John's Dance with MS

My name is John and that is the easiest part about writing about me. People that know me, know me from so many different contexts so I will try to give you a run-down of my experiences with past and current interests.

My early life was spent growing up in Ellenville, NY, in a sports orientated environment with both parents who taught and coached. When I was 16 we relocated and I finished my high school education in Port Jervis, NY. My dream was playing college football and then moving on to play as a pro.  With my fathers' push I worked pretty hard and eventually did get a scholarship to play (American) football at Lafayette College. I was not good enough to play in the NFL but did eventually play for a semi-pro team called the Argonautes in France. Once there a whole other world opened up to me.

The seasons, which lasted for roughly six months, gave me the opportunity to travel quite a bit. Often on a shoestring budget I put on my backpack and travelled to various places around the world.

During one of my travels I met my wife-to-be, Annica, in in a youth hostel in Jerusalem. It seemed impossible that we would ever end up together but the universe had other ideas. It was in fact a long road before we could ultimately make it work. In 1996 we decideded to move to Sweden and somehow we ended up in the small town of Hjo, a picturesque old town situated near an ocean-like lake. Looking back, we have truly had a blessed life, with laughter,health and travels. As a bonus, we have three fantastic children together.
 

Currently I am on partial disability but still work part-time as a high school English teacher. I enjoy reading and discussing all kinds of subjects including:health food, spirituality, intercultural differences, language, brain science, sports, outdoor life you name it!

 

MS-Diagnosis
Before I became ill I loved to go skiing, hiking and playing sports and was always up for new adventures. Consequently I took it pretty hard when I was first diagnosed even if I initially was able to continue doing many of these things. Today, however, it is a very different situation for me. When the family goes skiing, I wait in the lodge. Jumping on the trampoline, playing catch, shooting hoops with the kids feels like a thing of the past. In fact walking more than a couple hundred meters or taking the stairs is now an adventure. My balance is shaky and to prevent taking hard falls I walk with a cane, use a kneebrace and foot support on my left leg. Despite this new life I try to remain as active as possible. Going to the gym, swimming, Qigong, yoga, meditation and healthy eating are all a part of my daily acitivities.