad that I get to do more than I would if I was on my own two feet, at the same time, I have some strange feelings about it. I try not to focus on the negatives: how young I am, how much more I was able to do not even 5 years ago, how I will manage pushing a stroller on my wheelchair when the time comes, and whether my future/inexistent kid will be embarrassed that his/her mama is on a chair...I know these are silly thoughts but sometimes they do pop into my head. I guess accepting the chair as part of my reality is a bit bittersweet ... when I was younger, this is definitely not how I imagined my 31-year-old self.

I also get annoyed at times with random strangers, all too eager to stare at me to try to figure out what's wrong. I can see their eyes going from head to toe looking for the reason I am bound to my chair and then looking at me a bit perplexed when I stand up to take a picture. I wonder if I am the only young person they've ever seen in that condition.

My dad and John took turns pushing me around in Newport, RI

I am thankful to my husband and my parents for always being more than happy to push me around. No matter how many times we need to get in and out of the car, John calmly assembles and disassembles the chair for me - I could not have asked for a better guy. I am also very grateful for my faith because without it, I may feel that things were unfair and do the "poor me" routine.

I also realize that I am lucky not to need the chair permanently...that I DO get to get up when so many others cannot...I think the process of acceptance is a long one, it doesn't happen overnight. Some days I am perfectly fine and others I am more emotional about it...I guess I just better keep on rolling on and enjoying the opportunity to enjoy this world on two wheels and a cushy seat...

CMT's Fab Five

Long ago when I started my blog just to keep my family updated, I never imagined how far it would take me.   I have met some amazing individuals and I am so grateful to have them as part of my life. My very first CMT-BFF whom I met, is my dear Jessica of In The Pursuit of Pretty Shoes. Jess actually came to the hospital during my first surgery and that has been the beginning of a beautiful friendship I am planning to have for life! She has stayed at my house several weekends, we have visited her in NYC, she traveled from Colorado for our wedding reception and she was the person who I talked to at the height of feeling down last November/December who helped me to see the light and start to feel better about everything.

CMT friends are uber special even though you may have never met them in person. CMT friends know and understand what you're going through. If I need to talk about my issues to a "regular" friend, even though they are very nice and understanding, I never feel truly comforted and end up wishing I hadn't "complained" so much. These last two years have shown me that I should rely more on these new cyber friends, who are such a real part of my life, and who are always willing to lend an ear and talk you through difficult times and are so happy to share in your happy ones.

I would love to introduce you to the other less known "Fab Five." We have all become great friends who have more in common than just a silly-named disease. We are young(ish...LOL), love life, always try to keep a positive attitude despite our difficulties, have very supportive families, and have shared passion for TV shows such as Grey's Anatomy. We have many similarities in our personal lives, yet our CMT symptoms could not be more different.

From top left: Melissa, Me, Esther, Nicole, and Lenka

Lenka lives in California and has 2 beautiful children. She interviewed me two years ago for CMT Awareness week podcast (listen HERE) and we've always kept in touch since. Nic lives in Canada, is addicted to the same TV shows I am and has 2 beautiful boys. She was kind enough to talk to me for almost 2 hours to help me with an issue and some CMT related questions I had. Melissa found my blog and read the entire thing in one night  (Insane!), is a super mama of 4 and lives in Utah. We have talked over the phone and several chats and she motivated me into looking at starting a support group in CT. Esther is a mom of 2 with a new baby on the way and lives the closest to me in NYC. It's mind-boggling we haven't met despite our best attempts. It will hopefully happen very soon.

These 4 ladies have helped me more than they can imagine and I am so grateful to each and every one of them. Someone PLEASE forward this post to Ellen so she can orchestrate a surprise meeting so we can become an overnight sensation like Sophia Grace and Rosie!!!! Seriously, I have never met any of them and it would be amazing to spend a few days together blabbing away. It might happen next summer, as Nic plans her family trip to the Big Apple.

Lenka had an amazing idea to do a joint blog where we can either re-post some of our entries or write original material in an attempt to raise more awareness for CMT. You can check it out here: Clicks for CMT: Bloggers Raising Awareness.

You can find all the bloggers and their sites here:
Melissa: My Life With CMT
Lenka: Lenkaland
Nicole: Nattering Nic
Esther: Contemporary Mom of Two

Dusting Off Blog in Time for CMT Awareness Month

Hello there! So I am finally dusting off my blog and cleaning the spiderwebs after a 3-month summer hiatus. It's not that I completely forgot about the blog, in fact, I had tons of ideas, but summertime got the best of me and I just never seemed to find the time to put them down on paper, I mean, web.

I am so thrilled that we are celebrating another CMT Awareness Month and I am hoping to do a bit more than I did last year, when I was at my all-time worst. I plan to dedicate another entry to awareness month and do more of an update on this one.

It's been a summer of ups, downs, discovering what works for me and what doesn't. The medication really did help me quite a bit but I finally realized the importance of another piece of my puzzle. The medication alone cannot do it, I need to take the right meds alongside consistent physical therapy. I have never felt more energized or stronger, like I was finally taking charge of my health and not allowing CMT to put me down as it wished. With the help of physical therapy and pool therapy, I finally felt like I had some control over my body.

I started everything slowly and built up my exercises on a weekly basis. Some weeks we didn't get it right and overdid them unintentionally, which would set me back a few days. I started working out my arms too, in hopes that I could make them stronger and get there before CMT got to them. It was empowering for me, as I watched muscles develop in areas of my body where there was only flab before. At the peak of feeling well, we had our wedding reception and I was able to dance the night away, a feat I hadn't been able to do in years. In the midst of feeling so well, I started to sell items on eBay in the hopes of making some extra cash easily from my home. It's been fun and exciting to sell items online and feel like I could contribute financially, however small the help was.

Physical therapy can be a bit annoying to do, almost feels like homework that you wanna skip, and I have gotten to the point that I was honestly looking forward to my appointments. Then, my insurance company butted in and tried making things difficult for me. Since I was feeling so good and my pain level had decreased, they no longer felt it was necessary for me to continue. I had no words !!! I just couldn't believe what I was reading. Didn't they understand I only felt so good because of all the work I was putting in and that soon, I'd go back to normal? I tried getting a new prescription, had several discussions with the insurance company and therapy place and only got an additional 4 visits. In the meantime, my pain escalated again to much higher numbers than in the past few months, I lost the muscle mass I'd built and my energy level dropped. Not to mention that when I went back for those 4 appointments, I was no longer able to do as much or as many repetitions. CMT seems to play a funny trick on your body - it takes you so long to build up and yet, it takes no time at all to lose the time and work you put it.

My therapist has submitted a new request for approval and included a letter from my neurologist. Now I am just anxiously waiting for the results. I know I can do some of the exercises from home, but it's hard to get motivated and stay disciplined during that entire hour, while trying to ignore my cell, the TV, Facebook, eBay....etc. If they do not approve my next request, I am going to look into an out-of-pocket maintenance program because I have finally realized that I MUST keep up my workouts, however light and simple, for my own well-being and to keep the CMT-bugs away.

I have heard from others that this is not so uncommon. The insurance companies will pay to help you get better but not pay to keep you better. Maintenance is not something they want to be responsible for, which can be infuriating for a CMT patient. Since our dear condition does not have a cure or treatment, therapy seems to be the best way to slow the progression. Thankfully, I am fortunate enough that I can afford to do a maintenance program, but what about those who cannot?

Yes, I'm Still Alive!

I can't believe it's been almost 3 months since I last wrote on my blog. I have had a million things to write about, but life kinda got in the way. I will keep this short so I don't bore you to death or quit before I can finish it...

I have had an insane summer...surgery in July, return to work after two weeks, then John and I were very blessed to find our perfect home and purchase it in the beginning of August, spent that month renovating it, moved in on the weekend that "Irene" decided to hit Connecticut, lost power for one week so we had to keep going back and forth to our empty apartment just to shower and use the fridge, and on top of all that, I have been planning 7 work events for September and October. If you got tired just reading this, imagine living it, with a condition that already exhausts you for doing the smallest tasks?

Oh and did I mention how I totally missed CMT Awareness Month? Really annoyed about that...was just too insane to think or write about it...

Unfortunately, my body couldn't take it anymore and crashed in a really bad way a little over two weeks ago and it was my worst experience with CMT to date...I seriously considered going to the hospital because even my strongest "back-up" pain pills did not work. Eventually, my doctor was able to help me figure out what medicine might work, but it's now almost 3 weeks later and I feel like I'm still recovering.

To make matters even more "interesting" my job decided that if I could no longer attend the events (I asked to not attend any event in the month of October for fear of the pain flaring up again), which are a major part of my job, that they might have to replace me!!!!! STUNNED SILENCE! Thankfully, that situation worked itself out for the best...they really love me there and did not want to see me go so they've offered me a part-time position where I get to leave work at 2:30pm everyday with a very reasonable package. Even though we don't understand His plans all the time, things seem to have a way of working themselves out sometimes...

My new schedule will begin this Monday and I CANNOT wait to get home early, get some rest, and then actually try to live a little. Hopefully, I'll be able to come back and write lots more because this is the condensed version...I have a lot more to say about everything...but let's wrap it up here and hopefully I'll return very shortly :)

CMT Awareness Month 2011

Here is a sneak peak of the official CMT AWARENESS MONTH poster art. This was designed by some very talented high school students in Florida.

Let's continue spreading the word so CMT will stop being an "invisible" disease.