Cheri Piekarski's job is more to her than just a paycheck...Her job is a labor of love

It keeps her going through her down times. It gives her a chance to be with people. It helps her forget about her problems. And more than anything else, it helps her prove to herself that she is not useless.

"I didn't do it for the money. I did it for those reasons," Piekarski said tearfully, "but I'm afraid it's going to end."

From a table at the Muddy Boot Bar and Grill in Forada, where she has worked for a year, she explained why she has those fears. And she expressed sincere gratitude and pride at being able to call her coworkers her second "family."

Twelve years ago, Piekarski, a lifelong Forada resident, started experiencing tingling in her legs, hands and arms. She also noticed that her cognitive skills weren't what they had been. When the tingling and numbness moved into her chest one day, she knew it was time to visit the doctor.

She was sent to a neurologist, who concluded that she had relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic, disabling disease of the central nervous system that has no cure.

"My first thought was, 'thank God it's not a brain tumor,' " she recalled. "I can deal with this. It's MS, it won't kill you."

When she told her husband, Ed "Bubba," she said to him, "This is what I have. I need to know now if you're going to stay with me. I need to know if I should do this on my own or with help."

Bubba chose the latter, and Piekarki's face lit up as she proudly reported that they have now been married almost 30 years.

"I don't know what I would do without my husband," she added. "Without him, my family, my friends and the good Lord, I wouldn't be doing as well as I'm doing."

At the time of her diagnosis, the symptoms – pain, tingling and numbness in the limbs; poor balance; dizziness; weakness; severe fatigue; and decreased vision – necessitated she quit her job at White Mart in Alexandria.

"I was heartbroken when I had to quit, but I didn't have a choice," Piekarski lamented.

For the next several years, Piekarski stayed home, concerned that she would not be able to handle the physical limitations a job would entail.

"There are times when even doing stuff in the house is too physical," she said.

But depression ensued, so a year ago she decided it was time to re-enter the workforce.

"I felt useless, not good for much," she said, tears once again halting her speech. "I wanted my own little spending money. I needed to be around people."

With the Muddy Boot only one block from her home, Piekarski applied for a job there. The owner, Tom Beaulieu, hired her as a part-time bartender and waitress.

Despite her illness, Piekarski handled the job well and took on as much as she could. A few months ago, a position for a bar manager opened. Having proven to both herself and her work family that she could pull her weight, Piekarski was promoted to the position.

"He [Beaulieu] offered it to me knowing I had this," she said gratefully. "I said, 'but what about my disability?' and he replied by saying, 'what disability?' "

In June, an acquaintance of Piekarski, who also has MS, suggested she nominate Beaulieu for the Employer of the Year Award, given by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter.

At first unsure if she should because it was such a small company, Piekarski decided it wouldn't hurt to try.

In the nomination, Piekarski wrote an essay explaining how the company goes above and beyond in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act and how it accommodates the unpredictability of her MS.

In September she heard that her efforts proved successful – Beaulieu was named the Employer of the Year in the state of Minnesota.

Piekarski continues to enjoy her job, and works anywhere from 12 to 25 hours a week, although she admits it's difficult at times.

"There are days I go home and I'm done – emotionally, mentally and physically," she said. "I have flare-ups here and there. So far I've been able to accommodate them, work with them, live with them."

She struggles daily with the fears and frustrations of her disease – worrying about health insurance, if she's getting worse, what she would do without her family, and whether or not she will be able to walk.

And as she poured herself a cup of coffee from behind the bar, she expressed another major concern.

"My biggest worry day to day is that the MS is going to take hold and I won't have this," she said of the job from which she has reaped far more than monetary rewards. "I'm glad God gave me the ability to have the chance to do this."

But despite these fears, she strives to maintain a positive attitude, and gives thanks every day for the things she is able to do and the people who have supported her through sickness and health.

"I go through each day and I try to make everybody's day a little happier," she concluded. "I thank God every day I get out of bed and I can walk, and bless each day I have on my legs."MORE AT: Echo Press