7 Questions with A Couple featuring Ardra Shephard

Award-winning blogger, podcaster, fashion maven

Dan and I are beyond thrilled that the amazing, crazy-busy Ardra Shephard took time to contribute to our 7 Questions with a Couple feature. I kid you not, she is busy as an award-winning blogger, Healthline columnist, podcaster and fashion maven. Ardra is a dynamic powerhouse with so much Multiple Sclerosis wisdom and insight to share. One such insightful thought being that while disability is different, it isn’t that different. And disability certainly doesn’t make a person “less-than.” As Ardra says, “Disability is just another way to be human.” Truth! Enjoy more of Ardra’s brilliance here.

1. How long after you were diagnosed with MS in 2001 did you launch your blog, Tripping On Air, and what were you hoping to accomplish with your writing?

I’d been dx’d for 14 years when I started blogging. Looking back, I can see that I was in a time of transition, struggling to adjust from Relapsing MS to Secondary Progressive. When I started using mobility aids, I felt like I had to explain myself a lot, like when I would encounter someone I hadn’t seen for a while. I thought that if I put it in writing I wouldn’t have to talk about MS so much. Ha! That didn’t happen.

It was important for me to write what nobody else was talking about at the time. One of my first posts was about the liberation I discovered with intermittent catheterization. I wanted people to know that this was something that could really help and shouldn’t be stigmatized or scary.

2. You commented in your WebMD short that when your neurologist told you there was a 50% chance you have MS, you “freaked out” and thought your life was over. Obviously, you’ve come a long way since then! What helped you overcome these thoughts and become the influential voice and powerhouse you are today?

I still freak out. MS is a moving target and sometimes it feels like the losses are never-ending. MS gets harder but it also gets easier. You get better at acceptance. You learn to adapt. The freak-outs happen, but they’re not as intense and they don’t last as long.

3. Talk about Fashion Dis. How did this come about and why was this so important for you to create and host such a series?

Fashion Dis is a make-over show that celebrates people with disabilities as well as adaptive designers and brands. I wasn’t born with a disability and when my MS symptoms started to become apparent, it felt like an attack on my identity. I suddenly realized how disabled bodies are erased from the fashion and beauty industry. I knew from my own experience that hiring a photographer to do some glamor shots with my mobility aids went a long way to helping me embrace and accept them as tools and I wanted others to have the same experience. It seems obvious but disabled bodies deserve to be included everywhere and we need to think about disability as just another way to be human.

4. You have a regular column “Ask Ardra Anything” on BezzyMS. What’s one question you wish someone would ask you but never has, and how would you respond?

The beauty of having my own blog is that I don’t have to wait for the perfect question if there’s something on my mind. That said, I’ve been wanting to write about MS and bone health after a recent fall and fracture, and the bonus of writing for Bezzy is that they give me a deadline.

5.  You launched the Tripping On Air podcast in July 2022, and you are in development for a scripted half-hour TV show about life with MS. Congratulations! With everything you’re involved with, what keeps you grounded and prevents you from getting burned out?   

I’m not convinced I am grounded, and it’s true that the pace I’ve set for myself is kind of bananas. This is not good advice, but that’s how it is with MS–a lot of the time if you want to do something you love it’s at the expense of something else. I overdo it sometimes because who knows how long any of us can do anything. I guess my advice would be, overdo it on your terms. Make it worth it. Don’t knock yourself out doing something you hate.

6. Who/what do you hope people see when they see Ardra Shephard?

One of the most unsettling things that happens to me since I started using mobility aids is how often people look at me with pity. When a stranger asks if they can pray for you, you kind of feel like your statement necklace is making the wrong statement. I can’t change the mind of every rando I encounter, but if other people with MS, other mobility-aid users see me, I hope they see someone confident and cool because that means they can feel confident and cool too.

7. You are such a positive influence for so many people (like us!) who live with MS and/or a disability. Who influences you and why?

We just did an episode on the podcast with my friend Darcy about dating as a wheelchair user. I’ve known her since we were 12. Her MS is more aggressive than mine and she’s been a touchstone for me. I’m encouraged by everyone who finds joy in life with MS. It helps a lot to know that if other people can do it, I can do it too. Knowing you’re not alone is incredibly powerful.