An Introduction

Today I am going to blog about a blog. Well, not just about the blog but also about the person who writes the blog. I sit at my computer overwhelmed because I do not know where to begin or what to include. So this blog is a simple introduction.

Meet Anne Marie Schlekeway, one of the most extraordinary people on the planet…..

I met Anne Marie in summer of 2000. I cannot remember the exact moment but am willing to bet she was wearing come fuck me high heels, talking loudly and perhaps smoking an extra long menthol cigarette.

I hung out with her for the first time in the summer of 2003. I remember that Tuesday night vividly as at 3:00 in the morning I became aware we were at bar that closed 4:00 AM. I also still recall going to work very tired, with a headache; yet extremely happy to have spent time with her.

In November of that year we moved into an apartment in Old Town, Chicago where we instantly became known to our friends and the people in the neighborhood as Laverne and Shirley. We would stay up till the wee hours laughing, crying, sharing and being silly. In the years that we were roommates we had more good times and more inside jokes than some people share in a lifetime.

Also during that time her speech began to deteriorate becoming noticeable to all by fall of 2005. By the following January people would think she was drunk even though she had not touched a drop of alcohol. About that same period she went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital complaining of symptoms akin to a stroke. The doctors (and she saw many) tested her for a variety of things ranging from Sleep Apnea to Bell Palsy and could not make a diagnosis.

A self subscribed workaholic; Anne Marie quit her high-pressure job in July of 2006 for a myriad of reasons but mostly to tend to her health. A move that initially seemed to work as her speech improved slightly with a lot of rest (12-18 hours a day).

No longer covered by health insurance—and slightly annoyed with hospitals—she explored less traditional avenues of healing such as Eastern Doctors, cleanses, diet changes, and regular massages. Yet her speech kept deteriorating; additionally she developed new symptoms such as weakness in her wrists, difficulty swallowing and weak facial muscles. I remember her once, quite seriously, express concern if she would be able to perform oral sex again.

Nevertheless she began to develop her course THE MASTER PLAN and had a wide array of clients who were flourishing.

In fall 2008 she moved to her own apartment and I accepted a promotion in So Cal. I will forever remember the moment I read her Facebook Status that the Doctors said she had ALS—Lou Gehrig’s Disease in March 2009.

Generally, people with ALS live 3-5 years after their diagnosis. True people such as Stephen Hawking have lived longer but that is not predictable.

Always an exception to the rule I think Anne Marie will outlast us all; however the diagnosis has been a line in the sand for her.

Gifted in keeping an empowering context, she is dying just as she lived BIG. No longer willing to waste time or words on Bullshit, Anne Marie has set out to leave her legacy. She spends her time and energy working on growing THE MASTER PLAN and well as drawing attention and funds for ALS. Additionally she started a blog call; appropriately KISS MY ALS where she authentically shares her experience of the disease.

Anne Marie and I chat regularly on Facebook and she blows me away. I am lucky to know her and to have her in my life. Therefore it has become my commitment in assisting her in her final project: her legacy.

I ask that you share these links. Read her blog, watch the speechless speech, and check out THE MASTER PLAN. I will continue to share about her in my blog—her health as well as the difference she has made for thousands of people including me.

I am reminded of the lyrics from the Award Winning Musical WICKED as it best expresses all I did not include in this blog…

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

http://kissmyals.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Als

http://www.masterplanprogram.com/

http://video.wttw.com/video/1543486151