Have you ever had the crazy idea to do something entirely different? Something you have never, EVer done before? Something completely new and unattempted? And then,... sign up your entire family to join you? In just two days, (July 23, 2011), all six Hotts will run in the Morgan County Fair's 5K Family "Fun Run".
A few months ago, I ran across an entry form in the local library and considered the possibility of entering us in the 5K. Now, I am FAR from any sort of marathon runner, much less even very athletic for that matter (stop laughing Dan). So, I can not imagine what has possessed me to attempt to run (or walk) a 5K, with other people that run, with others that run often, much less with our six and seven year old Hott sons! I don't even know how far a 5K is, which I think the K means kilos or something like that. Why can't they just say it in miles? Can someone please tell me this? It certainly isn't about the free t-shirt, that's for darn sure!
But here's the deal. In the upper corner of the entry form, it claims that the entry fee (only $25) goes to support research for Alzheimer's Disease. Hummm... this got me thinking. Alzheimer's. Another neurological disorder.
Parkinson's Disease is a degenerative neurological disorder of the central nervous system with no cure. It results from the death of dopamine-containing cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain; the cause of cell-death is unknown. Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement-related, including shaking, rigidity, stiffness, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait.
Dan, my husband, has Parkinson's Disease.
Most of this stinking disease really sucks, pardon my frankness, but.it.does! And believe me, it can be scary. Especially when, just this past January, Dan was having difficulty with walking. The distonia was so severe, that he was unable to walk without a stoop of an advanced PD patient. For several weeks, simply standing was an issue; his left leg cramped so badly that he was shorter than my 5 foot vertically challenged self (see http://excusemecanitellyousomething.blogspot.com/2011/01/standing-tall.html). Dan spent days rolling around the house in an office chair. One day when I had a substitute teaching assignment, Dan's left leg cramped so badly, he was stuck on the bathroom floor and remained there most of the afternoon. Yes, PD sucks, plain - and -simple.
Since those difficult days this past winter, Dan has seen a leading neurologist, Dr. Paul Fishman with the University of Maryland and Veteran's Administration. Immediately, he recognized that Dan was seriously undermedicated. Since then, they have doubled Dan's medication and with physical therapy (this is where I come in), Dan is back to his normal height! See here how tall he is!
Now imagine this: a 5K... Although I really wanted to do this as a family, I was not so sure of Dan's impression of going out there at all. But I was pretty eager to; and eventually, Dan sorta said "well, whatever." Taking this for agreement, I was victorious and proceeded to jump around the kitchen a few times and added: "In 'yo face Parkinson's Disease! Just watch the Hott Family do a 5K!!!" Woo Hoo!!! Come on everyone, let's start training! I mailed in the registration form. We had about 2 weeks.So, just the other day, Dan said he had a question for me he was wondering about. Naturally, this peaked my curiosity. Added in the subsequent sentence, Dan, whom I have known since 1995 then says that he was wondering if I would mind him doing something!
Me!? Mind? Hummmmm.... Doing something? I'm thinking, "like what?" Sky diving? Last time he asked me something like that he broke his ankle. Then there are those "other" things I won't mention (LOL! just kidding!) ... So, what in the world could he be referring to? Then Dan said,...
"Well, I was wondering if you would mind if I RAN (instead of walk) the 5K?"
Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about! "Eat Our Dust Parkinson's Disease!"
See you at the finish line, honey... it may be four hours later, at least for me and the boys! But Dan will be there waiting for us! All thanks to answered prayers, praise God!
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12
