I want to tell you all about the book Enjoying the Ride: Two Generations of Tragedy and Triumph by Mitch Sturgeon that Dan and I recently finished. It is a great story about a man living with Multiple Sclerosis, his loving mother, the relationship they shared, and the parallels of their lives in living with physical disabilities.
But then again, I don’t want to tell you all about this book. Instead, I encourage you to read it and enjoy it for yourself. And trust me: You will enjoy it.
As a person who uses a power wheelchair and lives with a chronic progressive disease of the central nervous system, Mitch Sturgeon gets it. Dan and I got to know him from his blog Enjoying the Ride, and Mitch shares stories in this book that encapsulate his life before and well after his Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.
Mitch is seasoned storyteller and accomplished author who keeps the reader engaged in his experiences and realities as a person living with Primary Progressive MS. Dan and I each have lived with MS for more than 21 years and could relate to many of Mitch’s MS- and wheelchair-related experiences.
Dan and I were with Mitch through his stories of disease-modifying therapies, doctor visits, assistive devices, accessibility and employment issues; and we celebrated, laughed and cheered with Mitch. Likewise, we were disappointed, angry and frustrated with and for him. We even shed some tears.
But never did we feel sorry for Mitch. His is the kind of never-quit and keep-moving-forward attitude that we aspire to live by in our life together with MS.
As I wrote earlier, Mitchy gets it. OK, I’m not so sure Mr. Sturgeon would approve of me calling him “Mitchy,” but that is how Dan and I referred to him throughout our time enjoying this book. Mitch’s devoted mother, Vernice, called him “Mitchy” throughout many of book’s stories. By simply adding the “y” to the end of Mitch’s name, we saw and felt the closeness they shared. And we also started to feel that closeness.
I also personally felt close and related to Vernice as a fellow wheelchair user. At 35, she was involved in an accident that damaged her spinal cord and left her permanently disabled. She coped with her disability and always was strong for her family. Especially Mitchy. Their connection and mutual understanding was further strengthened after MS progression made it so he needed to use a power wheelchair.
Things changed when we heard what Mitch was saying
Much like a wheelchair opened up the world for both Vernice and Mitch, audio books opened up his story to us. You see, we had a copy of this 291-page paperback book since shortly after its release in 2018. We quickly poured through the forward written by respected blogger Marc Stecker, the founder of WheelchairKamikaze.com, and made it through the first four chapters, but some of the ugly realities of Multiple Sclerosis set in to block our book reading enjoyment.
I previously have written that my arms are incredibly weak because of my MS. They’re too weak to hold even a coffee cup, so imagine holding and turning the pages of a book. Plus, the disease has made Dan and my hands numb to the point that it’s difficult to hold onto objects, like a book, for an extended period of time.
We were determined to read Enjoying the Ride. This included trying to read to each other by placing the book on the dining room table, kitchen counter or even on our laps. But nothing made reading possible for us.
Until one Sunday afternoon this past August when I asked Dan, “I wonder if there’s an audio version of Enjoying the Ride?” I looked online, and yes, yes there is.
We were hooked and started to ride with Mitch, free of having to hold onto the book or turn its pages. For people who live with MS, this is one of the beauties of the audio book. Plus, it adds a personal touch when you get to connect with the author. Mitch did an exceptional job reading each chapter and made it feel as though we, too, were experiencing each moment with him in real time.
I couldn’t conclude this review without mentioning Mitch’s outstanding, strong and supportive wife, Kim. I must give a shout out to her and to all of the other crucial caregivers and spouses, like my Dan, who add so much quality and happiness to their loved one’s lives.
Thank you, Mitch, for sharing your life stories and reminding us all to enjoy life’s ride.
Get your copy today
Order Enjoying the Ride in paperback, on audio book or for Kindle at Amazon.