Foulston's MS Challenge
You would never sense it from her energetic “full-speed-ahead” performance as the DA of a large jurisdiction, a committed community leader, and a thoroughly involved NDAA board member, and she doesn’t talk about it unless asked.
Nola Foulston was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1989.
CO-CHAIRS: Nola Foulston with her son, Andrew, 12 -- co-chairs of the 2002 National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s “Walk for the Cure.” Andrew is the youngest person to co-chair the event.
As she planned to run for a fourth term in 2000, Foulston, then 48, was interviewed by a reporter for The Wichita Eagle, who asked about her health and how her chronic condition would affect her decision. Foulston said, “If I felt that my MS affected my ability to do my job, I think it would be in the community’s best interest for me not to run again. But the fact is that I am working my butt off to be healthy, I have the drive to do it, and I feel good.”
In the interview Foulston said that rather than concentrating on the disability and letting it slow her down, the diagnosis had energized her. While MS, a neurological disorder that often is progressive and even crippling for some people, Foulston’s condition is considered manageable. “It’s not going to kill me,” she said, “It’s going to make life more challenging.”
Now in mid-2002, Foulston is meeting the challenge with what she describes as her “tremendous drive and determination,” admitting that “there are periods of time when anyone would become fatigued, both physically and emotionally, considering the kinds of work we do. At these times, knowing what my priorities are, I just have to put aside the time and energy to make sure I’m there for the important moments. So it’s actually a case of being able to rest when I can, and do those things that are on the priority list and make sure I do them well.”
Foulston says she relies on what she calls “my triple-A staff—absolutely the best and a never-ending source of wonder for me.” She explains, “They are there to tell me, ‘You look tired. Go home,’ or ‘Slow down.’ There’s an unusual sense of camaraderie in this very important workplace, and I try to govern my time and activities and prepare myself for the times when I’m going to need a little rest.”
She also manages to save family time for husband Steve, and their 12-year-old son Andrew.
“Steve,” she says, “is the official Mr. Mom. He and Andrew spend a lot of time together. They love golf, they’re great golfers, and so they’re on the golf course much of their spare time. But I get to spend what quality time I have with my son, and he tells me that he likes my cooking better than his dad’s. So there’s a tradeoff.”
This year Foulston is the 2002 chairperson for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s “Walk for the Cure.” Because of the profound effect that this disease has not only on those that suffer it but on their families, Foulston proudly notes that her co-chair may be the youngest in the nation. He’s her son Andrew.
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