My Story: A Photographic Essay on Life with Multiple Sclerosis

One box of tissues wasn't nearly enough. -- about.com"Amelia Davis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago, just before her 30th birthday. After that, she learned she could live a full life with the disease, and to share that fact with others she undertook a personal project to photograph people living with MS, including such public figures as NASCAR driver Liane Mark, actor David Lander (Squiggy of Laverne and Shirley TV fame), and comedian Richanrd Pryor. Her images have been collected in a warm and enlightening new book, My Story, which has been receiving strong reviews." -- American Photo "This positive and inspiring portrait will be welcomed by anyone who lives with MS or shares the life of someone who has MS. Highly recommended for all general collections." -- Library Journal"In creating her new book, 'My Story: A Photographic Essay of Life With Multiple Sclerosis', Davis learned a lot more about MS and the people who have it. Thirty-one of them -- and many of their caregivers -- join her to trash stereotypes, confront fears, offer hope, tell the truth and put 32 faces on a mysterious illness that is often misunderstood." -- San Francisco Chronicle "...My Story is a browsable compilation of essays depicting the many humanfaces of MS. Although the complexity of language varies throughout, thephotographs are accessible, even to new readers. The images greatly enrichthe text, offering encouragement and inspiration for anyone coming to termswith what it means to be a person with multiple sclerosis." -- Consumer Connections "You will keep this book in easy reach to read repeatedly - keep it by your bed, near your desk, close to your recliner, but buy it and keep it nearby because when you need inspiration, you will find it in these pages." -- MS World

In a series of dramatic essays and photographs by the renowned San Francisco-based Photographer Amelia Davis, My Story is an evocative description of what it is like to live with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a disease that affects about 350,000 Americans and whose cause is still not entirely known. The essays and accompanying photographs in this highly engaging, beautifully illustrated book poignantly portray the lives of thirty-two men and women from the ages of seventeen to seventy and of various ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds who share the challenge of living with MS. Some, like Amelia, use no mobility aids, while others use canes, wheelchairs or electric scooters. All have had to face the challenges and limitations that MS has imposed upon their lives and each has devised unique and often creative coping strategies. Accompanying each essay are commentaries by family members and friends that express their own personal feelings and experiences of living with this disease.Here are the inspirational stories of women, men and children who live with this disease. Many have children; one or two are currently expecting them. Treatments and therapies for slowing the progression of the disease are revealed and shared, from the latest advances in prescription medication to alternative methods of coping, including yoga, exercise and competitive sports, creative activities such as writing and art and even community activism. A wide range of accompanying stories by spouses, children and other loved ones depict the ups and downs of living and caring for someone who has MS, from the moment of first diagnosis to dealing with its ongoing challenges. All are strong reminders of the selflessness of the human spirit and its ability to nurture and remain strong under even adverse circumstances.Highly motivating and deeply inspirational, My Story will be welcomed by anyone who lives with or shares the life of someone who has MS.