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Tammy Michaels

Donate to me Join my team

$515.00

Raised

$5,000.00

Goal

Of Goal

Welcome to Tamurai's Adventure

Event:	Bangor Walk
Date:	Saturday, August 28, 2021
Team:	Tamurai's Adventure #rockinALS

Thank you for helping me reach my Walk to Defeat ALS(R) fundraising goal! The Walk to Defeat ALS raises funds to support those affected by ALS and to spread awareness of the urgency to find treatments and a cure.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of a person with ALS averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. ALS can strike anyone, and presently there is no known cause or cure.

That's why I'm walking. To change the statistics. To bring help and hope to those living with the disease. To ensure that no one ever hears the words: "You Have ALS" again.

The past two years have brought incredible advancements in ALS research, expanded access to care for people living with ALS, and enabled legislation that impacts the quality of life of people with ALS and their families.

But, we can't stop now. The key to a cure begins with you.

Please consider walking with me or sponsoring me. With your help, we will be able to make a difference in the lives of people affected by this disease.

The beginning of Tamurai’s adventure aka Tammy Michaels was originally intended to be a story of a girl going on an adventure through the bariatric world. This is a long story so sit back and relax and grab a coffee.

As one would know as a larger person sometimes you do not get the same treatment from your primary as you would if you were healthy. Boy didn’t I have lots of problems.

It all started over 4 or 5 years ago and I was consistently told to lose weight. Swelling feet, back pain, fatigue, and unexplained clumsiness. I was on heart medication, cholesterol pills and water pills. I had been diagnosed with edema, rosacea, hyperlipidemia, Parvovirus, Gerd...must I go on?? On Nov 27th, 2017, I took a new turn in my life and underwent surgery for the Gastric Sleeve.

I am no longer on medications since my surgery. I went from 280 lbs to 165 lbs in a matter of 1 year. The journey was wonderful and I felt so good. One day I walked 20 miles and felt like I could do more. IN that same week I biked to work from Corinth to Bangor (16 miles) and then walked at the Relay for Life 15 more miles. I started to go to the gym and maintained this weight for another 6 months.

Soon after my return from New York (I was sent to work for a month) I started to fall more so much that I would laugh it off and say I was “starfishing” or blaming it on “carpet trolls”. I went from falling 1 -4 times a week to 10-15 times a week in a matter of a month. My peers would ask me if my foot was ok, as they noticed I was walking with a gait. I however blew it off and stated “It’s how I walk.” In the back of my head however I thought it is strange how I keep falling.

Around December of 2018, I started seeing a chiropractor and found out that I am actually favoring my left leg so much that I was misaligned. 70/30 right to left. My right foot was flat and I had a beautiful arch on the left. I was then referred to a back surgeon as I did display some bulging disks. After a few MRI’s and no more gym activity I was told that I had a pinched nerve and it would be a fairly simple surgery. WIth a long recovery.

On May 21st, 2019, I had my back surgery. I started to walk better at my 6 week appointment post opt and then things started to get worse when I returned to work in August. The falls increased to more than 100+ in the month of September. I made the hardest decision and grateful Wayfair allowed this accommodation I stepped out of the management role and back into my previous position.

With the concern of a second opinion as my primary then referred me to a psychologist and referral to Acadia. The second opinion referred me to a neurologist and had TONS of blood work ordered. One of the tests that came back with concern was muscle and tissue damage.

When I visited the neurologist they performed an EEG on me. This was done on October 16th on October 18th, I received a call from the doctor to come into the office. At that moment I was still at work and had to leave early to go. I thought “Wow this must be serious.” Little did I know how serious it really was. At 2:34pm on October 18th, 2020, my life flipped right upside down. I was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS, also known as motor neurone disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease. I didn’t even know how to respond and held it together as I told my husband in the parking lot of his place of employment.

In a matter of 24 hours from the diagnosis our house went up for sale and we were house hunting for a more accommodating home, planning for the worse. I was set up with an ALS specialist in Brunswick and the new journey began. By the end of the year I had multiple appointments under my belt. I started voice banking and had a plan for a motorized wheelchair.

The month of December was one of the most blessed. An angel offered to buy our home cash so that we could buy a home that we found in Bangor that was fully accessible. The neatest thing about the house we found besides the amazing Angel that bought our house on Dec 13th, 2019 is the fact the house we found was not only across the street from where David (my husband) and I had our first date. The house was the house my husband connected with a pastor and accepted Jesus into his life right in the living room of the house we wanted to buy.

This house was fully accessible, wheelchair elevator, ramps, wide doorways, roll in showers, rails by the toilet. It was a dream. On January 18th exactly 3 months later we moved into this home.