300 Tips for Making Life with
Multiple Sclerosis Easier
by Shelley Peterman Schwarz

Reviewed by DeanOP
MSWorld Book Reviewer

I understand Ms. Schwarz writes an on-going newspaper column, so there are, no doubt, many more than 300 tips. But the 300 tips in this guide cover a wide range of areas for having an easier time both at home and away. The suggestions are particularly useful if you have a very practical mind and the sacrifice of aesthetics is of no concern, because most of them are unrelentlingly down-to-earth with little consideration given to appearances.

Now, there are those who will say that the disabled cannot afford to waste time on such frivolities as appearance when they must concentrate on compensating and simply fulfilling the requirements of daily living. All else is vanity. But I am not such a person, and the one suggestion in Ms. Schwarz's book that I absolutely LOVED involved a thick terry-cloth robe. She suggested the robe in lieu of a towel when showering. She said that the robe would dry you without your needing to make strenuous efforts AND it would "feel luxurious". I went right out and acquired such a robe for myself and I'm here to tell you, that suggestion is primo!

Most of the suggestions, though, are NOT luxurious and not pretty, either. Some of them may even be a little dangerous. For example, she recommended nylon under garments as easier to slide clothing on and off over. This is true, but people with MS, prone as they are to UTIs, will want to forego nylon undergarments. They are non-absorbent and can increase one's chances of contracting infection, especially if one is seated in a wheelchair for any length of time. Another suggestion simply confused me... she recommended sewing loops on your socks to make them easier to pull onto your feet. But if I had enough strength, dexterity, and feeling in my hands to sew loops on my socks I probably wouldn't NEED loops to pull them onto my feet. (I wondered, ought I hurry and sew the loops on now, while I am able, against the day I might no longer have the ability?) This suggestion, as do many in the book, presupposes one's living in a family or with a spouse. Many of the tips involve delegating responsibility to others, asking for help or for reminders, sharing the task. I recognize that many, perhaps most, of us do live in families. But there are also a good many of us who do not. Who will sew the loops on OUR socks?

By far the majority of suggestions involve compensations and substitutions. I don't want to list them all because there really were at least 300. But a few examples include wearing a gardener's apron around the house for its deep sectioned pockets, in which you might carry a note pad for writing down things to remember, a pen or pencil with a rubberband wrapped around the barrel to make gripping it easier on the hand, and a magnifying glass so that you can read fine print wherever you may encounter such. (I suggest those of you who find the idea of an apron unappealingly feminine might want to use a leather tool belt instead... muy macho!) And, since an elevated plate is easier to eat from, she suggests putting your plate on an overturned cardboard box at the table. These are just examples and I don't want to take exception to them point by point. But, while they are creative and eminently practical, I found them for the most part aesthetically displeasing. I believe that we with disabilities deserve products and compensatory services that are every bit as tasteful, gracious and aesthetically pleasing to our senses as those non-disabled people enjoy. (Overturned cardboard boxes, indeed!)

The book I'd love to see would have tips for making life with MS not only easier, but beautifully so. Here's an example of what I mean: I used to walk with a cane. I used a black metal cane with a wooden "t" grip. I found that constant pressure on my flexed wrist was very uncomfortable. A physical therapist recommended a staff-type walking aid instead of a cane. So I bought what's called a "trekking pole". A trekking pole is an adjustable staff with a soft, comfy grip and a loop to put around your wrist. The poles usually have carbide tips made for hiking over rough, rocky terrain, but I put a small rubber furniture-leg tip over the end of mine. Trekking poles can be purchased singly or in pairs at stores that sell hiking/camping equipment. Because they are made for sporty, healthy outdoors-types (instead of disabled-types) great attention is paid to their beauty. They come in fantastic colors with interesting designs swirled and printed on the metal. Several times people have stopped me on the street, very few of them disabled, wanting to know where they can get a "cool" or a "gorgeous" staff like mine. No one EVER complimented me on the beauty of my old disabled-person's cane.

At any rate, while Ms. Schwarz's book is not the book I wish it were you might find several valuable suggestions within its pages. Certainly it might stimulate your creativity, as it certainly has mine, and you may find yourself inventing aids that both help you and delight your senses.

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