My Balancing ACT

At forty-one, after a few nagging clues, Patty Jacobs's lifestyle got into a tussle with her central nervous system. The attack of Multiple Sclerosis on her body had a sudden and staggering onset. She tried to muster optimism, perseverance, and assertiveness to combat the fatigue, grief, and privation she felt on loosing her physically active, former way of life. Pacing herself, trying to connect her body and brain, are her ongoing trials, as she approaches living with MS as a challenge rather than an obstacle. My Balancing Act centers on managing illness without being consumed by it. These essays tell of the early adjustments the author made, her quest for self-reliance, and how she avoids defeat by seeking out new experiences and associations.