Mitch Simmons and Family - Fundraising Campaign Day 11 (Wednesday, June 10)

http://www.gofundme.com/mitchsimmons

(from a Facebook post targeted to Stevens High School alum and University of South Dakota alum)

Thank you to ALL who have donated thus far, putting us at $8,364 as of this morning!

I thought some mid-week motivation was in order for those that have not had the opportunity yet.

If we hit $8,500 today ($136 away), I will post a classic Rapid City video including Rob Tschetter, Garrett Meier, Mitch Simmons, Jeff Sears and myself (to name a few) tomorrow for ‪#‎TBT‬

Also, from now going forward, I will post a "classic" (i.e. embarrassing) photo from high school or college for every $1,000 raised (no worries, these will only be embarrassing to me)

Thank you all again for your thoughts, prayers and donations for Mitch and his family!

Mitch Simmons and Family - Fundraising Campaign Day 10 (Tuesday, June 9)

http://www.gofundme.com/mitchsimmons

With Mike Leberknight and Jeni Mitzel Leberknight's $89 donation this morning (love it...go '89!), we just crossed over the $8,000 point and are almost a 1/3 of the way to our goal!

Thank you all again for sharing Mitch's story with your family and friends and for your contributions, thoughts and prayers...great work!

For my Rapid City Stevens Raiders alum, let's follow their lead and help push Mitch and his family's donations past the $10,000 mark this week!  For The University of South Dakota, Black Hills State University and Arizona State University alum...please help support a former student in Dr. Mitch Simmons!

With us almost 1/3 of the way to our goal, it's no surprise that today is #NationalBestFriendDay

Raising Awareness for Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia (ATN) - Black Hills 100 Race Training (Monday, June 8)

Raising Awareness for Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia (ATN) - Black Hills 100 Race Training (Monday, June 8)

http://www.gofundme.com/mitchsimmons

Your Complete Guide to Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia (ATN)

http://www.umanitoba.ca/cranial_nerves/trigeminal_neuralgia/manuscript/types.html#atn

...Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia

Atypical TN has a constant and severe aching, boring or burning pain that is superimposed upon otherwise typical TN symptoms.  Atypical TN is characterized by a unilateral, prominent constant and severe aching, boring or burning pain superimposed upon otherwise typical TN symptoms. This should be differentiated from cases of typical TN that develop a minor aching or burning pain within the affected distribution of the trigeminal nerve.

Vascular compression, as described above in typical TN, is thought to be the cause of many cases of atypical TN. Some believe atypical TN is due to vascular compression upon a specific part of the trigeminal nerve (the portio minor), while others theorize that atypical TN represents a more severe form or progression of typical TN.

Atypical TN pain can be at least partially relieved with medications used for typical TN, such as carbamazepine (Tegretol®). MVD surgery is curative for many patients with atypical TN, but not as reliably as for those with typical TN. It is also important to note that rhizotomy procedures may be effective in treating atypical TN, but are more likely to be complicated by annoying or even painful numbness (i.e. deafferentation pain).

Black Hills 100 - 50 Miler Race Training (19 days to race day):
http://blackhills100.com

After some days off for recovery, had a nice 10 mile run today...and my first around Greenlake!
It really reminded me of running the lakes in Minneapolis (Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles) except with views of Mt. Rainier and the Space Needle on every lap.

Mitch Simmons and Family - Fundraising Campaign Day 9 (Monday, June 8)

http://www.gofundme.com/mitchsimmons

Received a nice influx of contributions yesterday following the weekend.  Very happy with another $375 in donations for Mitch and his family, putting us on the doorstep of $8,000 raised!

Raising Awareness for Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia (ATN) - Black Hills 100 Race Training (Sunday, June 7)

Raising Awareness for Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia (ATN) - Black Hills 100 Race Training (Sunday, June 7)

http://www.gofundme.com/mitchsimmons

Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia (ATN) - CNNiReport - The shocking, stabbing pain disorder you've never heard of

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/07/health/trigeminal-neuralgia-awareness-irpt/

Imagine shocks radiating across your cheek, a knife cutting into your skin or the feeling of hot coal burning your face, but not being able to find relief from the pain for months, or even years.

That's what some trigeminal neuralgia patients say they endure on a regular basis.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a facial pain disorder associated with the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your brain to your face. Slight touches to the face, whether it's a breeze, hair falling onto your temple or simply brushing your teeth, may trigger flashes of pain. The pain is most commonly caused by a blood vessel pushing on the trigeminal nerve. There is no cure.

It affects approximately 12 out of every 100,000 people per year, according to the National Institute of Health, and is more common in women and people over 50.

"Trigeminal neuralgia is an uncommon disease and as a result, most physicians have very little experience with it. That is one of the reasons it's difficult to diagnose," said Ronald Brisman, a New York neurosurgeon who specializes in the disorder.

The unbearable pain and search for a cure, as well as the medical field's unfamiliarity with the disorder, has led a group of about 30 trigeminal neuralgia patients to fight for awareness. Several of them, in addition to others with the disorder, started by sharing their personal stories with CNN iReport.

'I want to imagine a world where nobody has ... this pain'

Nikki Samuel is one of those people. Her goal is to educate others about the disease, as well as let people know about the first International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day on October 7. Dozens of buildings and structures across the world are lighting up teal for the day.

"If we know that somebody, somewhere is looking for a cure and not just another medication or an even more invasive, risky procedure, it gives us hope," she wrote in her iReport. "I want to imagine a world where nobody has to survive with this pain."

Samuel started experiencing the facial pain in 2005 and was diagnosed with Atypical Facial Pain. A variety of medications were ineffective and in 2008, the registered nurse from Leicester, England, admitted defeat and resigned from her job.

"I had achieved my dream and there it was, being taken away from me by this relentless, debilitating pain," she said.

It was seven years from her first pangs of pain before she was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia. As a way to cope, the 41-year-old has turned to online support groups.

"My online friends have been my lifeline," she said. "Trigeminal neuralgia has taken away many things, but it has given me the chance to 'meet' some amazing people and to make lifelong friendships."

'I have forgotten what a pain-free day feels like'

One of the people Samuel met online was Fred Gerwig, a former high school history teacher from rural West Virginia. Samuel's bravery inspired him to write about his experience, Gerwig said.

Leaving his classroom on September 7, 2011, the sunlight seared his eyes, bringing on what he thought was his first migraine. The searing pain never left.

After getting lidocaine injections to treat the migraine a month later, he said he started experiencing strange facial pains.

"There were shocks and pangs in my right cheek," he wrote on CNN iReport. "It felt as if a hot coal was lying on my right eye socket."

Since then, wind, noise and even a random touch have all intensified his never-ending pain.

Gerwig was later diagnosed with two disorders: "atypical" trigeminal neuralgia and a persistent unilateral headache on the same side. The "atypical" form of the disorder is marked by constant aching, burning and pain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Numerous migraine and anti-seizure drugs haven't worked for him, and he's not a prime candidate for surgery to relieve pressure on his nerve. There aren't any blood vessels pushing on the trigeminal nerve, so the cause of his case is unknown.

"I have now forgotten what a pain free day feels like, and that changes you," said the stay-at-home dad. "You lose parts of yourself. You lose friends and family that can't deal with the fact that they cannot give you a hug, say a prayer and make you better."

Watch video from another trigeminal neuralgia patient

'Watching him suffer has broken me'

Leslie Martella has crossed the country trying to find relief for her 16-year-old son, Garrett Buckelew. He was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia when he was 11, she said.

"Watching him suffer has broken me," the mother said. "Garrett used to be an all-star baseball player, gifted student with high academic scores and awards, with tons of friends, and now he barely leaves our home."

Buckelew has had four surgeries to alleviate his pain, and four more surgeries after a complication occurred during one of the procedures.

"Trigeminal neuralgia has taken over our lives and is relentless," she said. "It has robbed my child of his life."

The Huntsville, Alabama, mom wishes people knew about the real pain that patients with this invisible illness experience.

"If Garrett walked around with a hatchet sticking out of his face, then people would get it, but trigeminal neuralgia is invisible, and I hate it."

'I am a trigeminal neuralgia warrior'

When a flash of pain shot from her eye to her jaw one day in 1998, Patti SanFilippo hurried to the mirror looking for a mark on her face. There was nothing there.

The Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, resident tried to describe the pain to her doctor, but she felt like a lunatic. She spent five years struggling to find answers before she was diagnosed.

Even after multiple medications and surgeries to treat the disorder, none have helped ease her facial pain.

"A typical day in my life knows no real time and follows no structure. Pain wins over all else and many days are spent in bed," she said. "I have missed many family functions, important birthdays and reunions with friends because the pain won on those days."

To stay positive, SanFilippo calls herself a "trigeminal neuralgia warrior." Surviving the "horrendous pain, the harsh medications and lack of awareness" has inspired her to fight for help and understanding of this outwardly invisible disorder.

"If my story has been read and shared then I know I did my part to start people learning, talking about and becoming more aware that such an evil condition exists and needs attention so desperately," she said. "It's hopefully just the beginning, there is still so much that needs to be done."

Black Hills 100 - 50 Miler Race Training (20 days to race day):
http://blackhills100.com

Had to take the last few days off for RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) to get rid of a nagging hamstring injury.

Mitch Simmons and Family - Fundraising Campaign Day 8 (Sunday, June 7)

Mitch Simmons and Family - Fundraising Campaign Day 8 (Sunday, June 7)

http://www.gofundme.com/mitchsimmons

An update on the Rapid City Stevens High School Class of 1988, 1989 and 1990 Fundraising Contest:

Great work Stevens High School Alumni on raising money for Mitch Simmons and his family!

We are currently at $7,550 raised - 30% of the way to our goal!

As some of you know, we have a contest going between the Class of 1988, 1989 and 1990 for total number of donors and dollars raised. So far the Class of 1989 is leading the pack with 36 donors, and the classes of 1988 and 1990 are now neck-and-neck with 8 donors each.

There's still plenty of time to donate or share Mitch's campaign with family or friends before the target date of July 13 (Mitch's 44th birthday...which coincidentally is double his number from football).

Would love to see a big push from Mitch's teammates this week from the 1988 State Championship Team (Clint Tomlinson, Troy Ward, Steve Nolan, Mike Coleman, Michael Jones, Mike Cooley, Mike Wheeler, Jeff Rick, Brett C. Erickson, Jeff Fierro, to name a few)


(fyi...we've also received contributions from the 1987, 1991 and 1992 classes)

Mitch Simmons and Family - Fundraising Campaign Day 7 (Saturday, June 6)

http://www.gofundme.com/mitchsimmons

I promised an update from Mitch this morning and he did not disappoint. If you already gave, reading this e-mail will confirm that you gave to a great cause. If you haven't given already, reading this e-mail will confirm that you are giving to a great cause.

e-mail...

Patrick

With the money raised thus far I will pay down the balances on expenses from the microvascular decompression craniotomy (brain surgery) along with the medical expense balances that have accumulated from trips to the ER, hospital stays, seeing specialists, prescriptions, tests, etc. After my last payment, the total of these bills is just over $24,000.00. Having my friends, family, and loved ones donate funds to help pay these bills is incredible. I have been having to provide my family with the bare minimum and use as much money as possible to pay down these bills. With the help of everyone that has donated, I will be able to start trying to save money to get my home ready for sale. We want to move to Northern Michigan so we can be close to Jennifer's parents so that they can help us with raising our children. Jennifer became disabled after having our first son. She has had problems that stem from surgeries she had done as a premature infant. Though she has always had to deal with health problems she was able to graduate from Michigan State University and was working selling insurance prior to having our first son. Once Hayden was born her health problems became to difficult for her to work. We were lucky in that I had been promoted around this time and were able to live with just my income. When I became disabled two years ago and started having large medical expenses, financially we started to have problems. Having friends help us is miraculous.

Even with Jennifer and I both at home, our health problems do not allow us to do the many things parents want to do for their children. Just getting out of the house is difficult for us so the boys are stuck at home and that is not fair to them. If we are able to move to Michigan, Jennifer's parents will be able to take the kids out to do things and participate in activities. It will be great for the kids to be near their grandparents along with other family. With the kids being able to spend time with their grandparents, this will allow Jennifer and I the opportunity to try to do things that may be able to help us to better deal with chronic pain. Just typing this email is starting to exhaust me and my boys all want my attention. I am amazed my youngest son is letting me type on the computer. He usually will climb on me if I try to get on the computer to do anything.

I want to send every person a message on Facebook that has shown their support. I am looking forward to going to everyone's Facebook page and get caught up on what they have been up to. I better finish up this email and get a little rest along with giving my boys some attention. I probably will have to try to make getting on Facebook my goal for tomorrow or tonight if I get any energy. Through dealing with ATN I realize now more than every how blessed I am to have so many great people in my life. I am a very lucky man.

Thank you for setting this up. This is not only helping my family and I financially our spirits have improved.

Mitch