[RedPenguins]

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to update everyone...

Last weekend I rode in the Bike MS event here in Southern California. Again much thanks to those of you who donated to the cause. I raised $1100 and my team raised over $20,000.....and the MS Society raised over a million and still counting. Oh, my team is called Team Lost And Damaged!

I trained over the summer, often riding in 100+ degree heat and held my own the entire time.

On Saturday I cycled 30 miles...I was well prepared for that ride, as I had trained on the actual route. The first 15 miles were uphill!! But it was cake!

My best friend also raised $1000 for the event - and then she cycled the 100 mile option! And she did it all!!!

Sunday was a different story. The ride was 35 miles and I had not done that route before. The first 8 miles or so were uphill but at a 7-8% grade - it was STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! OMG, it almost killed me - or so I thought at the moment. Then we got to mile 12...and these incredible winds started. The last 23 miles were through the winds and it was insane. I was almost knocked off the bike a few times by the wind!! (And that's no easy feat - I'm a big person!!)

But I did it - Sunday was an extreme challenge. At one of the rest stops, I met a woman, who also has MS. And she was struggling, too....and she said the best thing to me : when she felt like quitting (b/c of the winds), she was just reminded of how she can't quit the MS, so quitting the ride was not an option.

I am a little worse for the wear...

Two months ago, my left hand started feeling numb and tingly after I had done a long training ride. First it was just my ring finger and pinkie. Then it progressed to my thumb. I did some physical therapy for it, but no relief. As time went one, my left hand lost most of it's strength (big problem for this lefty here!)... and then a few weeks ago, my right hand started to feel numb as well. I have seen a hand specialist and he said it is probably not the MS...but most likely carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndromes. I have to sleep wearing an elbow brace and wrist brace. Ugg. He wants me to have nerve conduction tests, so he sent me to my neuro for that. Now, I saw my neuro in early August (when it started) and he thought it was the MS. Neuro still thinks it is the MS - despite that it started when I was riding, it gets worse when I ride, etc). However, he did agree to do the nerve conduction studies. I go for that on the 20th...then I see the hand specialist at the end of the month. The numbness/tingling is really starting to concern me big time....I can't do basic things with my hands, which is really scary to me.

So that's my update...

Hope everyone is well,

~Keri