Yvonne was diagnosed in 2009 with Relapse Remitting MS and since then has made it her mission to laugh at MS and make others laugh along with her. She has had me laughing long before her book came out, as she blogs at http://yvonnedesousa.com about her journey with MS.
This
book is definitely one I would recommended. Before being diagnosed we all have
had symptoms we ignored, and then there were the ones we had that we could not
ignore that led us to our diagnosis.
In
the book Yvonne talks about working full time as a receptionist in a medical
office. As time went on, and changes were made within the office and Yvonne's
symptoms increased, she realized she could not continue working. I am sure it
was a difficult decision as she had worked there for many years, but it seems
it was the right choice. Stress can intensify symptoms, and it certainly did
for Yvonne.
Like
all of us, we need to figure out what works for us post MS diagnosis, and
figure out what adjustments we need to make to our lives. One of the most
common symptoms, which Yvonne and I share, is fatigue. Yvonne talks about her
learning experience and what changes she had to make with the many symptoms she
was experiencing. Yvonne has many funny stories about her "brain fog"
or "cog fog" and an amusing tale about buying a much more expensive
computer than planned while on "legal speed." An incident that I can
relate to is when Yvonne had a friend visit. It was a tradition for them to go
the same restaurant. Being the summer on
Cape Cod, the restaurant was very busy and Yvonne started to get a headache
from the loud and crowded restaurant. I have come to realize places I also need
to avoid and when I can and can't participate in outings with friends.
I
am lucky to call Yvonne my friend, and we once met. (Yes, only once even though
we live in the same state!) Once a month I go to a local support group and
quite a few years ago one of the leaders asked if she could give Yvonne my
email address as she knew we both had a passion for writing and raising MS
awareness. Our friendship bloomed from
there. I am sure we will someday meet
again! But, the mean time we encourage and support each other through emails
and Facebook. Yvonne has been an inspiration to me and I am sure after reading
her book, she will become one to you too! And you will be thankful to be able
to laugh at MS too!
P.S.
If you would like to buy Yvonne's book here are a few links where to buy it and
you can feel good about this purchase as a portion of the proceeds of each book goes to agencies helping people with chronic illness.Abe Books
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