Belated Happy World MS Day! (In Which I Give Tips for Surviving MS)

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On Being An Only: In Which I Examine Life As the Sole Disabled Person in the Room

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A nice/terrible thing about living with MS is that it's often invisible. As mentioned in previous blogs, the occasional incontinence mishap can be a private hell, which is indeed a hell but is at least private. Fatigue is similar. A common complaint of people with MS is people saying, "But you look so good!" If you're vain like me, you tend to focus on the "look so good!" bit. Still, when others focus on the outside, the inside feels diminished. Disregarded. And that can hurt. In some ways, it was a relief when I began using a cane regularly. It's a sign to the outside world that says, "Hey, this person is different." The general public doesn't always notice that sign, but, even when I'm not shown the courtesy I'd like, when something goes wrong--a dropped glass, a stumble--folks see the cane and think "well, sure." I've moved with an M-acceSsory* for a long time, and I've often thought about how I am perceived. ...
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Ch-ch-ch-changes: In Which I Stubbornly Resist Things That Make My Life Better

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The trend began with tears at the good CVS on Capitol Hill. The one with aisles so wide that two people can pass each other without having to turn sideways. The one with a nice selection of greeting cards. The one with a rack of canes near the pharmacy. It was spring 2010. Birds were chirping, and I was raising money for the MS Walk, which I jokingly referred to as the MS Stumble. I walked reasonably well back then, but my stamina was fading. Neal pulled a cane off the rack and wisely/annoyingly pointed out that now might be a good time to give it a try. I didn't quite point out that he could go to hell, but I did resist, first angrily and then dissolving into a puddle of tears and acquiescence. He paid $25, and I was the defeated owner of a drug store cane, which made its debut at the Walk and became increasingly present and useful over the years. The next battle was shower grab bars. "They'll reduce the value of our home!" A shower bench. "It's so ugly!...
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