The BS of my MS

Lauri L. Wolf’s insightful memoir chronicles the life-changing physical, emotional, and social challenges she has experienced during her eighteen-year battle with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The book speaks to readers on two levels—personal and professional—and examines such topics as spasticity, depression, parenting, and the role of attitude in living with a debilitating illness. Wolf’s candor, humor, and scientific knowledge make The BS of my MS a valuable guide for others who are coping with the ravages of this mysterious neurological disease.

Because MS is unpredictable and mysterious, it makes people feel uneasy. Most people don’t know much about this illness but still shudder and pray it will never strike them. The extent of injury MS causes to the neurological system in one person is unlike what it may do to someone else. Researchers remain baffled, despite six decades of attempting to defeat this assailant and repair its damage. Lauri Wolf’s lifestyle had been independent and productive before MS toppled it over. “Expect the best but prepare for the worst” became her survival philosophy for coping with shattered dreams and a forced transition into a new reality. Responding to a new diagnosis of MS is no different from responding to any other unexpected, earth-shattering change. “Everyone has her own cross to bear” implies that some sort of suffering plagues each of us. There is no rehearsal opportunity; you can never be “ready” for a disease you will battle for a lifetime. This visitor derailed and over- turned Wolf’s world like an uninvited houseguest who shows up without warning and unpacks a mountain of luggage. To provide an understanding of her particular journey, The BS of my MS begins by describing an assortment of physical ailments that occurred over the four years prior to Laura Wolf’s diagnosis but whose source was unclear; the methods specifically used to make a diagnosis of her neurological case; and how the final classification of MS was determined. The book also explores the following: • The importance of examining the validity of alleged MS causes and cures and critically evaluating claims for potential “remedies” • “Going the distance” to manage bladder, muscle, and a variety of other health problems caused by MS • Addressing health issues that are not related to MS • Facing parenting challenges and raising resourceful kids • Living with the emotional lows • Prevailing with an optimistic mindset Wolf desperately sought information on how to manage her life with MS but was unable to find a single manual written by an individual, rather than an organization, about how to deal with specific physiological, psychological, or parenting challenges for people with this mystifying disease. There simply was no such book; so, she decided to write one.

Lauri L. Wolf is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and a recipient of the college’s 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award. MS interrupted her quest for higher levels of academic and professional achievement as a clinical pharmacist and forced her to adjust to a dramatically altered lifestyle. Along the way, she has raised three well-adjusted teenagers and developed a new career as a writer. Lauri Wolf lives in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Her next book is in the works.