THE CHALLENGE

We have joined the Arthritis Society’s Joints In Motion Training team and will be trekking 80 kilometres in a six-day hike through the Landmannalaugar highlands of Iceland in July 2012.

Landmannalaugar (Icelandic, meaning the people’s pools) is a region near the volcano Hekla in the southern section of Iceland’s highlands. The area is famous for its spectacular natural beauty with challenging treks through multi-coloured rhyolite mountains, vast lava fields, meadows of wool grass, moss fields, and steam springs. This trek will be extremely difficult for our Joints In Motion team, but is nothing compared to the suffering of those with Arthritis. Wendy is dedicating the trek to her Arthritis Hero – her husband, Eric, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. Eric is dedicating the trek to his Arthritis Hero - his wife, Wendy, who suffers from osteoarthritis. For more details on our personal reasons for joining this trek, see below under “WHY ARE WE TAKING UP THIS CHALLENGE”.


NEWS

May 5th our final fundraising event is over - our Mega Garage Sale event raised $845!! We had perfect weather with only a chilly wind to knock over a few breakables. Great sale weather though, and much better than the heavy rain of a few days prior. Thank you so much to our volunteers Laurel, Dawn, Brad, Brenda, Lou Ann, Brooke, Adam, Alex, Luke and Parker. Thanks so much to all our generous donors - it would not have been possible without you and hopefully you now have a little more space in your homes.

April 7th our LCBO Boot Drive event raised $2271!. Thank you so much to our volunteers Carrie, Ken, Judy, Erin P, Erin K, Jianping, Lindy, Annie, Ann, Hazel, and Liz. Dundas, Ancaster and West Hamiltonians are very generous and we have reached our goal!!! 

A wonderful news story about us appeared in our community newspaper in October .  Here's the link: 
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/community/eric-and-wendy-get-their-joints-in-motion/ 


EVENTS

 
WHY WE ARE TAKING UP THIS CHALLENGE

Support My Journey
I am fundraising for Joints in Motion in honour of my husband, Eric. Five years ago Eric was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and since then I have been player and witness in his daily struggle. It has been difficult for me to watch his very private journey with pain slowly become more public. Our trek to Iceland in July of 2012 will help us share our story.

Over time, I’ve watched Eric slowly give up some of the things which he thoroughly enjoys. First, it was hiking for the purposes of finding great photographic opportunities – the walking became difficult, as did fiddling with the tiny knobs and settings on the camera. One of his favourite hobbies was making art in stained glass – the cutting, sanding and foiling along with the hours of standing at the workbench became more difficult. For the many of you who know Eric, it is not surprising that he doesn’t easily ask for help. This past year I found out that sometimes I need to step in and get him help when he is unable or unwilling to help himself. Eric began walking with a cane, but when Eric had trouble unbuttoning his shirt, I knew it was time. A lot has changed since then.

Through research and medical advancements Eric is now on a new medication regime which is actually working. Eric no longer walks with a cane. Eric was the photographer at our niece’s wedding in August of 2011. Eric surprised me when he said he wanted to join me on the Joints in Motion Iceland trek – what better place to renew his love of photographic art. Lastly, Eric wants to make stained glass art for a fundraiser!

I hope you will contribute to our fundraiser in hopes of providing further medical advancement through research. You will be helping people like Eric live their lives more fully. I can’t thank you enough.

Wendy Seidlitz

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Awkward...!
I have to admit that trying to raise money for research into a painful disease like arthritis is a little awkward. It’s awkward for me mostly because it feels vaguely self-serving – after all, in addition to having arthritis, I am a medical researcher and a basic scientist specializing in chronic pain. Can my motives for raising money really be altruistic? Will anyone take me seriously? The acute irony of this situation is not lost on me, although I honestly believe that it provides me with a unique perspective for dealing with this disease.

Who I am is not defined by this disease.
Although it may be a touch of denial, I really don’t identify myself as a person with a disabling disease. I want to be known for who I am and what I can do – not for what has happened to my body. This is an important part of my reasoning for joining the Iceland Trek to raise money for the Arthritis Society. I can and I will live well with arthritis – participating in this trek is just one part of the fight to conquer the disease with the hope of making it irrelevant to my life and that of my family. And yes, reducing the impact of arthritis is exactly how I believe research will make the most practical gains. Although it may sound pessimistic, I don’t have any delusions that there is an easy cure for arthritis out there, if only we looked for it a little harder. It would be wonderful if it was true, but for me, that is simply being unrealistic. Instead, I believe that research will give us some answers as to how we can live better with arthritis. I want this trek to serve as a reminder to everyone that you can live well with arthritis, and you can also be productive and happy while you live the way you want to. That is the direct benefit that I hope to take away from this whole experience – an increase in public awareness about arthritis and more money for research is, by its very nature, what I wish to do for others impacted by this disease.

The future.
Although I don’t deny being an eternal pragmatist in this matter (sorry, an occupational hazard…!), I do dream of a better future. That dream is to live in a world where one can simply forget that they have arthritis in the first place. Better yet, wouldn’t if be great if we knew how to effectively prevent it? Those are realistic and practical goals that could be achieved in my lifetime, as long as there is sufficient money to continue to look for the answers. Yes, I am acutely aware of how much research costs (another occupational hazard…), and I know that research money will be in short supply if people are not aware of what the problems are. As with any adventure, we have to start somewhere. That first step, no matter how painful it might be, is the most important one to take. I can’t think of a better way of reaching these goals than to raise awareness, raise money, and have some fun at the same time. Donating to the Arthritis Society or pledging to support our trek to Iceland is just one small way of helping to bring arthritis to its knees.

Eric Seidlitz