The Tiny Book Of Tiny Stories

Volume 1

This one broke me:

"If I read our story backwards, it's about how I un-broke your heart, and then we were happy until one day, you forgot about me forever."

-by Blodnasir, pg. 82

So much story in so few words. Amazing.

(Will, the book's concept reminds me a little of @shrtshrtstory)

A Familiar Color Has Popped Up In My Labels

obviously I'm dealing with my bad news in a very normal, constructive way.

I had to wake up at 1am on Monday to try to snag an entry. All 1500 foreign entry slots sold out in 3 minutes and 15 seconds; Mike, Kristi, and I all managed to get in. We finalized our registrations today.

I will be swimming, biking, and running 225.995km (140.6 miles) throughout the Bavarian countryside next July. Challenge Roth 2014, I'm coming for you.

Oh Come ON, Brain.

I thought we had a deal.

I had my 1-year followup MRI today. Some lesions have faded, others have gotten worse, and there were several new ones. That, combined with the lesion they found in my cervical spinal cord (might be old, not sure; didn't scan that last year), my episode around Christmas, and other various symptoms, lands me squarely in the full-blown MS diagnosis category. No more Clinically Isolated Syndrome for me.

Son of a bitch.

Nothing changes aside from the looming, horrible possibilities that lurk in my future inching in just a bit closer. My neurologist told me to keep taking my current medication and live my life.

So I will. I'll be over here with my swiss-cheese-brain and weird nerve issues and sudden-onset fatigue and lumpy, bruised appendages and oh-so-many blessings that outshine it all, living my life.

Robots Don't Know Everything

which is kind of comforting, really.

[click to enlarge]

And Every Little Thing

gonna be alright.

Blah. Sorry to leave things on such a negative note for so long. I have about a half-dozen half-started posts in the hopper, but just haven't taken the time to finish them out. Here's a quick one, though.

I have 33 amazing friends who have joined my team for the upcoming Bike MS 150-mile event in the Sedona Verde Valley. I put together the group as a way to raise money for the National MS Society, and when I was registering the team, I was blanking on a team name. I ended up just using a nickname that a lot of my triathlon friends call me (which is almost always some variation on my initials), and thus Team K-Lar was born. (In hindsight, I kind of regret naming the team after myself because it makes me feel kind of douchey every time I refer to it, but there it is.)

Tonight, my friend Lauren pointed this out to me:

So "Klar' is a word in German, it means 'ok' or 'clear'. And there is a phrase "Alles Klar" that means "everything is alright". I think this phrase needs to find its way into everyday use immediately. Only if you are REALLY in the know, you will say "Alles K-Lar".

That just made my night, because on May 18th and 19th, 30+ people are going to be out there wearing jerseys with my name on it, supporting me and people like me, in celebration of the fact that everything currently is--and hopefully will continue to be--alright.

The Effing 13%

I avoided it for one hundred thirty two days.

Approximately 13% of individuals using Copaxone will experience, at one time or another, a transient reaction immediately after injection. This reaction includes flushing or chest tightness with heart palpitations, anxiety, and difficulty breathing.

They really nailed that description. Let me tell you, it's all kinds of fun to experience alone.

I know I have a lot of things to be grateful for, and I'm trying my hardest to stay positive and upbeat about this whole stupid situation, but sometimes it just really, really sucks.

They Will See Us Waving From Medium Heights

'cause I got pretty decent seats.

SO excited!