An uphill walk will not deter me
When I was growing up, I heard my Mother say on many occasions that God never gives us more than we can take; that, in every situation, there is a lesson to be learned.
As I shared in this column a few months back, I was diagnosed with MS 16 years ago. But up until the last few years it�s only caused a bump in the road here and there.
An injury to my knee in 1997 is now compounded by the disease, which makes walking any distance an uphill battle. Never is this more pronounced than on our Friday night travels to my son�s football games.
People with multiple sclerosis are given an ambulatory score on how far they can walk. This, along with other tests, is used to determine the stage of the disease. I�ve been using a cane over the past year to help steady this walking process. But there is no cane in the world made for making it to any visitors� side of the field. And last Friday night was no different.
We arrived an hour early to get a good parking space, watch the boys warm up and to make the trek. My husband had checked out the set up earlier in the week and had warned me the trip was two and one half football lengths to the away team�s stands. That�s a little over two times my limit.
When we arrived, a very nice woman offered to take me to the bleachers in the school�s newly purchased Gator golf cart. And off we went. As I scoped out the lay of the land, I noticed there were no restroom facilities on the visitor�s side. Guess the visitors were assumed to either never need a bathroom or not mind the two and a half football fields� walk.
It was an ugly game. At halftime we were ahead 9-7, but it was guts alone that had us there. Then it hit me. I was only halfway through the game and I better make a visit to the little girl�s room before the boys took the field. But how was I going to get there?
My husband went to look for the Gator Girl. She was nowhere to be found. With no other choice, we set out to make the trip.
For the next ten minutes we stumbled through hoards of people over rocks and dirt in an effort to reach the pit stop. With each step I could hear my Mother�s voice. And I could feel the immense strain on legs no longer cut out for the stress.
But proof positive of my Mother�s philosophy, we made it.
And we made it back.
Here�s what I�ve learned over the past year: People with obstacles such as this, while in the minority, are not taken into consideration when places such as football fields are designed. I�ve been to several over the last few years and every one appears to have the same approach to their visitor stands. We pay the same amount to get into the game. We pay the same amount for a soft drink or a candy bar. But comfortable seats and close facilities are not options afforded us.
Tonight�s game is at home. There we have season seats and relatively close Porta-Johns. The concession stands and true restrooms are actually much closer to the visitor�s side. We�re getting ready to build a new complex in the not too distant future.
And even though it will be completed long after this last one is finished with the game, I intend to make my voice heard so that the advantages currently offered to our visitors don�t disappear. I�m told the visitor�s side of our existing stadium used to be the home side, which would explain all of the amenities.
There�s one last thing that I�ve learned. This is one that I share with my children constantly:
That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
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