Last year I did a lot of hiking
in the Columbia Gorge. I was healthy,
active and in my best shape since my 1999 MS diagnosis. Starting out small, I climbed the Angel’s
Rest trail; it’s considered a moderate hike:
4.8 miles round trip with an
elevation gain of about 1,450 feet. That
first time out was great and so I pushed for more: more elevation, more weight in my backpack,
more gear, and more distance. In June, I
successfully climbed Mount Rainier!
Like it always does, my MS
reared its ugly head again just a week after climbing Rainier. It was issues with my balance…again. I fell and broke my leg, severely enough to
require surgery to insert a titanium rod into my tibia. Recovery was going to take a while, but
thankfully I was well on my way towards healing by the end of the summer. I even was able to take a short hike with my
daughter on my back! I thought, “That wasn’t too bad”. Then my MS flared up and my body disagreed
with my medications over the next four months resulting in three different MS drug
therapies, one leg infection, one bout of anaphylactic shock and two more
nights in the hospital. I revised my
thought to “That Sucked”!
So now it’s February and (I
think) I am healthy again. My leg is
healed and my new medication therapy seems to be going well: time to test out my new titanium leg and my revised
realities of balance. Where else to do
this but on the trail I started with just a year ago: Angel’s Rest.
Long story short…everything went
well. One hour and fifty minutes round
trip, with nothing but my focus and the sound of deep, quick breathing to
interrupt nature on that cold rainy trail.
Short story long…Angel’s Rest
proved once again to confirm the challenges, struggles, benefits and
satisfaction of my struggles with MS.
I went through my pre-hike
checklist in my head, making sure I had everything that I would need. My routine for preparing my clothes, food,
water, and accessories was a bit rusty.
6 trips to the car to remember that ‘one last thing I forgot’ and I was
on my way. It’s about a thirty minute
drive from home to the Angel’s Rest trailhead, where I will start my hike. During that time every possible scenario and
worry passes through my head.
·
Will my leg hold up to the hike?
·
How bad is my conditioning? Will I even be able to make it to the
top? How long will it take?
·
Will I have trouble with my balance along the
steep trail?
My conditioning was good. I wasn’t wearing last year’s 50 pound pack
but I felt strong. My legs still showed
that desire to NEVER STOP…NEVER QUIT…, even after the breaks, surgeries and
infections the peppered the last 8 months.
I was excited and
determined. With the first step onto the trailhead, my
concerns faded. The rest of the climb was
nothing but the moment and the future.
As I hike, I watch every step my feet take and every spot I plant my
trusty trekking poles. With each step, I
am planning ahead on where the next 2, 3, 4 and more are going to go. This routine starts to go on autopilot, and
then my mind starts to wander on what I will conquer next. Dreams and visions of hiking and biking this
year run rampant and I start to formulate a plan to bring it to reality. This is going to be a great year!
My balance was OK; I’ve realized
“that’s just the new me”. Until a cure
for MS arrives, I will spend a lot of time focusing on my balance being a
constant reminder of my disability. Everything
I do has to consider that limitation, while at the same time everything I do
will need to push, strengthen, train and condition my body to overcome my
disability. I stumbled a few times but
am proud to say that I only fell twice on the trail.
My balance may continue to get
worse, but not without one hell of a fight from me!
Good luck on
this fight, MS. You’ll need it!
It will never stop…nor will we
It will never quit…nor will we
This is why we ride hike!
Kevin Byrne - Portland, OR
