"Marathon Walker Karen Stewart: Taking on Multiple Sclerosis, One Step at a Time"
Each day, Karen Stewart laces up her walking shoes to set a new pace against her biggest competitor – multiple sclerosis (MS). In an effort to confront this obstacle, Karen set her first marathon goal; the Portland Marathon in 2001, which she finished in eight hours and 39 minutes.
Despite the great challenges she faced following her diagnosis, she trained rigorously and in 2008 alone, walked a total of 1,040 miles in preparation for her events. To date, Karen has competed in numerous marathons and 50-mile MS challenge walks, totaling more than 470 event miles. She did each to demonstrate to others that a challenging disease, such as MS, does not have to stand in the way of a dream.
Karen was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in 1996, after experiencing numbness in her leg and optic neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve causing an acute loss of vision. She turned to her neurologist and found resources, such as Shared Solutions®, a support service provided by Teva Neuroscience for people living with MS and their families, to learn more about the disease.
In the years following her diagnosis, Karen’s health began to worsen. She could no longer walk unassisted, fatigue became a daily challenge and, eventually, the worsening of her symptoms forced her to leave her job. Then one morning, Karen awoke with a new outlook.
"I realized I could either continue to allow MS to control me, or I could be proactive and take charge of this disease and my life," Karen says. In 1998, after discussing therapy options with her neurologist, she began taking COPAXONE® (glatiramer acetate injection) to manage her MS.
With her sights set, Karen started taking short walks with the assistance of a walker, going back and forth to a park located one block from her house. Each day was a struggle as she pushed herself further, forcing her body to take those extra steps. Soon she was walking around the park (approximately 1.5 miles) with the aid of a cane and eventually was able to manage on her own. Karen’s progress allowed her to intensify her training, and she began to walk on a treadmill six days a week.
Although individual results may vary, over the past few years, Karen has made fitness a priority in her life. She exercises six days a week, added Pilates to her exercise regimen and continues to work as a registered nurse (RN). To date, Karen has walked 22 marathons, including the Portland Marathon, Salt Lake City Half Marathon, Denver Mile High Half Marathon, New York City Marathon, Colfax Half Marathon, Fort Collins Half Marathon, Walk with Me Marathon, Boulder Back-Road Marathon, Spokane Half Marathon and Las Vegas Half Marathon.
"I’ve transformed the meaning of MS from "multiple sclerosis" to "mighty spirit", which has become the center of my circle of balance," says Karen. "There is a strength within each of us. It doesn’t have to be walking a marathon or climbing a mountain. We just need to find what that strength is and not let the disease get the best of us."
Team COPAXONE®
Karen is sponsored in part by Teva Neuroscience as a member of Team COPAXONE®. Karen is just one example of someone who is living with RRMS and pursuing her dreams. Team COPAXONE® celebrates the accomplishments of people, such as Karen, who refuse to let MS stand in their way. Members are working to change the perceptions that society holds of people living with MS.
Advances in Medicine
Continuing research has led to treatments that can modify the immune processes thought to be responsible for RRMS. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved drugs for RRMS, such as COPAXONE®.
Call 1-800-887-8100 for more information about COPAXONE®, Team COPAXONE®, or multiple sclerosis.
097005403/090437