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Walk MS Superheroes

Jim F: Finding Purpose

Jim F. & Family
 

Last night, the Broncos beat the Patriots.

It was a great game, played down to the wire in a stunning overtime victory. Both teams left it all on the field. A classic for the ages.

I've been a Broncos fan my whole life. I grew up in Colorado; it's in my blood. I worked in sports entertainment for a while, doing Jumbotron work for the Rockies and the Broncos. There's no better way to get closer to your favorite teams.

I was 28 years old, two years into my marriage and shortly into my job with the Rockies, when my right hand went numb. The job was a stressful one with long hours, but that wasn't the cause; when the tests came back, the doctor told me something I'd never expected to hear: I had MS. It wasn't exactly the wedding gift I'd hoped for.


Like most people, my first reaction was denial.

It was nearly a decade before I participated in my first Walk MS event. I didn't want to be around it; I didn't want to be reminded of what I was dealing with – of what I was losing.

Things that most people would consider trivial for me are massive endeavors. When my daughters ask me to get a cup out in the kitchen, it's not just a single action of “open the cabinet and get the cup.” It's fifteen actions or more, planning every step so that I don't trip on the dog, drop something or hurt myself. Sometimes I'm lucky to get one thing done in a whole day. Sometimes you lose purpose.

 
Jim F.

In Spiderman, Peter Parker's Uncle Ben tells him one of the most famous axioms in comic-book history: "With great power comes great responsibility." Living with MS has taught me the other side of that – with true vulnerability comes great freedom. Building the bonds I've made and being honest with people about the things I struggle with have given me a new purpose.

When I moved out to the Pacific Northwest to be with my wife's family, we took a cue from what some friends of ours had done back in Colorado and started a company that does espresso catering – a sort of Starbucks on wheels. It's a little two-by-four cart with your own personal barista who can make nearly any type of coffee you like. We work with the Oregon chapter of the National MS Society to cater its bike rides.

I do a podcast, too, called "How You're Really Doing." It can be scary sometimes, being so vulnerable. When people ask how we're doing, we're trained to answer "fine," but often we aren't. We're stressed and concerned and struggling, because we're all human – and being honest about that is intimidating. But it's when I'm most honest about that, and when I'm helping others to be as honest as they can be, that I make these precious, deep connections and get my best feedback.

When I first started participating in Walk MS, we had 8 people walking on my team. This past year, we had more than 70.

My name is Jim, and I live with MS.

Join Jim and Thousands of Other Superheroes at Walk MS 2016
walkMS.org

 
Jim F. & Walk MS Team
 

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