Don't give up ... adapt!
"Get your motor runnin.' Head out on the highway. Lookin' for adventure and whatever comes our way. Yeah darlin' go make it happen."
Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" lyrics suit Susan Riess just fine, since this motorcycle mama and her husband hit the open road to Sturgis annually. She and her husband travel the country on their Honda Goldwing, staying at campgrounds. Susan leaves the driving of their Big Bike to her husband, who has customized the amazing machine as his multiple sclerosis advances. These two leather-clad road warriors sense freedom as the wind blows in their faces. The only thing brighter than the sun reflecting off the tricked out bike's chrome trim is the shine in their eyes. What may seem to outsiders as a privileged lifestyle is only possible because of their motto: Don't give up - ADAPT!
When most teenagers were swooning over boy-toys, 14-year-old Susan had her first intestinal surgery eventually leading to full removal of her large intestine and the use of an ostomy pouch. What evolved was a lifetime of Crohn's disease.
Throughout the challenges of Crohn's, Susan's gentle spirit nurtures others. If you were to look closely at the name tag of that demurely coiffed conservative looking lady comforting surgery patients at Kootenai Health, it would read: Susan.
She plays the game of life in the face of a serious physical challenge that sidelines many others. She says, "Having an ileostomy is very difficult at first. There's pain, and there can be embarrassment. Some people choose to become invalids."
She likes showing patients they can lead a normal life as long as they don't let anyone tell them they can't do things. She feels the reason she was invited to be a hospital visitor was so those who had similar surgeries could see an "upright" person living a full life. One lady she had visited after surgery hugged her in middle of a Fred Meyer in appreciation. Susan believes talking is useless, but being an example is a different story. She is speaking out today, "Because, maybe I could help someone who chooses to live in silence and endure their disability without any support."
In spite of having both knees replaced, she continues in the Red Hot Mamas. Susan has a favorite RHM memory that no one else can claim. While performing directly in front of the president of the United States during inauguration festivities, a Secret Service agent took her by the arm and danced her past the review stand. She felt special in spite of being quite stunned. While biking, working at the hospital, performing with the RHM, and constantly adapting to physical challenges, she says, "Nothing should stop anyone from having fun!" As her motorcycle license plate reads, "Y Naut."