MS - When Walking Fails

Shortly after moving to Boston in 2002 I met Lisa Iezzoni, an amazing physician and researcher, who was then co-director of research in the Division of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Lisa was wheelchair bound after 20 plus years of multiple sclerosis and an inspiration to colleagues, students and patients with disabilities. She had fashioned a remarkable career for herself studying health care experiences, outcomes and discrepancies among people with disabilities and eventually moved to Massachusetts General Hospital to become Director of the Morgan Institute for Health Policy.  Her first book, When Walking Fails, is a must read for people with mobility impairments and the health care providers who care for them. This is a literal step-by-step description of the different types of mobility problems, how these problems affect comfort, attitudes, daily activities and relationships, and strategies to improve these problems. The book is narrated in a very personnel manner with frequent vignette’s and interviews that clearly delineate the personal and society barriers confronting individuals with disability. Read it once or multiple times; it will help. If still interested in the topic after reading this book, I also recommend Lisa’s second book, More Than Ramps: A Guide to Improving Health Care Quality and Access for People with Disabilities (coauthored with Bonnie L. O’Day), published in 2006