After I completed my first Mini [FN3] in 1999, I swore to myself I never would miss a Mini unless I was dead or MS had a cure. My vehemence about the Mini dates back to In January, 1994, when my leg, below the knee, grew numb. The numbness progressed 1/12

until my left foot was nearly completely numb & parts of that leg that weren’t numb tingled. I thought it was circulation. I tried standing on my head for a few minutes. [FN4] An off-hand comment led to an appointment with a chiropractor. By then I had trouble walking. 2/12

My left leg had given out a couple of times & my right leg began to grow numb. The chiropractor referred me to a neurologist in the professional building attached to Community East. The weather was horrible in January, 1994. The “low” at 25 below was a record. 3/12

Falling down any time is a bummer, but in those conditions especially so. The neurologist reinforced my attitudes about MDs. Don’t get me wrong. I have met some great medical doctors since, and knew some great ones previously, but there had been a lot of 4/12

pre-med students at DePauw. Those people could be vicious when it came to GPAs. The neuro did some simple tests, [FN5] & told me to have a seat on the exam table. He explained that this was "a complete neurological emergency"; that I had either a tumor on my brain 5/12

("tumor" stunned me), a tumor on my spine, (“tumor” again) or multiple sclerosis, or- and I do not remember the other maladies he mentioned. My mind went blank.
"Where do I go now?" I asked.
“To the hospital," he said simply. "They’re bringing a wheelchair down for you now." 6/12

And just like that, a hospital employee appeared w/a wheelchair. She helped me to pivot off the examination table. It seemed that my legs a/k/a lower extremities, were worse. My left leg was completely numb & the right was numb from the knee down. Next we stopped at 7/12

the admissions desk. Name, dob, & home address were no sweat. She seemed miffed when I said I was self-employed, but brightened when I said I was a lawyer. She did not look chipper when I said I did not have insurance. One need not understand negotiable instruments 8/12

to know to refuse to sign a document, thrust in one’s face, when the document has a header “Promissory Note.” I guessed that the day shift was nearly done & the intake person wanted to be done with the day, because someone snapped a plastic bracelet onto my wrist. 9/12

c. 2026, mark small. Originally appeared 3/10/12 as “Multiple Sclerosis ("MS," my initials, how personal) and why I will not miss a Mini-Marathon.(r) Part 1" and on 3/11/12 as “Multiple Sclerosis and why I will not miss a Mini-Marathon(r). Part 2.” 10/12

Footnotes:
FN3. The “Mini” is the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini-Marathon® is held each year as part of the festivities leading up to the Indianapolis 500.
FN4. I had read Jack Kerouac had done that when he had circulatory problems in his legs. 11/12

FN5. They also were components of field sobriety tests (horizontal gaze nystagmus, heel-to-toe walk, lean-the-head-back-close-the-eyes-and-try-to-touch-the nose whatever it is called) cops love to give to drivers whom they suspect of driving drunk. 12/12