b'Life with MSMMSS,,HHiigghhHHeeeellss,,aannddLLeeaatthheerrJJaacckkeettssBy Matt CavalloFor over a decade, I have been speaking atheels set in when her and participating in multiple sclerosis eventsdisease progressed worldwide. My favorite part of those events istothepoint where always talking with other people living with MS.she was scared that One of the main topics of conversation wasshe might trip and always fashion. I am not talking about fashionfall because of the heels. I asked her about in terms of the latest trends, but rather how, asshoe alternatives. Was there some other type our MS progresses, we tend to start wearingof shoe that could give the condence and yet different things affecting our condence. Take,be safe and functional? Her answer was an for example, high heels and leather jackets. emphatic no.One of the most fascinating conversationsSurprisingly, over the years, the correlation I ever had was when a woman told me aboutbetween heels and MS has come up over and how she had to give up her high heels becauseover. There is a placebo effect between how we oftheprogressionofherdisease.Ihavethink and our self-image. If we think that our never worn heels, but she put it in a way thatdisease has progressed, we may stop wearing I could understand. She said her heels werethe things that make us feel good about her identity. They made her feel good aboutourselves. Self-care may become less important herself. She compared it to the feeling a guyif you start to feel bad about yourself, or your might have if he had a really cool leatherself-image. Putting the high heels or leather jacket. jacket completely away means that we have Now, I have never owned a leather jacket,given up. but I understood what she was trying to conveyFeeling bad about yourself is a reversiblethat sense of condence that comes withtrend. We all go through highs and lows. walking into a crowd looking like MaverickSometimes, the highs are higher, and some-from Top Gun. It really isnt about the heels.times, there is no way out of the lowest low. MS took away her swagger. She identied thatWhen stuck down in that rut, there has to be in heels she felt condent about her self-imagea catalyst for change. Maybe that catalyst is and when she was no longer able to wear heels,dusting off your old high heels orleather that condence was gone and she didnt knowjacket. Even if you cant walk around like how to get it back. you used to, put them on to remember the Losing the high heels also meant diseasefeeling. That might be the spark you need to progression.Herinabilitytowalkinhighstart feeling better about yourself. msfocusmagazine.org 32'