Michael J Fox – Page 2 – Trekking Upward

20. Jet Lag! – August 23

I arrived in Asheville on Friday evening August 18 around 7:00 p.m. I was slow getting off the small jet and then made a stop at the restroom. I must have missed my bag at the luggage pickup carousel. After waiting a very long time for all the bags to appear, I discovered mine was missing. I had a tracking device in it so I knew it was at the airport. After checking with the main counter at American Airlines, I found it had been sent there and I was able to retrieve it and be on my way home. My husband had planned to take me out to eat on the way, but after 40 plus hours in transit, I just wanted to go home. There was food to eat in our frig, then a shower, and off to bed. The next morning he decided to go to church and after he left I collapsed into the bed and fell into a deep sleep for several hours. When I awoke, I just wanted to eat again and go back to bed. On Sunday morning, my suitcase, daypack, and carryon were still sitting unopened in the foyer. I decided to tackle the job of unpacking, doing laundry, sorting out the souvenirs I’d brought home and begin the process of settling back into life in North Carolina. I discovered that the garden had exploded with an overabundance of produce while I was gone. The tomatoes, blueberries, basil, cucumbers from our garden and sweet corn from the family farm were needing attention. It is now Wednesday morning, August 23 and I have accomplished much of the unpacking, sorting through the mail, and am still working on the garden produce. If you’ve ever put up sweet corn, you know it is a lot of work and my dear brother David, and his wife Julie worked very hard to process all I wanted and bring it to our house where all we had to do was box it up and put it in the freezer. But, I am still waking up a 3:00 a.m. and wanting to sleep a lot. Last night I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up I couldn’t figure out where I was or what time it was or what was going on. I think I fell back asleep and when I woke up again decided to find my way to my bedroom, brush my teeth and crawl in bed. But once again I am awake at 3:00 a.m. This readjustment has been difficult and I hope resolves soon.

Yesterday afternoon, I had an interview with our local news network, WLOS 13. I had met with Marvin Parker of the sports section before the trip and he wanted to do a follow up piece upon my return. When he started the interview, I began shivering. This is not like a typical Parkinson tremor. It happens when I am stressed, or tired, or cold, or hungry, or hot. Marvin was really nice, very polite and interested in my story but I can’t remember what I said. It is a blur. I am hoping my message about why I did this incredible trip came across. I wanted pepople to know that the number one reason for climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro was for fundraising for the Michael J Fox Foundation. It’s number one mission is to find a cure for PD. All of us in the PD community and those with family members or friends who they know personally with the diagnosis, want to end this disease. Research and development is very expensive and the Fox Foundation has funded an incredible amount of research that is already helping those with PD. Michael J Fox has been and continues to be a very inspirational giant in the quest to conquer PD. Second, I want to help change the stigma associated with PD. While it is a neurodegenerative disease, many people can live vibrant, productive lives before they get to the last few chapters of their story. They need not see themselves or others as damaged for many years yet to live. I want to inspire people to take charge of their life and not surrender easily to powerlessness but to fight for what is worth fighting for. And thirdly, I want to bring awareness about the signs and symptoms of PD so that people with and without the disease can be aware of possible indications of PD. This might help someone take action to slow the progression of PD or seek medical help that can give them relief and improve the quality of their life. Hey, I’m a 67 almost 68 year old woman with PD who just reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. If I can do that, then maybe I can inspire others to get off the couch. Maybe I can urge them on to take charge of their life and live vibrantly. Maybe I can get them moving as the best way to preserve movement is to keep moving. Maybe I can have an impact in someone’s life. That would make it all worth what I have done.

On a side note – the one legged stance with hands held up above my head is to symbolize finding balance in life while reaching up to attain lofty goals and aspirations.

19. I Did It- Made It to the Summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro – August 14

So I made it to the roof of Africa. It has been an amazing journey. I would not say it was fun as it was grueling, hard work in the sun, cold, wind, dust, and very desolate environment. But it was incredible!! It was exhilarating! It was unforgettable! I was only able to get there with much help from many people. But yet, I did it one step at a time up that mountain. Now I am sore, exhausted, drained, emotional and ready to head home. I plan to write more about my story in future entries but for now, I need a little rest.

16. Last Entry Before I Leave for Africa – July 28

This will be my last entry before I fly out of Asheville on Tuesday, August 1. This week has been busy with getting many last-minute details taken care of. There were purchases to make, packing to be done, bills to be paid and many other things to attend to. By far, the highlight of my week was the Bon Voyage Party my hiking club gave me. I started my own hiking group when Covid had the country shut down. I knew I could not take a break from the outdoor activity that gave me so much help in dealing with PD. Other groups I had been hiking with decided to halt activity for the most part, but I felt this was unnecessary to stay safe. In fact, I felt that being active in the outdoors was a good way to preserve immunity and health. So, I offered invitations to hikers I knew and started Lucretia’s Hikers. By now, the group has grown to about 60 members with about two thirds of them regular hikers with me. The others hike infrequently or are “lurkers” as they enjoy the pictures of the group hikes I post to our site. Over the many miles and hours on the trails, I have gotten to know the members well and many have become very close friends. They have been a constant support in every aspect of my life. The party was overwhelming by the outpouring of support and affection shown to me. The attendance was large, and they gave me flowers, gifts for the trip, a banner to pin to my pack on the trek and a card signed by everyone. Individual members gave me personal cards, and one member wrote a limerick personalized for me. Another member created a picture from stones, moss and a stick that displays a hiker climbing a mountain. The box it came in was wrapped in a beautiful silk scarf with fresh flowers instead of a bow decorating it. I was rendered speechless and in tears by the overwhelming demonstration of love and support. To say thank you does not seem adaquate to express the gratitude I want to express to them for the many, many ways they have been there for me. But my hiking group members are not the only ones who have been very supportive both in my ambitions to climb Kilimanjaro but in the daily, continuous struggle of handling life with PD. I have a long list of friends, family, church members, neighbors, and even strangers who have offered both monetary contributions to my fundraising campaign as well as overwhelming love and support. This is not casual support but the kind where one will be available 24/7 to listen, or talk, or go places, or take care of physical needs. My well is brimming over with genuine friendship, concern, and love. I wonder how I got so lucky to have such a tremendous throng of advocates but am eternally grateful to the many, many people who have touched my life with their generous outpouring of kindness and devotion. The list is too long to name everyone I appreciate and want to thank but I would like to mention Lisa Scaterragia, my publicist, who has given many hours helping me get the word out there. Then, I would like to thank my family members comprised of my four brothers and their wives, my nieces and nephews and their spouses and children, my father’s wife, my husband’s family especially his children who I consider my own too, and their significant others and children, and my daughter Lauren. But the one who gets the most billing and who has stood by me through everything is my precious husband Jay of 32 years today. He is my rock, my best friend, and the love of my life. I love you with all my heart and will be running to your arms when I return.

15. Seven Days and Six Hikes with Bob and Joanne – July 23

This past week I hiked six of seven days. My brother Bob came down from Michigan to hike the first three days with me. Then we had a day of drenching rain that nourished our dry area and Bob left to go back to Michigan, so that gave me a day off. Then, Joanne Simmons, one of the Michael J Fox Climb Kilimanjaro team members, flew in from New Jersey to spend three days hiking with me. Bob and I did three very different hikes. The first was a short 5.5-mile hike along a section of the Mountain to Sea trail from Big Ridge Overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway to Shell Knob. On the second hike we invited members of my hiking group to join us for a trek from Skinny Dip Falls to Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields. This 8.6-mile and 1,400 ft elevation gain hike was a challenge but very pretty. We enjoyed four waterfalls, a mountain river, interesting fungi, flowers, and diversity of trail construction. Half of the group did a shuttle and returned from Graveyard Fields while the rest of us returned on the same trail back to our car. The third hike was to see the grand falls at DuPont State Forest. It started out to be a drizzly day, so we donned rain gear and headed out. We took in Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, High Falls and three lakes for an 8.5-mile hike with a surprising 950 ft. elevation gain. In addition to the usual trail sights, we spotted a quiet, unobtrusive, peacefully resting water snake and a gorgeous cluster of what I think is Chicken of the Woods, a brightly colored fungi that can be eaten if you’re sure of its identity.

Joanne aka Jo, and I did three days of different hikes as well. The first day we went to Mt. Mitchell, the highest point east of the Rockies. As we drove up the parkway to the Mt. Mitchell area, we entered very dense fog, the kind you can barely see a car length ahead. It was windy and cold and of course views would be non-existent. Once at the trailhead, we were greeted by a reporter and a photographer from the Asheville Citizen Times, our local newspaper wanting to do an article about my planned adventure. I was interviewed and photographed for about 45 minutes and then we were off in the cold, windy, damp, and foggy weather to see how far we’d be able to go. The weather improved as we trudged on, but the tail was very slippery as we got our footing on rocks and roots. Then there were technically difficult places requiring the use of our hands and ropes to scramble up steep, rocky, muddy, and root laden patches. Eventually, we came to Big Tom and then Mt. Craig which had glorious views from their higher than 6,000 ft. elevation points. We finished our hike at the Mt. Mitchell peak and observation point and were grateful the sun was partially out giving us the beautiful views we were hoping to see. The second day with Jo, we went to Black Balsam and Mt. Tennet to hike. This was completely different from Mt. Mitchell in that most of the trail was exposed to the sun and the paths were more like trenches than flat trails. We were glad we applied sunscreen as it was a sunny day with lots of exposure. On top of Mt. Tennet, we had sweeping panoramic views and found other hikers who were interested in chatting about our training for the Kilimanjaro hike. The third day, I took Jo to hike Mt. Pisgah which isn’t far from my house. The short trail to the top was steep and we had to stop and get our breath a few times on the way to the peak. Once at the summit, we gazed at the very tall broadcast tower which can be seen from every direction in the Asehville area. After we got back to our car, we decided to take the short drive to hike to and climb one of the few standing fire look-out towers in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The walk from the pullout off the Blue Ridge Parkway was a steep, gravel road about three quarters of a mile mostly in the sun. The tower had a very steep, metal stairway to climb that was not for anyone who might be afraid of heights. We chose to go on up the ladder and take a look at the views which did not disappoint. The mountain ridges stretched out before us in every direction with their slightly blue hues characteristic of the mountains of Western North Carolina. Then it was back home, shower, grab a bite to eat and off to the airport for Jo to catch her flight back to Jersey City. We had a wonderful time over the three days we spent conditioning together and getting to know each other. I already know I have a friend for life and the bonds of this journey will be lasting. And that’s even before the hike where I will have other team members to get to know and share this trek of a lifetime. Looking forward to what lies ahead with less trepidation now. Thanks Jo for being a part of my conditioning efforts. Now to take a break from hiking for a few days as I must admit – I’m tired!

1. My Story

I am so excited to have been chosen to join the Michael J. Fox Foundation Team to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in August 2023!

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2017 and was determined that it would not stop my love of the outdoors and hiking every week in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. In the beginning, I didn’t tell people because of the shame and pity often associated with this disease.

I want to be an inspiration to those living with Parkinson’s that they can still live a vibrant life. More importantly, we are the ones to take charge of our treatment, our attitude, our limiting beliefs and the progress of our condition.

Summiting the iconic mountain of Africa is a personal challenge that exemplifies the physical and emotional challenges of Parkinson’s. It is also my way to honor my parents’ examples of service to their community and sacrifice for others.

There are only 11 Team Members selected for this momentous opportunity – some hike in memory of someone, some hike in honor of a family member, and a few of us are hiking because we have this disease.

Team Fox is the grassroots fundraising program at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). 100 percent of Team Fox proceeds go straight to MJFF problem-solving and high-impact efforts.

I invite you to come along on this trek with me – first by helping me reach my initial goal of $10,000 in donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Every dollar makes a difference.

Then, follow me here (and on Facebook) for more of my personal journey, updates, and photos of our team in Africa.

Artwork courtesy of Alex Hayden who owns rights to use this image

Check out my fundraising page for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research – https://give.michaeljfox.org/fundraiser/5438589