When youB次元官网网址檙e accustomed to being active and full of energy, slowly losing the ability to do even the most basic things can be frustrating.

For Annie Graham that slow, gradual process began months before she was diagnosed in April with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou GehrigB次元官网网址檚 Disease.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a s***kicker,B次元官网网址� the 72-year-old View Royal resident says from her townhome living room overlooking Thetis Cove. She booked the interview for the morning, as by noon, B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 wiped out.B次元官网网址�

That ongoing fatigue is the worst part of the disease, she says, especially when sheB次元官网网址檚 used to being active, going for six-kilometre walks and lending her volunteer energy to various community groups.

These days, doctors have told her, she needs to B次元官网网址渃onserve her energy for the things that matter.B次元官网网址�

AnnieB次元官网网址檚 story and others like hers are among those that will be told this Sunday as the ALS Society of B.C. and Yukon hosts its annual Walk for ALS, starting from the University of Victoria parking lot 10 at 1 p.m.

While it has a relatively high profile, ALS is not a common disease, currently affecting 35 patients on Vancouver Island. Doctors still donB次元官网网址檛 know exactly what causes ALS, and diagnose it by the process of elimination of other causes of the muscle and nerve-related symptoms. Like any other disease which has no cure and leaves individuals with the promise of a shortened lifespan, it becomes a daily struggle trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy.

B次元官网网址淎LS is characterized by a series of losses,B次元官网网址� says AnnieB次元官网网址檚 husband, Garth, adding that the person continues doing the activities they are used to until they canB次元官网网址檛 anymore.

In AnnieB次元官网网址檚 case, cooking is one of those tasks. A passionate gourmet who once led culinary tours to Vietnam, she no longer has the hand strength or ability to stand for any length of time to do what she once did in the kitchen.

While keeping as busy as she used to isnB次元官网网址檛 an option these days, lending her voice to the cause of ALS research is something she feels she can do. She is the poster child for a team of fundraisers calling themselves Team ALS, for AnnieB次元官网网址檚 Loyal Supporters. The group of about 30 people has collectively raised about $18,000 of its revised goal of $20,000. The original goal was $2,000, Annie says, but as word spread around her multiple circles of friends, the money and personal support has poured in.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 at a stage where anything I can do to help, IB次元官网网址檒l do. As for my team, IB次元官网网址檓 just blown away by them,B次元官网网址� she says.

The coupleB次元官网网址檚 friends have been amazing, she says, helping out in whatever way they can, from doing cleaning and cooking blitzes to keeping her entertained.

Karen England, the captain of AnnieB次元官网网址檚 Loyal Supporters team for the ALS Walk, has vowed to make Annie laugh every day, and some of the creative ways sheB次元官网网址檚 done that have left Annie in stitches.

One event they attended was drag queen bingo at Paparazzi nightclub in Victoria, spearheaded by EnglandB次元官网网址檚 hairdresser. Not only was the spectacle of the event a hoot, Annie says, winning a Budweiser 24-pack backpack and $100 worth of erotic dance lessons made it all the more memorable.

ItB次元官网网址檚 all part of trying to help Annie live life to the fullest, England says.

B次元官网网址淚 said to her one day, B次元官网网址榶ou know Annie, thereB次元官网网址檚 still time to have fun,B次元官网网址� and she said B次元官网网址榓bsolutely,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� England recalls. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e trying to do a lot of those sort of things and have as much fun for as long as we possibly can. As long as she can still laugh, sheB次元官网网址檚 going to participate in whatever we throw at her.B次元官网网址�

The Grahams spent 16 years living and working in Yukon Territory after getting married in 1967 in Guelph, Ont. The personal bonds they forged up north were strong, and a number of their friends plan to come down to be part of the walk in Victoria on Sunday.

ThereB次元官网网址檚 a plan in the works for the Yukon crew to gather at some point on the weekend, which the couple look forward to. But Annie says the tough part these days is that visiting for very long wipes her out.

B次元官网网址淔atigue is what gets me, thereB次元官网网址檚 no pain right now,B次元官网网址� she reiterates, although the frequent nerve twitching in her arms and legs is uncomfortable.

While Annie is doing her best to keep her sense of humour, but is fatalistic about her diagnosis and her future, such as it is. One of her goals is to celebrate She and Garth, whom she calls B次元官网网址渕y rock,B次元官网网址� hope to celebrate their 50th anniversary next year.

While she gets around these days in a motorized scooter emblazoned with B次元官网网址淎nnieB次元官网网址檚 Little ScooterB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� another reference to ALS B次元官网网址� Garth will be pushing her along the 4.2-kilometre walk route.

Annie has kept her mind occupied of late thinking about the walk, whoB次元官网网址檚 coming to town for it, and how much the team will raise for ALS research. She worries about the aftermath, when the walk is done and everyone has gone back home and gone back to their lives.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know what IB次元官网网址檓 going to do after the 18th. I guess IB次元官网网址檒l have to look for some other causes to support.B次元官网网址�

Aware that the disease is going to progress and slowly prevent her from doing what she does today, she and Garth are preparing to set up their home to accommodate her diminishing strength. A staircase chair lift is being installed in the coming weeks in their three-story home, and the ALS Society will be providing other equipment on loan in the later stages of this sad journey.

But for now, this vibrant woman is managing to smile and make the most of what she still has. Told in the spring to get her affairs in order and take any trips she wanted to take sooner than later, she has done so, but regrets she didnB次元官网网址檛 get to go ziplining.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about living each day and doing what matters,B次元官网网址� she says.

To donate to AnnieB次元官网网址檚 Loyal Supporters or find out more about the walk, visit bit.ly/2cHBRKe.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com