Join Me in Walking for a Cure

The last time I ran/walked for a cure was in 2005. A friend of mine had an uncle suffering from Multiple Myeloma, which is a cancer of plasma cells. She wanted to help raise awareness and money for research. So she joined up with Team in Training, a program through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society where you train for a run/walk event while fundraising at the same time.

My friend wanted to do this with her husband, but he did not support her and said he didn’t want to waste time training with her when he didn’t think she’d be able to do the marathon… I know what you’re thinking… What a prince, right? Well, I was having none of that, and since I’m always there to support my friends whenever and however I can, I decided to train and fundraise with her.

I went in with no fear. I knew we could raise a lot of money and I had no doubt about finishing a marathon — yes, that’s 26.2 miles — even though I’d never done it before. I went to all the training sessions, even at 6am after coming home from performing until 2 or 3. I trained when it rained, and anyone who knows me — and my hair — knows I hate the rain! After every training, I celebrated with a glass of wine and a smoke. Yes, I trained for a marathon on a regular diet of Marlboro Ultra Lights! (Don’t judge me. I quit years ago.) In addition to the training, I held a comedy show fundraiser, and we raised some serious coin.

As the race got closer, my friend struggled with her training, but I kept moving forward. My “team” was behind me, but I felt alone. Alone not only because my friend was not beside me during the training, but because the man I had dated and lived with for almost three years broke up with me weeks before the race. I was broken, emotional, hollow, and alone. But I kept training because fuck him. He too thought I would have trouble finishing the full marathon. Another prince!

I flew to beautiful San Diego with my friend to run the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon. It started downtown and ended at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. “Hello boys! Guess who’s newly single!” (Well at the time I was single, and I love men in uniform.) The race started, and I had a good pace going. Unfortunately, my friend struggled to keep up, and I had to forge ahead without her. I felt bad, but I didn’t train my ass off, leave my cigs at the hotel, and come all this way to come up short. I kept going while she did a half marathon and went back to the hotel before I crossed the finish line. But I did not cross that line alone. My mom and aunt had flown down to support us, and they were there at the end with my fellow Team in Training members, cancer survivors, and their families, and of course the Marines!

When I commit to something, I am in it until the end! It was tough, it was hard, it was a goal, and there was the finish line. Go Team!

Fast forward to 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything is different except my will to finish what I start and keep on surviving. Now, I’m not only the one fundraising for research and awareness — albeit for a different disease — I’m also the one suffering from the disease. Enter Walk MS 2021 — one month after Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, one and half years from my diagnosis, and one year and one month since the pandemic hit. Talk about a shitty year! And as usual, I’m jumping right into the deep end.

With all the restrictions around social distancing, the rules of this year’s event are a little different from your normal fundraiser walk. There is no official walking course, so I have to make my own. But that means I can determine how far and how long the walk will be, which is great since walking even for one mile can be a struggle, depending on the day. I can invite others to join me in person, but everyone will need to wear a mask and walk 6 feet apart. I’m hoping to walk three miles, three times around my local block, or for at least two hours — whatever comes first!

I’m happy to report that I already have four wonderful members on my team: me, my husband, my son, and my friend/neighbor. They’re doing a great job at spreading the word and raising money, but I could always use more team members, so I hope you’ll consider joining us. The official walk is happening throughout the month of April, but fundraising will run through September. I’ve set a big goal because I’m an overachiever — or as I like to say, “super-determined.” My team goal is $3,000, and my personal goal is to raise $2,000 of that.

The good news is that I’m already really close to my goal! What I need is your support. Please visit my team donation page and give what you can to me or one of my team members today! You can also visit our Facebook page to get involved and share the info with your friends and family. And if you live locally in the South Bay Area, send me an email and come out to walk with me and my family.

We’re planning to host a group walk on Sunday, April 25^th from 9-11am. And Iike a true Italian, I will provide snacks and drinks! So wear your orange for MS and come on out! (FYI: I’m also working on my thank you gifts and buying all things orange… Ugh, I still have problems with the color.)

If you still don’t know much about Multiple Sclerosis and the over 2.3 million people worldwide who live with it every day, please check out these FAQs from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Even though we’ve been enduring over a year of isolation and there’s no official race event where I can walk with fellow MS Teams, Warriors, Supporters, and Friends, I feel less alone than I did back in 2005. Because I know I can do this. Back then, I lost the support of my friend and my boyfriend, but I found it with family and new race friends. This time around, I may have lost the physical ability to complete 26.2 miles, but I can still walk when many with MS have lost that ability. I can still use comedy and communication to get the word out and raise funds when many with MS struggle to have their voices heard. And I can cherish the support of those who are there for me — new and old friends, family, and virtual warriors — even if I cannot see them or only see their eyes above the seam of their mask.

Now, all I need is more donations, more team members, and maybe a few Marines in their dress blues!

Thanks for reading (and donating),
Tina