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After presenting eight of the 10 awards, Matt “Mojo” Lersch paused to ask officials for direction before moving onto the ninth.

The master of ceremonies at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter’s 2009 Annual Meeting and Celebration of Volunteers and Top Fundraisers in Livonia showed the crowd of nearly 200 people the specific directions typed in the script he was following.

“This award is a secret,” whispered Mojo, who hosts the Rock ’N’ Roll Sideshow on Lansing’s Rock Station Q106 and was diagnosed with MS in December 2008. “Only a few people know who’s getting it.”

Mojo then was given the green light to present the 2009 MS Achievement Award, which expresses the NMSS’s appreciation of and to provide recognition to an individual with MS who has achieved outstanding success in life.

He described that while the award recipient doesn’t need to be a NMSS member or volunteer, this person must have made a significant impact in his or her profession and community.

But when Mojo began to read about the accomplishments of this year’s “secret” recipient, he led with, “This couple …” And we soon realized he was talking about us.

Our eyes pooled with tears and the reality quickly sank in: We were being named the 2009 MS Achievement Award recipients.

In following what has become a built-in emotional defense mechanism for us, we held each other’s hand and both started laughing to keep from crying. We were so surprised to be recognized for what we’ve done to increase awareness about MS, we didn’t even make it on stage to receive the award.

Were they really talking about us? It took NMSS Michigan Chapter President Elana Sullivan meeting us at the foot of the stage with the award for us to believe that this really happened.

It’s incredibly overwhelming and humbling to be recognized like this. After all, we never asked for this disease. We are just doing what we can to get the word out about MS and help people positively move forward when dealing with whatever challenges they face.

Through our volunteering at NMSS events, public speaking and maintaining this blog, we hope to increase awareness and public understanding of this chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects us and over 400,000 people nationwide, including 18,000 in Michigan.

This prestigious award is our proof that you never know what kind of impact your actions will make on others.

Dear Bruce Springsteen,

As you scan the sea of signs surrounding the stage that plead for you to play one of your vintage classics at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Nov. 13, my wife, Jennifer, and I won’t be there.

Instead, we’ll be holding up our “4 U” request all the way across the arena in one of its handicap-accessible areas. To see us, you gotta look hard.

While we could play the ticket lottery and get our numbers called to stand near the stage the entire concert, our multiple sclerosis forces us to stay in our reserved seats.

Combined we’ve had MS for more than 20 years, and we each are living with very different forms of this disease. While I have the relapsing-remitting form and regularly compete in 5K runs, Jennifer has secondary-progressive MS and can no longer walk.

She uses a power wheelchair and this is why we, along with two of our friends coming from Iowa, must stay in the handicap-accessible area to experience the euphoria that you bring night after night after night after night.

Your music has 
pulled me through every phase of my life with MS:
 from fear and self pity, to anger and frustration and finally to acceptance and moving on with the vision of a brighter future. For that, I gratefully thank you.

And if it’s not too much to ask you for one favor: When you’re searching for requests at the Palace Friday night, please look straight across the arena for my baby and me waving our sign asking you and the E Street Band to play a full-rocking
“For You,” for us.

All the best,

Dan Digmann
Mount Pleasant, Michigan 

Well, I guess it’s time to face it. This Friday, November 6 is my 35^th birthday. And yes, I am freaking out about it.

I’m not exactly sure why, after all it’s just a number. But 35 is just a bigger number than I care (or are prepared) to be.

Maybe it’s because this birthday marks the beginning of middle age. No seriously, hear me on this: If I live to be the glorious age of 70, 35 is half of that. That’s middle age…Eeek!

Me ­- a middle-aged woman. When did that happen?

Plus this birthday is hard for me to deal with because lately my MS is causing me a little more headache than I’m used to. I guess I should call it a footache to be more accurate. I have my first pressure sore which is on my foot, and trust me they are just as painful as they are made out to be.

All I can think is you must be kidding me! This disease is not just happy with the fact it took my walking and my driving, now it’s trying to make me miserable with pain all day.

Not only is it that, but it’s making me feel sorry for myself. This is a challenge and temptation that those of us living with chronic illness or disability face almost every day. That whole “Why me?” type of thinking, and I have to stop indulging in that kind of pointless waste of energy.

So I’ve compiled a list. Hopefully this list will keep me going in the dark days of middle age. Hee, hee… That serious, dramatic, doom-filled tone helped me see how silly I’m being and made me smile : )

Without further ado, here are 35 things that I’m thankful for:

35. Dan, of course.

34. Getting to dip my toes in the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

33. Owning a convertible back when I used to drive.

32. I have an amazing family, especially my parents (Thanks, mom & dad).   Bonus: I love my in-laws.

31. Supportive, wonderful, hilarious friends.

30. All of my great memories from college.

29. Delta Phi Epsilon sorority and all of the great friends I made because of  it.

28. Memories of my dog Buster and the day-to-day life with our cat, Cooper. Pets rule!!

27. The waiver program which makes our life better every single day.

26. Simpsons clouds.

25. Dan’s smile and laugh.

24. Laughter altogether.

23. Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

22. The roof over my head and the clothes on my back.

21. A shiny new manicure.

20. Delicious birthday cake, and not having to count points for it. Hey, it’s my list and I can dream if I want to : )

19. Afternoon hour-long insane phone conversations with my BB.

18. My church family at Immanuel Lutheran.

17. Summer of 1993: innocent stuff like watermelon seed fights and getting caught cheating at euchre and some other less innocent memories.

16. Good times up north with Amy at Aunt Cindy’s.

15. Being able to walk when I went to Europe.

14. Heck that I even got to take a trip to Europe.

13. Good music to chair-boogie to.

12. Clean sheets & good hair days.

11. Realizing in 5 years it probably won’t matter (Thanks, Nora).

10. Did I mention my amazing husband Dan and my wonderful family?

9. The CMU story festival and being able to share our story.

8. That he’s not married to her anymore.

7. Fresh tomatoes in the summer.

6. No cavities at the dentist.

5. Playing a good game of Scrabble.

4. Universal design and handicap accessible restrooms.

3. Other than having MS, Dan is in good health.

2. Other than having MS, I am in pretty good health.

1. Believe it or not, Multiple Sclerosis (after all, it helped me meet Dan and taught me to appreciate life).

This really is a pretty good list! I encourage everyone who is struggling with a dark day to make a similar list of their own. You might be surprised by all of life you have to be thankful for.