Last June, podcaster Edie Sohigian and I visited over Zoom and recorded “92 Living An Adventurous Life With Multiple Sclerosis” for her MS warriors podcast, Thriving Over Surviving. Edie was highly personable and easy to talk to despite this being our first meeting.
Edie had several questions about my MS journey that began when I was fifteen. She had several questions about my experiences living in remote Alaska after reading my Alaska and MS memoir, The Call of the Last Frontier. We discussed my hopes, dreams, and adventurous life and covered my philosophy that the decisions I make today determine how my life will be tomorrow. Her level of preparation for the interview was exemplary.
Tune into our delightful chat on Thriving Over Surviving to listen to our lively conversation. Thank you, Edie. I enjoyed our fun visit that day and loved hearing it again on the podcast.
Who wants to laugh?
As I typed at my computer, I noticed a strange feeling running under my foot. I reached down, adjusted my slip-on shoe, and felt around for anything weird. That peculiar sensation grew more intense when I turned to leave my desk. As always, my first thought was, “MS is pulling another fast one on me.” Then, and only then, did I take the time to investigate. The seam of my pants had come loose and slipped under my foot while still attached to my pants in two places causing it to tug underneath my foot. And I’m always warning people NOT to assume it’s multiple sclerosis. HAHA
BOOK OF THE MONTH – November 2022
Book Recommendation – I recommend books that will benefit multiple sclerosis patients, people with chronic illness, and caretakers each month. I select books based on my recommendation and receive no compensation for choosing them. All links to Amazon are affiliate links, however.
If you have multiple sclerosis, MS Madness! by Yvonne deSousa, will resonate with you. If you don’t have MS, this book will give you a peek into the life of an MS warrior. Reading Yvonne’s memoir of her diagnosis and first year of becoming an MSer took me down memory lane. I had forgotten the cognitive testing, feeling alone, and the sudden surprise when I recognized ignored MS symptoms from my past. I dreaded shot day just like Yvonne and agonized over giving myself shots for years. I felt Yvonne’s pain and fears, just as I had experienced years ago during my first year.
Yvonne deSousa speaks to her readers as though they are her closest friends, sharing her deepest secrets, fears, joys, and dreams. Her faith in God, devotion to her church, and admitting her shortcomings are admirable. Yvonne’s self-pep talk at the end of the book brings her whole experience into perspective.
I found myself nodding, smiling, and sometimes laughing out loud. MS Madness! is similar to a coming-of-age book, only it’s a coming to an understanding of life as an MS warrior book. Whether you are a newbie wearing orange and marching for MS awareness for the first time or a veteran with war stories – mostly of self-administered shots, MRIs, and fun side effects of disease-modifying treatments – this book is for you!
“I wrote this book with my heart, my sense of humor, and my dreams; not with my aches, my pains, my miserable bladder, my brain fog, or my fatigue. With a smile on my face. Luckily, I had my $399 laptop that actually cost $1,200 to help me.”
– Yvonne deSousa
Upcoming Appearances
November 1, 2022 – Thriving Over Surviving podcast interview
December 13, 2022 – Dragonclaw.net guest speaker on Zoom
