No, it’s not the MS,!  It’s my current state of affairs.  More like, trying to get my affairs in order.  No, not like my 6-ft. under affairs!   It’s, simply, everything that goes into planning and paying for an adventure of this magnitude.  It gets a little overwhelming, even for someone who thrives on “overwhelming”.   Let me tell you, if you ever thought you wanted to go to Russia…for anything, you’d better really want to go, and plan well in advance.  Beyond a passport, there is the visa, and you can’t get the visa, without an invitation.  That’s right.  You have to have a personal invitation from Russia to get the visa.  No invitation, no visa, no stem cell transplant, in that order.  Luckily, mom and I are using a passport/visa concierge service that has been handling everything, which is fabulous, and, so far, the only glitch was having to go get a second set of passport photos taken because the U.S. Department of State rejected our original ones.  Talk about a blow to your self-confidence!  Geez!

In addition to all of the paper-shuffling, there’s all of the e-mailing, texting, messaging, and phone calls from all over the country/world.  Thank God for my Razr phone that notifies me, even if my friends in Australia sneeze.  It makes for a very busy, noisy and oftentimes, exhausting day.  Given that it takes me about 25+ minutes just to put my socks and shoes on comfortably, you really do have to pull all of your time-management skills out of your back pocket, at a moment’s notice.

Oh, and there’s more!  It’s been a fundraising bonanza in my little corner of the world (check out my thermometer).  I have friends, family, strangers, etc., flying around me (hence, the dizzy part) making donations, ordering t-shirts, planning fundraisers, holding fundraisers and working their little hearts out in an effort to make this dream a reality for me.  I am blessed.  All the while, in the Mom Cave, during my free moments, I’m trying to figure out how I can get the word out and give hope to as many MSrs as possible who have found themselves in my same position.  Don’t we all want to save the world?!!!

One of my most favorite little treats during the past couple of months has been my friends and their families taking pics of their Keep Calm and Halt MS t-shirts (info available on my Fundraising page).  They’ve been sending them to me from sandy beaches, mountain tops, Disney World and beyond.   I even had a woman from the State of Washington, who is having this procedure done in India, e-mail from her hospital bed to order five of those t-shirts.  When I say I have people, I really do!  Check them all out on my Photo Gallery page of this website.  They are so fun!

Oh, just received another message!!  Time to go!  Like a whirlpool, it never ends!!  Yes, I overuse exclamation points!  I’m excited, already!!!!