I simply could not pass up this opportunity to participate in the "Walk Over ". With McArdle Disease, I suffered (and still suffer) through even the most basic physical activities, experiencing muscle fatigue and pain. At age four I distinctly recall lagging behind the rest of my soccer teammates as they jetted up field. At age six I remember trekking uphill to my best friend’s house. Though he lived ten houses away, I stopped for several breaks: sitting on the curb as my muscles slightly stiffened. Throughout middle school P.E. was a nightmare as my fatigue seemed to increase over the years. I began to bow out of activities while I stood on the sidelines, watching my classmates run.

These early years were filled with confusion. I received numerous misdiagnoses from local doctors as they claimed that I was simply “lazy” and “de-conditioned”. It finally took out of state visits to Dr. Ronald Haller in and later to Dr. Alfred Slonim in to confirm my diagnosis of McArdle Disease.

Despite my struggles I strived to stay active. Baseball was “my sport.” While I managed to adapt to the sport (with my muscles on mind in every play), running became increasingly strenuous and even dangerous as the bases progressively lengthened to 90 feet. Second-base became my sprinting limit. My competitive baseball career came to a “semi-glorious” exit when I knocked a line drive to the fence in right-center field. I rounded first base at full speed and despite pushing my arms and legs to the max, everything slowed rounding second. Heading into third-base as the ball came in from the relay, my slide resembled that of a stumble and fall. Hunched over, crippled with contractures from my legs, to my abdomen, to my arms, I then realized the gravity of my condition.

With McArdles patients “there is no gain with pain.” I am learning to live with McArdles: learning to be in tune with my body while not limiting myself.

Though I am participating in this month long walk for many personal reasons, walking for McArdles is on the forefront of my mind. The purpose of this walk is to bring awareness to this disorder and to create an informational DVD for McArdles patients: educating those who may have been handed little information on how to live with the disease. With this disorder, most patients are diagnosed as adults. Hopefully with this effort others with McArdles will be diagnosed earlier, thus preventing repetitive muscle damage and disability. I’d appreciate any support towards this worthwhile effort.

With thanks from ,

-Dan Chambers (age 18)