UNCOMFORTABLY NUMB 2

This follow-up to O’Brien’s memoir, Uncomfortably Numb (2017), follows several multiple sclerosis patients and experts on their emotional journeys.

The author, a lecturer and MS advocate, has gathered her own experiences and those of seven other people with MS, as well as thoughts from one doctor and one lobbyist. Each chapter presents a topic—“Getting Diagnosed,” “Seeking Accommodations: At Work & Public Venues,” and “Advocating & Getting Involved with MS Causes,” among others—and features sections in which O’Brien summarizes each person’s thoughts on the topic. It’s easy to see shared experiences across the many narratives; many of the people presented here have faced similar challenges with aspects of their illness, from dealing with insurance and prescription drug cost issues to other people’s judgement of using the American with Disabilities Act parking when their symptoms aren’t visible to others. “The power of stories means everything,” writes Laura Hoch, a lobbyist and assistant vice president for state advocacy and policy at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; this feels like the guiding force of the book, certainly. However, as a collection of different people’s experiences, it would’ve benefited from having an editorial voice to point out and examine where the stories overlap, or the voices differ in approach. For example, Noelle Connolly, a former licensed clinical social worker, tells of trying hard to find mobility aids that “make my self esteem higher and make me feel good, almost fashionable,” and other people tell of trying to hide their illness; one writes, “I didn’t want to be perceived as sick or less capable….I wanted…to not look like there was anything at all wrong with me.” The difference in feeling is welcome and strengthens a project such as this one, but it would benefit from more exploration on the page.

A project that many will find relatable, but which lacks critical depth that might have added to its utility.