BAPTISM BY FIRE...

Pictured: 2 wks post-surgery in my favorite t-shirt (thank you, Karen!) It reads: "NOT TONIGHT DEAR, I HAD A CRANIOTOMY." :)

HI FRIENDS. OK. I THINK AFTER ALL THESE MONTHS READING MY POSTS, I CAN CALL YOU FRIENDS, CAN'T I?... WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE JOHN McCAIN? SORRY, BUT THOUGHT I'D START WITH SOMETHING LIGHT AND FUN.

ANNNNYWAY, IT'S BEEN QUITE A WEEK. IN THESE TWO WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE BIG DAY, MAY 22ND, I FEEL LIKE I'M RUNNING A DIFFERENT SORT OF MARATHON: THE MEDIATHON. I AM SURPRISED BY HOW MANY MEDIA OUTLETS HAVE THOUGHT THIS STORY INTERESTING ENOUGH TO REPORT ON IT. AT FIRST, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I WAS FEELING VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. THIS IS WAAAY OUT OF MY BOX! AFTER ALL, THERE ARE MORE THAN 16,500 (SO FAR) PARTICIPANTS TAKING ON SOME PART OF MARATHON WEEKEND. THERE ARE 16,500 DIFFERENT STORIES & DIFFERENT FACTS.

BUT, WHEN I DECIDED TO (ATTEMPT) TO CONQUER ALL 26.2 MILES SO SOON AFTER SURGERY, I SIGNED ON TO BE OPEN ABOUT MY OWN STORY (GULP) AND TO CARRY THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED OR DIED FROM A BRAIN ANEURYSM WITH ME DURING THE MARATHON. TOGETHER WE'D HAVE A VOICE. TOGETHER WE'D MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE WANT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT BRAIN ANEURYSMS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FACILITIES, LIKE THE NATIONAL BRAIN ANEURYSM CENTER IN ST PAUL, WHERE THEY SAVE AND IMPACT LIVES EVERY SINGLE DAY. YES, THE DOCTORS AND NURSES DO THE HEAVY-LIFTING, BUT THEY RELY ON RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TAKES FUNDING. THERE IS MUCH WORK TO DO IN THAT FIELD. THEY NEED OUR HELP, OUR FINANCIAL HELP, TO SAVE LIVES. THEREIN LIES MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF BRAIN ANEURYSMS AND TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DONATE.

IT'S SOMETHING I'M NOT OVERLY COMFORTABLE ABOUT DOING, BOTH SPEAKING PUBLICLY ABOUT THIS JOURNEY OR ASKING PEOPLE FOR DONATIONS.

BRAIN ANEURYSMS ARE (RELATIVLEY) EASIER TO FIX, IF DETECTED EARLY. HOWEVER, MOST OFTEN, THEY'RE NOT DETECTED UNTIL THEY BURST AND BECOME DEVESTATING. DETECTION IS EASY, BUT IS COSTLY AND ISN'T ALWAYS COVERED UNDER OUR INSURANCE. I AM NOT GETTING INTO ANY POLITICAL DISCUSSION HERE, BELIEVE ME, AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE ANSWERS LIE. IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE'D ALL GET A QUICK & EASY SCAN AT OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE, HORNBACHER'S, AT THE CHECK-OUT, TO BE SURE OUR BRAINS ARE SAFE AND THERE AREN'T ANY BALLOON-SIZED VESSLES READY TO BLOW.

BUT NOTHING'S PERFECT. SO, UNTIL THEN, I WILL DO MY (SMALL) PART AND USE MY EXPERIENCE TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO TAKE A PRO-ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR OWN HEALTHCARE AND ASK YOU TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODIES. SEEK A DOCTOR'S OPINION, FOR ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE & DON'T BACK DOWN.

I'M ALSO GOING TO ASK THAT YOU HELP ME, HELP OTHERS. PLEASE CONSDER MAKING A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO THE NATIONAL BRAIN ANEURYSM CENTER, SO THAT NEWER, BETTER, PROGRESSIVE TREATMENTS AND TOOLS FOR DIAGNOSIS CAN BE FOUND, THEREBY SAVING LIVES AND AVOIDING TRAGIC OUTCOMES.

SO, I END THIS WEEK HAVING LIVED COMPLETELY OUT OF MY BOX. I'VE GIVEN TWO SPEECHES (BOTH WITHOUT HYPERVENTILATING!), THREE INTERVIEWS, AND SCHEDULED FOUR MORE, AND MET MY DEADLINE FOR MY COLUMN IN "ON THE MINDS OF MOMS." BY TOMORROW, I WILL HAVE LOGGED 33 MILES OF RUNNING (TAPERING...AHHHHH LOVE THAT WORD), AND KEPT MY THREE BABIES ALIVE AND HAPPY. THAT'S BAPTISM BY FIRE, FOR THIS STAY-AT-HOME MOMMA.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THIS JOURNEY WITH ME...
KATHLEEN

TO DONATE, CLICK ON, OR CUT AND PASTE:

www.healtheast.org/foundation/foundation-donation.html and click on the link: National Brain Aneurysm Center & St. Joseph’s Neurosciences Fund to donate. Please specify “In honor of Kathleen Wrigley,” just so I can send a proper thank you!