http://mcalesternews.com/articles/2005/07/19/news/local_news/news04.txt
Cyclists help to raise awareness for Celiac Disease

By TERESA ATKERSON, family editor
They accomplished what they set out to do but not exactly in the way they
intended.

Regina Erskine and Alex Gerberick, both of Portland, Maine, just finished
cycling across America to raise awareness of Celiac Disease (CD).

"We've raised over $10,000 right now," Erskine said from her Portland home
during a Monday telephone interview. The two also feel they've spread
awareness of the disease.

However, their 4,000 mile trip from San Diego to Portland turned into a
1,200 mile trip. The two, along with Erskine's cousin in a support van, had
gone all the way across the desert, through the Texas Panhandle, through
McAlester and the Talimena Drive. They were in Arkansas on June 1 and were
excited about crossing the Mississippi River. About four miles later, their
trip changed forever.

A pick-up truck hit Erskine as it passed, sending her off the road. But the
driver kept on going. Luckily, the cyclists were going through a
construction zone and there were witnesses who got his license plate number.
When stopped by police, the driver told them he thought he had just struck a
post.

"He struck me hard enough to take off the passenger mirror and the
headlight," Erskine said.

She was scraped up pretty badly and her back hurt. "I've got road rash that
I'll probably have the rest of my life," she said. In addition, she had a
compressed fracture in her back.

"I really didn't want to stop," Erskine admitted. "I still wanted to
complete the trip." But, with her injuries, the 2,000 miles remaining to
Portland were out of the question. They looked at Mapquest and discovered
they could go 800 miles to Savannah, Ga., and at least dip the wheels of
their cycles into the Atlantic.

"We did do coast to coast," she said. "Just not quite the way we planned."

"I believed enough in this to keep riding." She did admit to some
trepidation every time she was on her cycle and a vehicle went by. "I had
flashbacks. What if it happened again? It was a challenge."

She said she couldn't have kept going without Gerberick's support and the
support of her cousin. "It wasn't that enjoyable after I got hit," she said.
"We had really enjoyed the scenery and just riding before."

They still managed to have some fun. The Celiac support group in Savannah
had a celebration for them. The two rode in the support van when leaving
Savannah and continued on their way back home. There were several stops
along the way including the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac
Research in Baltimore. "One of the researchers there told me I was an
inspiration to make her work even harder," Erskine said.

The trip did end in Portland and a celebration was held at Payson Park on
July 2. The two rode in on their cycles for a ceremonial last mile. "It
really did feel like we were finishing our ride," Erskine said.

Now, Erskine is taking it easy. "For my mental health, my doctor says I need
to get back to biking. I'm not to let this be the end of it."

Celiac Disease is a genetic disorder that affects the small intestine's
ability to absorb nutrients. Erskine said people with CD can't eat products
with gluten in them because that's what causes the problem. Gluten is found
in wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats.

CD can be life-threatening, Erskine said, because the digestive system quits
working. There are many symptoms from CD that mimic other diseases such as
irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's Disease.

The symptoms vary from person to person. In Erskine's case, she kept
breaking bones because she wasn't getting any calcium into her system.

Erskine was finally diagnosed with CD in May of 2003. But it took a long
time for a doctor to get the right diagnosis.

After the correct diagnosis was made, Erskine began her lifelong treatment
for the disease.

Erskine said she was lucky after the accident. "I keep thinking if this had
happened three years ago, how many bones I would have broken. I've been on
the gluten-free diet for over two years. It's working. I'm finally getting
the nutrients I need.

"I'm still alive. I've got back pain but I'm not paralyzed," she said.

Erskine is still taking donations for the Celiac research center. They may
be sent to Coast to Coast for Celiac, P.O. Box 8625, Portland, ME, 04104.

Contact Teresa Atkerson at family@....