Arthritis is No Hurdle for Local Marathon Runner

With 19.2 miles behind him and 7 miles left to run, Doug Lasky hit what runner’s deem “the wall.”

After 22 miles, his mind was focused on cramping and body pain. After 25 miles, he lined up with another runner for support. Finally, the concluding straight away appeared, and Lasky was about to finish his first marathon – a 26.2 mile race.

Prior to running the Lakefront Marathon last October, Lasky, 49, was a couch potato due to a disease. After nearly 15 years of misdiagnosis, he met with Dr. Steven Bergquist who identified his illness as psoriatic arthritis. With medication, Lasky worked his way off the couch and onto the pavement.

Although Lasky ran in high school, he took on a college lifestyle during his years in higher education. He made time on weekends for runs, but it was no longer a priority.

“I ran towards the end in college,” said Lasky, “With friends, for fun.”

He participated in Brigg's and Al's Run and Walk for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. He also took part in other 5k or 10k runs scattered throughout the year. When Lasky met his current wife, he set his college habits aside and put his efforts into their relationship.

Around age 30, Lasky decided to train for Milwaukee’s Lakefront Marathon. During his training, he started experiencing knee pain.

“I had stopped training for the Lakefront Marathon,” he said.

With stiff joints and no explanations, Lasky searched for answers.

“I saw doctors ‘til I was blue in the face,” he said. “At about 45 or 46, I had to stop doing everything, I couldn’t walk up the stairs, I just didn’t know what to do anymore.”

Unable to enjoy his morning paper route due to knuckle jamming, Lasky went in for a third MRI.

Doctors told him, “Structurally you’re fine, but there’s all this fluid.” He was sent to a rheumatologist. According to Lasky, his hopes weren’t high.

Bergquist “went in a whole different direction than any other doctors had,” said Lasky. Dr. Bergquist asked if Lasky had any other conditions unrelated to joint pain, and when Lasky showed him his psoriasis, Bergquist recognized symptoms of psoriatic arthritis.

While a diagnosis itself doesn’t heal the issue, Lasky said he was relieved. “I finally had some answers, I finally knew.”

Lasky told Bergquist, “I’ll do whatever you want as long as I don’t have to take a shot.”

That’s when Bergquist replied, “You’re taking a shot.”

Despite his reservations, Lasky decided to take a chance on a drug called HUMIRA. HUMIRA is taken in the stomach with an Epipen-like device. At first, Lasky’s wife, a nurse, applied the medication for him. Eventually, she forced him to do so on his own.

Three months later, Lasky had the fluid drained from his knees for the fourth time. It never came back.

“All of a sudden I got the itch to run again,” he said.

“I will say I’m grateful for the drug, I wish I could stop taking it but I’d turn back to what I was. I live with it so I’ll just to go with it,” he said. “To this day I’m still fighting psoriasis."

After contacting a personal trainer and working out at the Wisconsin Athletic Club, Lasky ran the Door County half marathon.

“I was satisfied with my 8 minute pace,” Lasky said.

Then he decided he wasn’t too old for 26.2 miles and began training, once again, for the Lakefront Marathon.

Lasky recalls a crisp autumn morning the day of the marathon. Age 48 at the time, Lasky said he "felt like a million bucks.” Temperatures began in the mid 30’s and as the runners started to run, the atmosphere warmed up, according to Lasky.

Lasky’s original goal was to finish the marathon – plain and simple. With encouragement from his trainer and family, he brainstormed a second goal: finish the race in under four hours.

His wife was there on race day. She encouraged him to keep going while standing on the sidelines. She told him to fight and go. During the final straightaway, she said, “You look miserable.” Lasky continued on with the encouragement from the crowd.

With 26.2 miles behind him, Lasky looked at the clock: 3 hours and 58 minutes. He beat his second goal.

“It was such an accomplishment. I pretty much died right there. Let’s just say I was feeling pretty old,” said Lasky.

Up next for Lasky is the Haunted Hustle half marathon in October.

“Maybe I’m just starting at 50,” he said. “Who knows what I’ll be doing at 75.”

Even with all of the will power in the world, Lasky said he never would have been able to reach his goals without support and encouragement from his family.

“My wife fought through this with me," he said. "I thank everyone who helped me get through this so I can run again.”