A month ago, I saw a post on Instagram – about a book.  A book about woman writer that is living with MS.  Something about the brief snippet included in this post grabbed my attention and I clicked over to this writer’s IG profile and read some more.  I became more and more excited about this book  – to the point that I actually headed over to Amazon and ordered it right then and there.  This might not seem like a huge, monumental thing for most, but I don’t make spontaneous purchases online, even a $16.00 one.  I just don’t.  I add things to shopping or wish lists.  I bookmark pages, I even sometimes email myself a link as a gentle reminder that I am thinking about purchasing an item.  Each thing has to be thought about, the cost calculated into my budget and then maybe, if I still feel I want or need it after a few days or weeks, I will move forward with the purchase.  I don’t just buy things willy-nilly.  Yet that particular night I did, because something about Cory Martin and her story spoke to me and I felt I had to read her book.

It arrived…and I read it… in one day…and it was everything that I had hoped it would be.  She has written the exact type of memoir that I love to read.  She is open and honest and raw but does so with a humor that resonates deep within me.  This is someone else that gets the reasons to laugh and smile at this stupid disease.  Her skills as a storyteller make this so much more than a simple “this, this and this happened” type of book.  As she weaves her way through thoughts and memories her story unfolds and I walked away feeling I had really gotten to know her.  Beyond the simple bond formed by our disease, I felt I was a friend, hearing about the challenges, obstacles, and hurdles she has been faced with and I cheered her on when things went her way or she succeeded at something.

This the sign of a great writer in my mind, to finish feeling you know the character, that you have been there with them along their jouney and by the end, I could hardly contain myself.  I wanted to reach out to her – let her know how much I loved her book, loved her story and loved her attitude.  So I shot her an email.  I told her I was super excited to write a review to share with my readers and she responded and even offered to do a short Q&A with me!

All of this happened in the week leading up to the 4th of July.  We headed out of town for the holiday.  We returned from the holiday and I had a few days of grocery shopping, cooking and laundry to attend to and a few writing deadlines to make.  So Cory’s book sat on my nightstand, a gentle reminder that the next time I had time to write on my blog – I was going to write about her and her book. 

But I sat down yesterday to write up my rave review – ready to scream praise for this woman and her attitude and I stared at a blank page for an eerily long time.  I picked the book up, flipped to a few of the pages where I had made brief and somewhat unintelligible notes while reading.  But really it wasn’t there, I wasn’t thinking or feeling much.  I wasn’t sure what to say…how to express the excitement I had felt when I wasn’t feeling it anymore?  And why was that?

So I figured I would just start it over, and that my memory would kick in and I would recall her words, begin to read her stories again and the excitement would be restored.  And it was….after I read the entire thing from cover to cover once again.  To be honest,  I can’t even say that it was so good that I just had to read it twice because other than a few niggles of recollection like “Oh, I can see why I thought this was so funny” or “No wonder I was gaga over this woman’s story” I couldn’t remember a damn thing from the first read!

 

Holy shit – talk about an MS Memory moment!!!!

 

I freaked a little bit this morning over this complete and utter lack of recollection of something I read just weeks ago.  This wasn’t some boring paper that I had read and edited for one of the kids, not a mundane article I had skimmed out of mild curiosity.  This was a story that I instantly loved, that spoke loudly to me.  One that gave me the goosebumps – the ones from finding other MSers words that ring true.  How could I not remember!!!   

How could I not remember a story that includes so many familiar scenarios?  MRIs, spinal taps, getting the diagnosisissues with orgasms and even a few mentions of peeing and poop.  This is a story that I can relate to – because it is a story similar in so many ways to mine.  Although we are not the same age, don’t come from the same place, don’t have the same experiences and expectations in life and don’t even know each other, I immediately felt a closeness to her, an affiliation that stems from the sheer fact that our bodies don’t work right.  That like it or not, Multiple Sclerosis has become a part of our lives.  But one of the perks of having a disease like MS is finding others out there that actually “get it” – understand so many of the things are that are so hard to put into words and explain to the outside world.

 

After reading it for the second time I am once again in love with Cory and her book – if you have stuck with me and my ramblings this far, I highly recommend LOVE SICK by Cory Martin

 

Always leave it to Shawn to make me see the good side of any situation.  He made a very good point, I got TWO stories for the price of one!  My interpretation of it the first time I read it and then again when I read it for the second time, constantly thinking – huh, I read this a few weeks ago?  

He says I got double the bang for my buck!  So I’ll go with that for the moment.  

 

**This is my personal blog and all opinions are my own.  I am not a doctor, nor do I play one here on my blog. The content here is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of medical professionals.  Be sure to contact your doctor before trying any new medications/vitamins/supplements, physical activities or therapies **