Guest guest Posted August 22, 2003 Report Share Posted August 22, 2003 http://www.viewnews.com/2002/VIEW-Jun-26-Wed-2002/North/19001780.html Bodybuilder ready for nationals Competes in spite of multiple sclerosisBy JAN HOGAN VIEW STAFF WRITER Marie Stallbaum's perky, funny and full of energy. She's in top-flight condition for her upcoming competition in the USA's Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships slated for July 26-27. She's also got multiple sclerosis. "I want to compete for personal growth," she said. "But I also want to be a role model for other MS patients so they (realize they) can achieve their dreams and goals." She is helping MS patients in another way. Stallbaum, 35 and a registered nurse, is a research coordinator with the Las Vegas neurological division of the University of Nevada, Reno. The dozen or so clinical trials she is involved with include Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. The drug trials deal with delaying the diseases because, until the causes of neurological diseases are known, a cure cannot be developed. Stallbaum grew up in the Chicago area and has always been involved in physical fitness. At age 3, her parents enrolled her in dance lessons. That spun off into more lessons like swimming, diving, hula dancing, baton twirling and disco. By age 9, her mother/chauffeur told her to choose one sport and Stallbaum decided on gymnastics. She had dreams of being an Olympic star. Gymnastics got her a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin but she only competed in two NCAA finals before injuries forced her to quit. So she focussed on nursing and worked 12-hour days, spent more time lecturing in her specialty as a neonatal intensive care nurse and spent extra time at the gym each day. Although she worked in the medical field, Stallbaum dismissed the first indications that she had MS. The dizziness and double vision? Just her body adjusting to new glasses. The headaches? Migraines brought on by stress. The fatigue? Working too hard. Over the next 10 months, the symptoms came and went. Doctors were unable to pin down the problem. Finally, one physician ordered an MRI scan of her brain and Stallbaum was diagnosed with MS. It was a deer-in-the-headlights moment. "All I could think was I'd lose all my functions in two weeks," she said. "I knew nothing about the disease, just that there was no cure." As soon as she left the doctor's office, she turned to the one constant in her life: She went to the gym and worked out. There she saw an older woman she admired for her workout ethic and broke into tears. The woman came over and comforted Stallbaum. When she woman learned reason for the tears, she told Stallbaum she had MS, too. And she'd been living with it for 17 years. Stallbaum is now on Avonex, a drug she self injects. She trains six days a week for the competition, doing cardiovascular workouts, circuit weight training and gymnastic moves she'll use in her two-minute presentation. Her first- and third-place finishes in last September's Las Vegas Body Building Fitness and Figure competition earned her a spot in the upcoming event. Stallbaum hired a personal trainer for this one. He changed her eating habits to make her body more muscular, more sculpted. Her 5-foot frame now carries 114 pounds. "Through my job, I talk with top researches in the country," she said. "And I think eventually there will be a cure for MS. Unfortunately it's a multicomplex disease and we're not at a point where we can find one. It takes time." USA's Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships competition is slated to be held at Artemus Ham Hall on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas July 26 and 27 with events starting at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call Jon Lindsey at (866) 370-3011. For the Desert Southwest Chapter of the National MS Society, call 736-7272. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 i used to be a bodybuilder too in december i wonder if this lady got it from implants tho > > http://www.viewnews.com/2002/VIEW-Jun-26-Wed-2002/North/19001780.html > Bodybuilder ready for nationals > Competes in spite of multiple sclerosis > By JAN HOGAN > VIEW STAFF WRITER > > > > Marie Stallbaum's perky, funny and full of energy. She's in top-flight condition for her upcoming competition in the USA's Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships slated for July 26-27. > > She's also got multiple sclerosis. > > " I want to compete for personal growth, " she said. " But I also want to be a role model for other MS patients so they (realize they) can achieve their dreams and goals. " > > She is helping MS patients in another way. Stallbaum, 35 and a registered nurse, is a research coordinator with the Las Vegas neurological division of the University of Nevada, Reno. The dozen or so clinical trials she is involved with include Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. > > The drug trials deal with delaying the diseases because, until the causes of neurological diseases are known, a cure cannot be developed. > > Stallbaum grew up in the Chicago area and has always been involved in physical fitness. At age 3, her parents enrolled her in dance lessons. That spun off into more lessons like swimming, diving, hula dancing, baton twirling and disco. By age 9, her mother/chauffeur told her to choose one sport and Stallbaum decided on gymnastics. She had dreams of being an Olympic star. > > Gymnastics got her a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin but she only competed in two NCAA finals before injuries forced her to quit. So she focussed on nursing and worked 12-hour days, spent more time lecturing in her specialty as a neonatal intensive care nurse and spent extra time at the gym each day. > > Although she worked in the medical field, Stallbaum dismissed the first indications that she had MS. > > The dizziness and double vision? Just her body adjusting to new glasses. The headaches? Migraines brought on by stress. The fatigue? Working too hard. > > Over the next 10 months, the symptoms came and went. Doctors were unable to pin down the problem. Finally, one physician ordered an MRI scan of her brain and Stallbaum was diagnosed with MS. It was a deer-in-the-headlights moment. > > " All I could think was I'd lose all my functions in two weeks, " she said. " I knew nothing about the disease, just that there was no cure. " > > As soon as she left the doctor's office, she turned to the one constant in her life: She went to the gym and worked out. There she saw an older woman she admired for her workout ethic and broke into tears. The woman came over and comforted Stallbaum. When she woman learned reason for the tears, she told Stallbaum she had MS, too. And she'd been living with it for 17 years. > > Stallbaum is now on Avonex, a drug she self injects. She trains six days a week for the competition, doing cardiovascular workouts, circuit weight training and gymnastic moves she'll use in her two-minute presentation. > > Her first- and third-place finishes in last September's Las Vegas Body Building Fitness and Figure competition earned her a spot in the upcoming event. > > Stallbaum hired a personal trainer for this one. He changed her eating habits to make her body more muscular, more sculpted. Her 5-foot frame now carries 114 pounds. > > " Through my job, I talk with top researches in the country, " she said. " And I think eventually there will be a cure for MS. Unfortunately it's a multicomplex disease and we're not at a point where we can find one. It takes time. " > > USA's Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships competition is slated to be held at Artemus Ham Hall on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas July 26 and 27 with events starting at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call Jon Lindsey at (866) 370-3011. > > For the Desert Southwest Chapter of the National MS Society, call 736-7272. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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