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I Have MS. What’s Your Super Power?
London Book Festival Honorable Mention Life changing events bring out a super power that each of us needs to survive. Many look to their faith, families, friends, and each of them—in their own way—provide a strength that bonds into a shield of protection that allows surviving the unthinkable. This amazing story shows how absolutely tough those afflicted with Multiple Sclerosis have to be. Multiple Sclerosis is an insidious disease that affects 200,000 to 3 million people per year around the world. Lisa McCombs writes her personal experience with “no holds barred” to help others and their families cope with MS. Touching, heart wrenching, and yes, even humorous at times, this is a book you won’t easily forget, and you will see Lisa’s super power shining through.
89 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2016
9 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Lisa A. McCombs
15 books15 followersLisa A. McCombs, as a teacher, had a front-row seat to adolescent angst until multiple sclerosis entered the picture and ended her beloved career.
Now Lisa communicates with readers through realistic fiction that speaks to the youth of today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
Now Lisa communicates with readers through realistic fiction that speaks to the youth of today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 12, 2022
As someone who has RRMS (dx 2012), I really wanted to like this book. I was excited when I got it. There are so few books that convey the experience of living with this disease. But, I unfortunately didn’t enjoy it to the extent I had hoped.
I want to start by saying the author is absolutely a superhero for living with MS, continuing to fight everyday, and for sharing her sorry. This is not a critique of her experience. However, I struggled with the typographical and grammatical errors, especially given the author repeatedly notes her profession as an English teacher. I also struggled with what felt like alternating tones of harshness (judgement, criticism, or arrogance) and hopefulness (cheerleader, comrade, or superhero).
If you’re just starting out on your MS journey, are trying to get a sense of what it feels like to have MS, or are distracted by errors, this one probably isn’t for you. It kind of meanders through some of the symptoms of MS and a few of the disease modifying therapies, but it doesn’t feel particularly deep and can be very intimidating at times.
If you and your MS are pretty well acquainted, you want to support the author and/or her sentiment that we are superheroes, or you just want to see what the book is about, maybe it is. You will get to know the author and her thoughts (perhaps this is how to best describe this book: it’s like a the author is free form journaling) and you may even find a few comedic gems.
3 stars = Neutral
5 stars for being a book about MS, by someone who has MS
1 star because of the alternating tones and meandering pace. For example, the author is discussing worrying about what other people might think about her difficulty walking. She seems to assume they all think she is drunk. Then she says, “It is one thing to belittle me, but I take total offense when people I care about have to suffer the shame of knowing me. It is not fair to them. My companions didn’t ask to be associated with such a derelict.”
Whoa.
I want to start by saying the author is absolutely a superhero for living with MS, continuing to fight everyday, and for sharing her sorry. This is not a critique of her experience. However, I struggled with the typographical and grammatical errors, especially given the author repeatedly notes her profession as an English teacher. I also struggled with what felt like alternating tones of harshness (judgement, criticism, or arrogance) and hopefulness (cheerleader, comrade, or superhero).
If you’re just starting out on your MS journey, are trying to get a sense of what it feels like to have MS, or are distracted by errors, this one probably isn’t for you. It kind of meanders through some of the symptoms of MS and a few of the disease modifying therapies, but it doesn’t feel particularly deep and can be very intimidating at times.
If you and your MS are pretty well acquainted, you want to support the author and/or her sentiment that we are superheroes, or you just want to see what the book is about, maybe it is. You will get to know the author and her thoughts (perhaps this is how to best describe this book: it’s like a the author is free form journaling) and you may even find a few comedic gems.
3 stars = Neutral
5 stars for being a book about MS, by someone who has MS
1 star because of the alternating tones and meandering pace. For example, the author is discussing worrying about what other people might think about her difficulty walking. She seems to assume they all think she is drunk. Then she says, “It is one thing to belittle me, but I take total offense when people I care about have to suffer the shame of knowing me. It is not fair to them. My companions didn’t ask to be associated with such a derelict.”
Whoa.
July 9, 2020
This is a quick and informative read! I honestly didn't know diddly squat about MS before reading this book. I mean, I knew that it stood for Multiple Sclerosis, and I knew it could make once power walkers slow down to a mere hobble. But, beside that I knew essentially nothing.
I definitely didn't know that some doctors don't believe MS causes the patient pain! What is that? How can a doctor not know that or see it right in front of their eyes? That's blasphemy. I only found out two days ago that the author couldn't swim anymore because of MS (my Grammy technically told me that one, but I didn't have any understanding of how that could be yet), but that's right in this book too. I didn't realize that heat was such a problem for most MS humans. I can't help but think of some particularly scorch worthy sunny days that MSer's have probably found themselves in.
There's actually a lot of things about MSer's that has been in front of me without me realizing it. I'm not sure if it's a bad thing that I never connected the dots/was obvious to my surroundings or a good thing that I was seeing through the fog and just looking at the person. Okay, it definitely sounds like a better thing when worded that way, lol.
Anyway, McCombs writes a great little narrative here about a part of her life that's still happening. She mentions a "Bruised but Not Broken" possible future book (unless I misunderstood-but I hope I didn't) and I'd really like to see where her journey continues. There is nothing pitying in this book! Do not think that this is a sad, soggy story about a woman with MS. This is a triumphant non-fiction debut, that continuously reminds the reader that you are your own advocate, you are your own hero, you ARE a superhero.
P.S.
Above is the meat of my review for anyone going in blindly to this book. What I have in this postscript is completely biased (but not the above). What do you mean, you ask? I am related to this author. I completely stand by everything I said above and I would have rated the book no other way, family or not. However, I have to add this part because I'm related to her. I absolutely loved reading about the beginning of her journey. There were so many things, not just about MS but about her alone that I didn't know and it was wonderful getting to know her a little bit more. I read her first fiction trilogy (amazing), but the non-fiction is what I want more of.
Recently I found out that she has continuously journaled throughout her life, particularly since her son was born. I find that amazing. I'm notorious for not finishing a journal, so to hear someone say they have actual years of personal notes is aspiring. When I read the part about her WVU date I actually cried, telling my cats "I think that's my uncle" and then laughed at myself when I discovered the footnote that did in fact confirm my suspicion. I would love to read more not just about her perspective on MS, but the two of them as well and the rest of my family. We've all taken different roads and yet we've all come home to West Virginia, to our roots.
I definitely didn't know that some doctors don't believe MS causes the patient pain! What is that? How can a doctor not know that or see it right in front of their eyes? That's blasphemy. I only found out two days ago that the author couldn't swim anymore because of MS (my Grammy technically told me that one, but I didn't have any understanding of how that could be yet), but that's right in this book too. I didn't realize that heat was such a problem for most MS humans. I can't help but think of some particularly scorch worthy sunny days that MSer's have probably found themselves in.
There's actually a lot of things about MSer's that has been in front of me without me realizing it. I'm not sure if it's a bad thing that I never connected the dots/was obvious to my surroundings or a good thing that I was seeing through the fog and just looking at the person. Okay, it definitely sounds like a better thing when worded that way, lol.
Anyway, McCombs writes a great little narrative here about a part of her life that's still happening. She mentions a "Bruised but Not Broken" possible future book (unless I misunderstood-but I hope I didn't) and I'd really like to see where her journey continues. There is nothing pitying in this book! Do not think that this is a sad, soggy story about a woman with MS. This is a triumphant non-fiction debut, that continuously reminds the reader that you are your own advocate, you are your own hero, you ARE a superhero.
P.S.
Above is the meat of my review for anyone going in blindly to this book. What I have in this postscript is completely biased (but not the above). What do you mean, you ask? I am related to this author. I completely stand by everything I said above and I would have rated the book no other way, family or not. However, I have to add this part because I'm related to her. I absolutely loved reading about the beginning of her journey. There were so many things, not just about MS but about her alone that I didn't know and it was wonderful getting to know her a little bit more. I read her first fiction trilogy (amazing), but the non-fiction is what I want more of.
Recently I found out that she has continuously journaled throughout her life, particularly since her son was born. I find that amazing. I'm notorious for not finishing a journal, so to hear someone say they have actual years of personal notes is aspiring. When I read the part about her WVU date I actually cried, telling my cats "I think that's my uncle" and then laughed at myself when I discovered the footnote that did in fact confirm my suspicion. I would love to read more not just about her perspective on MS, but the two of them as well and the rest of my family. We've all taken different roads and yet we've all come home to West Virginia, to our roots.
January 1, 2016
I think it's wonderful, of course. I wrote it!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews