About three months ago Lake of the Pines resident Vicki Finlayson had a middle-of-the-night epiphany that led to the “crazy” adventure she is embarking on this week.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and thought, ‘you know what, I’m going to walk to the Capitol,’” Finlayson said.

Yesterday, Finlayson made a stop in Auburn on her 53-mile walk to the state Capitol in an effort to meet with Gov. Schwarzenegger to talk to him about promoting what some refer to as a “miracle drug” for those with multiple sclerosis.

Low Dose Naltrexone, or LDN, for multiple sclerosis, is a generic, FDA-approved drug that helps treat autoimmune disorders.

Finlayson said it was the first drug to relieve her pain.

So yesterday, she began her trip to Sacramento. She said she hopes a high-profile individual such as the governor, other politicians or celebrities can help raise awareness of LDN and how it can help.

She said currently no large drug corporation is researching it because it is a generic drug that doesn’t bring in a large income.

Some doctors won’t prescribe it because of a lack of clinical research on it.

Finlayson hopes that with more awareness, eventually a company or group will begin to research LDN so it can be more widely prescribed.

This isn’t the first time Finlayson has reached out to the community to raise awareness of LDN.

In 2006, she held a fundraiser that resulted in $17,000 donated to LDN research. Now, she wants to direct her effort and support to LDN research at Pennsylvania State University led by Dr. Ian Zagon.

Finlayson explained that before she started taking LDN, she was losing muscle control and walking was at times an insurmountable challenge. Her medications included antidepressants and she took shots once a week.

She said after several years of suffering from multiple sclerosis, taking LDN was the first time she began to feel good.

“Right before I discovered (LDN), I was pretty much throwing in the towel,” Finlayson said.

Finlayson said she’s been taking LDN for about two and a half years. Her husband first heard of it on an Internet chat room discussing issues surrounding multiple sclerosis.

While her Auburn doctor would not prescribe the drug because of a lack of clinical studies, she eventually found the prescription through a different doctor.

Now she fills the prescription at Sierra Compounding Pharmacy in Auburn. Robert Seiwert, a pharmacist at Sierra Compounding, said LDN is an “extremely safe medication.”

He said it is in line with new approaches to treating and identifying the causes of multiple sclerosis. The medicine helps autoimmune deficiencies such as multiple sclerosis, Seiwert said.

Finlayson said she believes Gov. Schwarzenegger can make an impact in terms of raisings awareness of LDN.

“He needs to talk to me because California can make a huge, huge difference in health care,” Finlayson said. “We can take the lead.”

Calls to the governor’s media office to find out whether or not he would meet with Finlayson were unreturned as of press time.

In preparation for her five days of walking, Finlayson has been taking 5-mile walks daily.

Her trip will include four 10-mile days, one 8.8-mile day and a final 4.4-mile stretch to the Capitol steps on Monday.

Finlayson said someone will meet her at the end of each day to pick her to take her home where she will sleep. The next day she’ll begin where she left off.

“Even though I’m doing as well as I’m going, any person would be a fool to push themselves,” Finlayson said. “I’ve gotten a second chance on life so even though I’ve been really good over the last two-and-a-half years, I want to take care of my body.”

The Journal's Jenifer Gee can be reached at jeniferg@goldcountrymedia.com or post a comment.