As I sit here in the Salt Lake City airport waiting for an impromptu flight home, I cannot scrape together a single bad thought about the motorcycle I am leaving behind; possibly for good. Well, OK, maybe just one bad thought; I still have 18 payments to make on it! The bike and I ... Read more
A LifeCycle
Having an unpredictable disease like multiple sclerosis (MS) helps me separate out and concentrate on the things in life that are really important to me. I understand the disease is unpredictable and, at any moment, I could be dealing with a completely new physical or cognitive symptom. I also appreciate how lucky I am ... Read more
NO Car for Me
I am often asked, why? Why do I ride in the pouring rain? Why do I ride in the black of night? Why do I ride in the bitter cold of winter? My motorcycle license plate reads NOCAR, and here is why I ride my motorcycle every day. Forty years ago, I had the ... Read more
Nuts to MS
For the past few years, I have braved the harsh March winter here in the northeast and made the migration south to Daytona Beach, FL, for bike week. Well, mostly I go in order to attend the Iron Butt Association’s (IBA) annual gathering in Jacksonville to break bread and tell lies to hundreds of other motorcyclists who share my love of ... Read more
I have MS!
“No, I am not one of Jerry’s kids. That’s muscular dystrophy.” “No, Michael J. Fox does not have multiple sclerosis (MS). He has Parkinson’s.” I have MS. Before MS came into my life, I must admit some of these diseases all blended together for me too. A quick search on the internet will ... Read more
Arctic Journey
Continued from No Matter What Part 1 With approval from the cafeteria worker who had wheeled my low-fat lunch into my hospital suite, I left New Hampshire for Alaska one day after being discharged and just three days after having a couple of stents inserted into my heart. Have I told you that I’m ... Read more
No Matter What
It was a simple text, yet it was the start of a life-changing experience. “Hey Paul, do you want to speak in Anchorage or Fairbanks?” I’d been receiving invitations to speak at events in California as part of a West Coast tour this past June, but riding my bike to Alaska had been on ... Read more
Battling MS Symptoms
It’s been four years since I concocted this million-mile motorcycle journey for multiple sclerosis (MS), and I thought it might be a good time to review and evaluate my mission. I know I’ve missed some original goals and opportunities, but like fighting the disease itself, I charge forward with determination daily while continuing to chase the cure. I may have fallen ... Read more
Memory Faux Pas
By the spring of 2005, I was bothered by tingling, weakness and loss of dexterity in my hands. But it was my failing memory that scared me enough to seek answers. For two years, I had been secretly struggling with cognitive issues — fuzzy thinking, trouble making decisions, multitasking and short-term memory issues. My ... Read more
A tisket, a tasket, a broken clutch basket
The Yamaha Super Ténéré motorcycle has a reputation for being bulletproof, which is why I chose to ride one on my quest to document a million miles for multiple sclerosis (MS). My responsibility to its engineers is to wear out the motorcycle and find its breaking point. My reputation of pushing gear and accessories ... Read more
At Least I Wasn’t Rat Food
You would think meeting racing legends and top corporate executives in the motorcycle industry would warrant a good story, but, unfortunately, this adventure is about surviving a lodging experience at what will herein be referred to as “The Resort.” The AIMExpo is an international trade show, held once a year in Orlando, Florida, for ... Read more
Highway to Health Part III
My road trip began with unexpected coronary surgery and a two-wheeled dash from New Hampshire to the Arctic Circle in Alaska. The second part of this trip-of-a-lifetime was heading south through hellish heat in Vegas and Los Angeles. After 10,000 miles in less than two weeks, I would finally get to rest a few ... Read more
MotoMedicine
\ I’ve got a prescription in my pocket I bet most people around here would kill for.” I was invited to the Americade Motorcycle Rally in Lake George, NY, to present a few seminars. Everybody thought my script was for medical marijuana! And they guessed wrong! My presentation, MotoMedicine: Riding for Medicinal Purposes explores ... Read more
Riding for the Masses
Being asked to give a presentation 2000 miles away from my home in New Hampshire at the Iron Butt Association’s National Conference was the perfect excuse for a road trip. I took the long way to Denver to attend the biannual meeting of long distance motorcycle enthusiasts from around the globe. I thought it ... Read more
Powder Blue Tuxedo
I just finished a brilliantly idiotic extreme Iron Butt ride to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society! I first received an invite to a gathering of motorcycle long distance riders, called a RTE, or ride to eat. Riders are invited to a restaurant most likely very far from wherever they call home ... Read more
Two Week’s Notice
When riding a motorcycle, we learn to look where we want to go. Look as far down the road as we can and look around or beyond hazards in the road to avoid hitting them. Look directly at something in the road and the bike will veer right towards it, and hit it. In ... Read more
Nuthin’ to See Here
In the time it took to suck in half a breath, dozens of anti-lock braking systems-including the one on my motorcycle-activated, chirped and squealed. It was music to my ears, spoiled only by the smell of burning rubber and overheated brake pads. You might call this instrumental piece, “Brake Dancing in the New Millennium.” ... Read more
Stella!
With or without a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), attempting to ride a million miles by motorcycle is impossible without the help of friends. Friends with connections are even better. “Hey Rob, I’d really like to get together soon to discuss how your company can help out with my Endless Road Tour. Do you ... Read more
Keeping Cool
Heat is a four-letter word for those of us who have multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, a common way to test for MS years ago was to toss the patient into a hot tub and see what stewed. Known as the “Hot Bath Method,” a person with MS symptoms was observed while in a ... Read more
Q&A with a PA
Recently and coincidentally, after a fire alarm went off in his office building, I was finally able to steal Physician’s Assistant (PA) Paul Barlow away from his busy schedule for a few moments for this candid interview. Mr. Barlow is part of the highly-skilled professional team that oversees my multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. He ... Read more
