January 2013: Part 2 of 3

First event in 2013: Rock N' Roll Phoenix

January 17th:

After less than 20 hours home from Hawaii and almost a full day's dose of a 5-day steroid pack under my belt I make the decision to go to Phoenix. I am still in pain and not sleeping well with the radiating nerve issues but figure I might be of use in Phoenix rather than suffering the weekend at home doing nothing. The pain has eased slightly and my doctor said that I should get a bit of relief by continuing to take the over-the-counter NSAIDs, so that's the plan.

The view from my plane as our winter storm begins just as we hit the tarmac to take off. Back to de-icing, eventually back to terminal after more than 3 hours sitting on the plane going nowhere. Our flight is eventually delayed 5 more hours as they reschedule us for 5:00am tomorrow morning. I suppose this is an omen to me saying I shouldn't go to Phoenix.

January 18th:

I don't even want to think about the hours I've spent on planes and in airports over the last 72 hours so I'm not going to write any more about the subject. Suffice it to say that eventually I got to Phoenix and went straight to the Rock N Roll Expo to start work for the weekend.

This race event is a major fund-raiser for the MS Rockstars and with foot drop being a common symptom of MS we want to help shine a light on the folks who are champions of the cause.

Trying to hide back- and neck-pain while visiting some friends at the MS Society's booth at the Expo.

MS Rockstars rock!!!! Thanks for the support and education you are offering to so many people!

Outside of the Expo we get a media opportunity. I am now very thankful I opted for NSAIDs rather than prescription pain pills so I can be coherent for the interview!

Sharing the story...

...hoping to spread awareness in the Phoenix area for mobility issues and the technology available to provide advanced solutions. Thank You, NEWS 3!!

Expo frenzy at the Sweaty Bands booth but sadly, no Merle in Phoenix. We miss you Merle, but your booth is rocking without you!

While I'm here at the Expo I'm trying to concentrate on working. One of my dream goals for 2013 is to have our  own Get Back UP jackets and this company has some enticing options. I don't trust my memory so I'm taking this photo to remind me to do more research upon my return home.

Who can resist the Geico Gecko?!

I haven't eaten all day so we leave the Expo to grab a bite.

We ate here last year and had a great RnR first event for the GBU campaign so we thought we'd keep the karma going.

Unfortunately, my "vegetarian burrito" looked amazing but contained many pieces of shredded beef. UGH. This trip just gets better and better! Jim ate his dish while I waited for a replacement meal. At least the restaurant staff and management were very apologetic, that was a small consolation.

One photo op before I tell Jim that I need to get back to the hotel. My back pain is increasing and I just learned that I have no more interviews to attend today.

January 19th:

Today is Saturday and I just learned that I have no interviews or appearances scheduled for the day. I hardly slept last night and if I am to have any hope of running tomorrow I need to rest all day. The steroid pack seems to help only in that the pain does seem to wax and wane rather than throb steadily as it did in Hawaii.

As a first for me since this campaign began, I opted not to make my Get Back UP sign. The main reason is that I feel so terrible physically but also, if I do run there will be no one here to carry the sign and if I don't run I won't be able to carry the sign due to my back and arm pain.

I have yet to tell my bosses at Allard about my back; I am waiting until Monday when I know the details of my diagnosis. As much as I hope we get more media and that tomorrow's race is a big success for our campaign, I am personally praying for nothing to happen so I can get it over with and get home to deal with this. (Sorry, Carol...by the time you read this I hope to have explained and apologized for this!!!)

Sunday, January 20th...RACE DAY!!

So this is me in the rental car, turned backwards and crouching in the passenger seat trying to get relief from the pain. I am so glad my husband was here...not because he took this photo of my wonderful predicament but because he has been such a trooper beside me through all of this!! Thanks, Jim, for your patience, for being my Shirpa with all luggage and for supporting me instead of chastising me for coming to Phoenix.

Thanks to my husband I have a record of what most of the last 10 days have been like for me. I couldn't seem to get relief in any position. I hid in the car as long as possible before heading over to the start line area.

On the way to the start line we see Jim Campbell, fellow RnR gypsy, working his magic on the sound system. We haven't seen Jim in almost a month after seeing him almost every week for the last 6 months.

Jim Campbell came down to say hello from his vantage point here at the start line stage. I couldn't stay long...too painful to stand in one place for too long...so we made our way to PF Chang's to meet up with our other runner-friends.

We greet Dan and Susan & Ron Carino at the start. I'm dressed to run but still haven't made up my mind. Jim has given me the car keys in case I decide to bail on the event... At least it's great to see our friends on the circuit again!

After weighing the pros and cons of running this Half I opt to run with Jim. He agrees to go slow with me and I promise to take myself out of the race if I feel at all worse than I do now.

So many people told me I was crazy to run but in truth I was in less pain if I was moving around than if I was standing still. Knowing I would see my doctor tomorrow, we're leaving tonight on the red-eye home, I figured it was worth an attempt since I was here anyway.

Two fun girls we met in the start corrals. They are asking people to sign this birthday card for Ellen DeGeneres. They ran the whole way with the sign and said they planned to send it to her with the hundreds of runner-signatures they collected.

Thanks to my husband's support I managed to make my way to the Finish Line.  We got a bonus Heavy Medal called the Desert Double Down for running Vegas and Phoenix back to back. 

The view as I was dragging my husband away from the VIP tent at the finish line. I was in desperate need of lying down...this was the hardest race I've ever completed.

I hated not being able to enjoy this outdoor bar setup...they were showing the NFL playoff games here where we could also watch the marathoners finish in the background. Such a great idea...but I dragged Jim along with me as we found our way back to the car.

Assuming the position once again!

January 21st:

Arrived in Greensboro via Charlotte on the Red-Eye flight back home from Phoenix. As soon as I got to the house at 9:00am I drove myself to my doctor's office in Eden, NC where he planned to make time for me between his other scheduled appointments.

Thanks to the amazing team at Morehead Hospital in Eden, I was able to get a same-day MRI and Dr. Roy personally read the results on the spot. I was on my way to a solution!!!

A RUN FOR THE BOOKS!

Rock N Roll Arizona medal with the bonus Desert Double Down medal.

Overall place/Bib #/Name/Hometown/Official Time:

4908

4557

Beth Deloria

Greensboro, NC

02:09:47