training updates at www.mamajog.blogspot.com

About a year ago, my smart, funny and wise daughter Mielle was diagnosed with JDM, a form of Juvenile Myositis.  It turned our lives upside down. 

There are treatments for this disease, but they involve years of treatment with heavy duty drugs that come with major, horrible side effects.  Mielle endures terrible headaches and nausea from her methotrexate shot once per week; high-dose steroids caused her to gain 25 pounds (from 37 pounds to 62) in a matter of a few months.  We can also thank steroids for the wild rages and mood swings that Mielle must navigate on a daily basis.  Her life now involves regular blood draws, intravenous drug treatments, and trips to a specialist in Chicago.

In short, it ain't pretty!  And there is currently no cure.  We hope for remission, but even IF we achieve that, the uncertainty will always remain - will the disease come back? 

This is why I'm running the Carlsbad half-marathon to fund research into better treatment, and ultimately a CURE for this awful disease.  I can't take away Mielle's pain, or endure all those needles and terrible medications on her behalf... but I can do something I've never done before, and run.  I'm running for my baby, to show her my love and support and admiration, to raise money, and to ensure a better future for her.

And Mielle's fabulous friends, Kirsten, Stephanie, and Nicole - are joining me, and Claudia's jumping on the training bandwagon!  It's a good thing, too, because the race is 13.1 miles, people!  I'm going to need all the support I can get!  (Anyone else want to join us?  The more the merrier!)

Sponsor us, and sponsor Mielle, who will also be running - in a one-mile Kid's Fun Run, held the day before the grown-up race.  She is in training too, running up and down the hall and keeping track of her times.  It will mean so much to her to feel your support.

Cure JM is a fantastic organization that has already been instrumental in funding major research initiatives; your donation will be handled wisely and effectively.  (www.curejm.org)

Please, dig deep if you can.  We've set a high fundraising target, because Mielle deserves a better treatment and a CURE!  Please help us reach our goal!

training updates at www.mamajog.blogspot.com