Ardra Shephard:
I'm Ardra Shephard, and this is Tripping On Air, a place to talk shit about what it's like to have MS. Normally, I like to make everything about me, but MS also affects the people we love. So weighing in from the partner perspective is Alex Hajjar, my friend whose wife also has MS. Join us monthly as we dish about everything from symptoms to stigma. If you have MS or you love someone who does, we want to connect with you. I have said it before and I will say it again. If you have MS, you deserve presents. Every year I do a holiday gift guide with some of the best gifts for people with MS. And the 2022 guide is maybe the best yet because this year it's packed with great ideas, but also some pretty sick giveaways. For the complete gift guide, go to trippingonair.com. You can see all the items. I'll post a link to enter the giveaway contest, or you can go straight to ami.ca/toacontest to enter.

Alex Hajjar:
So I've always enjoyed the past gift guide blogs. They are awesome. They're always handy. They're always on the website at trippingonair.com. It's like a cheat sheet that actually works, and I don't have to write it on the back of my hand. I can just hold it in my phone. There's do's and don'ts, which are handy obviously, because there's always that sick person gift that you get, like hobby sets or healing crystals. Nicole and I are experienced people, so we get each other those types of gifts. So I would never get her, say, a mobility aid.

Ardra Shephard:
I also love experience gifts. I do think we all have a bit too much clutter, for sure. I love that you brought up the sick person present because I think there is this instinct, holiday or not, when somebody is sick with something, to give them some tea or a mug or whatever. These gifts are actually really practical or useful or thoughtful. And who doesn't love a gift guide?
So also, what you said about you'd never get Nicole a mobility aid, I think there is definitely a know-your-audience aspect to some of the gifts on this list even, but also gifts that do identify with disability. When I was first diagnosed, I had girlfriends who told me that they had talked about going together and getting me a cane for Christmas because they had seen me stumbling around and walking. I was in a relapse. I was so mad. I would have just been really pissed-

Alex Hajjar:
I get it.

Ardra Shephard:
... to have received that gift at that time, I wasn't ready for it. So it's like that can be a great gift, but you have to know your audience.

Alex Hajjar:
It's a style thing. Would you get your friends shoes? And how do you think they would react?

Ardra Shephard:
I would get the right person shoes, but it is personal. I think at that time for me, it was like I wasn't ready for a cane, and somebody else couldn't make that decision for me. It felt more like a judgment of you're not looking after yourself. But now, if you want to give me a fancy cane, have at it. Anyway-

Alex Hajjar:
Canes are badass nowadays. They're cool ass.

Ardra Shephard:
Yeah, I think so. They can really be a style statement. But anyway, the first item on our list, I want to start with jewelry because I'm a blingy girl. You can't go wrong with me with jewelry. But this company I want you to check out, they are called Revive Jewelry, and they make all kinds of really cool stuff. So rings, necklaces, bracelets, but it's all jewelry for a cause. So they support cancer, lupus, diabetes, MS, a whole bunch of other conditions.
The necklace that they sent me is so pretty and so cool. It is called the MS magnify necklace. It's a denim blue quartz stone with an actual MSL encased in resin, and they donate a portion of their profits to the condition that you're supporting, which I love. But I also love that it's just this really pretty piece of jewelry that can be a conversation starter, if you're feeling like maybe creating some MS awareness. When someone says, "Oh, I love your necklace," and you can say, "Yeah."

Alex Hajjar:
It's better than, "Oh, why are you using that cane?" or "Why do you have a leg brace?" or "Why are you rolling around? You look too young for that rollator," or something like that, which happens. So that's a really elegant way to start a conversation about chronic illness.

Ardra Shephard:
But also because it's your choice, because you can totally say, "Thanks."

Alex Hajjar:
Which is good.

Ardra Shephard:
"Thanks. Here's where I got it." Or you can say, "Thanks, and this is what it's about and what it does." So I think it's got that double functionality, and you're supporting MS when you buy one. It's a pretty piece of jewelry. I at least think they're doing really great work. And I love it when something is supporting a cause, but it's also fashionable and functional and cool. They have really, really cool stuff.

Alex Hajjar:
That's awesome.

Ardra Shephard:
Oh my god, I almost forgot. Revive is giving away three of the magnify MS necklaces.

Alex Hajjar:
Oh, that's nice.

Ardra Shephard:
Three. So check them out. They've got great stuff, and I think this is one of their very nicest pieces. It's beautiful.

Alex Hajjar:
Nice. That's perfect.

Ardra Shephard:
Alex, let's talk about the holidays.

Alex Hajjar:
Sure.

Ardra Shephard:
Are you doing any travelling? What do you guys do?

Alex Hajjar:
So with Nicole and I, we prioritize travel at Christmas. We do the opposite of everybody else. So at least during the non-plague years, we try to get away. But this year we're going to be-

Ardra Shephard:
And it's still kind of a plague year.

Alex Hajjar:
It is definitely a plague year, but there's less rules this plague year. So we are going to Vietnam for a few weeks, and it's a gift to ourselves actually. It was our 10th wedding anniversary on Thursday, on the 13th anyways. So this is our gift to ourselves for tolerating each other for 10 years. Obviously travelling now is way different than it used to be, but we've come up with, it's an evolving formula of how to travel comfortably.

Ardra Shephard:
Travelling to Vietnam, that's not a drop-and-flop, right?

Alex Hajjar:
No. There's four cities planned, I think, four or five cities. And it's all Nicole's doing. I'm not pushing anything. She books the flights, books everything. She's like, "I want to go to this city and do this. I want to go to this city and do that." There's a lot of beach flopping. There's a lot of just hanging around on the beach, but scooters are crazy cool there, and you can just rent them and scooter about. And there's guided tours you can take, and they were pretty cool. We did it in Thailand, and they were really thoughtful in how they took us around and stuff. So I think it's definitely possible.

Ardra Shephard:
I love this. I think it's awesome. Nicole, I know, uses a rollator to ambulate, and of course, will be travelling with her mobility aid. We've all heard the horror stories of what happens to mobility aids. I'm always a little bit worried that mine's going to get lost. I'm always looking out the window of the plane to make sure they check it. Alex, this is a great gift for Nicole, which is a tracking device. I actually can't imagine getting on a plane without putting this little spyware into my mobility aid.

Alex Hajjar:
I agree. I think it's so cool. But can you see it from like, let's say you go to Vietnam, but your rollator ends up in California. Do you know it's in California? Does it work like that?

Ardra Shephard:
So this is why I love the Apple AirTag because it really does have the biggest reach and network to find your device. I also love it because you can customize it. I got mine engraved OP, which stands for Optimus Prime, which is the name of my own rollator. But of course, you need an iPhone for that. So Tile makes a version that's good for Android, but I don't want to speak for Tile. I don't know if it can guarantee the same way that maybe the Apple AirTag would, but I think something is better than nothing. And I feel like those Tile tags are really great if you just lose shit anyway, like your keys, your phone, your dog.

Alex Hajjar:
Honestly, I literally said yesterday, we need a couple for these cats. If we ever end up with a house, because I like putting the cats outside, but sometimes they don't come back. And I'd like to know where they get off to.

Ardra Shephard:
I think you can do that, right?

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, there's collars you can build that little Apple AirTag into their collar, but they're crafty. They might work their way out, and then you're out a whole AirTag. You're screwed.

Ardra Shephard:
I don't know. I can't speak to that, but protect your mobility aid.

Alex Hajjar:
No, that's a very clever thing to get for that purpose.

Ardra Shephard:
It's an easy hack, right?

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, exactly.

Ardra Shephard:
Speaking of mobility aids, if you follow me on social media, you know that I am a fan girl for Byacre's carbon fibre rollator. Alex, have you ever wondered why we call them a rollator? When did we start doing that?

Alex Hajjar:
So yeah, I wonder why have we changed it from walker to ... not changed it, but why do we use rollator instead of walker? Because walker seems like the historical word for this equipment.

Ardra Shephard:
I think the difference is that a walker doesn't have wheels. Those you take a step, which actually seems like a stupid design. I don't know. But I think rollator is more the accepted term now.

Alex Hajjar:
Well, they roll and they're good. They motor actually.

Ardra Shephard:
So this is a mobility aid that can help you get around. It's, like I said, carbon fibre. It's sleek. It's stylish. In my opinion, it is the best-looking device out there. It's the lightest one in the world. I can lift it with one hand, and that is saying something.

Alex Hajjar:
I think they're under five kilos. The handles are fully adjustable. I think the brakes, you just push them down. They're super easy to use, and the brake wires are all hidden. So it's a super sleek design, right?

Ardra Shephard:
Yeah, they've totally nailed it. Anyway, listen, drum roll please because Byacre is giving away one of their carbon fibre rollators.

Alex Hajjar:
That gives me chills because it isn't the most affordable thing.

Ardra Shephard:
It's a bit bougie. It's true. But they are a small business, and they make an awesome product. The one that they are giving away is cherry red, which is perfect for the holidays.

Alex Hajjar:
Just put some mistletoe on one of the handlebars, I think, and you're all set to go.

Ardra Shephard:
I know you said you wouldn't get Nicole a mobility aid as a gift, but ...

Alex Hajjar:
If I was going to get her one, this would probably be the one, but just because it is quite badass. It looks cool and it's quite good. I was surprised that it can take a beating, from what I've seen as well.

Ardra Shephard:
Well, I've had mine for four years, and I have lugged it around also. I took it on a plane once. I usually take my rolls on a plane, but I took the Byacre because I was travelling by myself, and I didn't have anyone to push me. And that was really nerve-racking because I didn't have a travel bag for it.

Alex Hajjar:
It folds out flat too, right?

Ardra Shephard:
It pulls up. It's so skinny. Again, I'm fan-girling over it, but I think you wouldn't buy your wife a mobility aid for Christmas, but this feels like a mobility accessory.

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, I could see that.

Ardra Shephard:
While we're talking about needing your hands to walk, I think MS, for me, it dictates so much of things you don't necessarily think of, the shoes you can wear, but also for me, the bag I can carry. So because my hands are on the rollator all the time, I need a bag. I love a cross-body bag. I don't want a bag that's just going over my shoulder that's going to slip off of my shoulder. So my preferred bag is out of the way, cross-body. I love that we're wearing fanny packs cross-body. Why didn't we think about that the first time they came around?

Alex Hajjar:
I just bought one.

Ardra Shephard:
You did?

Alex Hajjar:
I just got a cross-body bag for Vietnam actually. So it's a day bag. It goes over my body. It's a triangular shape, teardrop shape kind of thing. And it just sits flat against my person, and it can fit phones, a sunglass clip, and there's a pouch for my phone, and passports can go in there. It's RFID. It's the whole kit and caboodle, so to speak. But it's so easy and it's dead flat, so I can just stick it in my bag and then use it when I get to my destination.

Ardra Shephard:
That's the other thing I love about these bags is that they are gender-neutral. I don't want to carry your shit. The bag that I am recommending on this gift guide, they're by Roncy Packs. These bags are so beautiful. They are handmade. They are upcycled. They make them in leather and in vegan leather. They sent me the black leather bag, and I loved it so much that I went right to their website to see what else they had. And they had this beautiful pink bag. And I'm like, "I need to have that also." It sold out right away. And I think, of course, because they're using upcycled materials that it's going to be a limited quantity.

Alex Hajjar:
I'm interested actually. So it's called Roncy. So for anyone who doesn't live in Toronto, there's an area called Roncevalles. Is Roncy short for that? Because I want to shop local, and I love that area of the city, and there's tons of mom-and-pop shops around there. And the less I have to travel, especially to go shopping, this is, from my perspective, the better.

Ardra Shephard:
Alex, yes, Roncy is short for Roncevalles. Did you say Roncevalles? Roncevalles. Am I saying it right?

Alex Hajjar:
It's like the beach. It's always the beach. I say the beaches because I think there's multiple beaches, but nonetheless, I think there's always an argument. But yeah, Roncevalles in this house.

Ardra Shephard:
Do you say Tdot or The Six?

Alex Hajjar:
I say Toronto. I'm old school.

Ardra Shephard:
Toronto. This is all local slang now, listeners from America or Australia or whatever. That's Roncy bags in Roncevalles. Yes, this is a female-run, mother-daughter shop. They do small batch. I love them so much. I can't say enough good things about them and the quality of their bags. They've got beautiful linings. They're so beautiful. The best news is that Roncy Bags are giving away one of their bags to a lucky listener and this luggage tag. Can you see that?

Alex Hajjar:
I could see it. That's pretty dope. They have it on the website, and it's so cool.

Ardra Shephard:
It says mostly okay, and I feel like that's my basic motto. It's the most true thing I've ever read.

Alex Hajjar:
Words to live by, I think. And is the one they're giving away real leather, I'll say in quotes, or vegan leather?

Ardra Shephard:
It's vegan leather. It's black. It's lovely.

Alex Hajjar:
I always wondered how they do that.

Ardra Shephard:
How they make vegan leather?

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, I think that's another episode probably. But I think-

Ardra Shephard:
I feel like that's a whole nother podcast.

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, fair enough. But it's cool though. It's cool that they can do it. And I have felt vegan leather, and it does feel genuine.

Ardra Shephard:
This business is so responsible on so many levels. So the leather that they do use is all upcycled. So it's leather that exists, and they've repurposed it. So it's local. It's responsible. It's a female-run family business. It's badass. And they're gifting a bag. Alex, do you keep a diary?

Alex Hajjar:
I keep travel diaries. So anytime I go on a trip, like we just went to Cleveland this weekend, I will write about that trip. But that's as far as my journaling goes.

Ardra Shephard:
I love that. I am a lifelong journaler, but whenever I take a trip, the journaling goes next level. And whoever I'm with, I force them to contribute to the trip diary.

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, I do the same thing.

Ardra Shephard:
You do?

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah.

Ardra Shephard:
We are kindred spirits. I did not know this about you.

Alex Hajjar:
For sure. I travel mostly with Nicole, so I'm usually like, "You need to write at least one entry in each city." You know what I mean? So your mark has to be in this diary as well. It can't just be me spouting a bunch of rubbish.

Ardra Shephard:
I love that so much. I have diaries from 20 years ago travelling with friends, and I made them all write in it. It's the best souvenir.

Alex Hajjar:
I should do that when I travel because I went away. I went to Germany with the band that I play with. I should get those guys to fill in a sheet or something. That'd be Cool.

Ardra Shephard:
Honestly, even if you just get them to write one sentence a day, they will hate you, but it's worth it.

Alex Hajjar:
That's okay. In five years I'll look back and be like, hilarious.

Ardra Shephard:
I'm a huge fan of journaling. I think it helps you. So in terms of travel, that helps you remember the experiences that you've had so you can relive them and revisit them. I feel like there's something so special, but also healthy about that.

Alex Hajjar:
It's cathartic.

Ardra Shephard:
But I think in terms of journaling, just in general, there's actual research that shows it can help us heal faster. It can help us sort out trauma. There's all these advantages to not just our emotional well-being, but our physical well-being with journaling.

Alex Hajjar:
Nicole's more of a day-to-day journaler, but she has a couple of books that are mostly prompts. What should I be grateful for? What was your favourite thing? She has one that's five years, so it's every day for five years. So you do one a day, and so you can see what you were grateful for two years ago or why you thought this was a great day three years ago or something like that. So stuff like that is super cool too.

Ardra Shephard:
I have done that diary, and also I've done the Keel's Simple Diary. Has Nicole done that one?

Alex Hajjar:
I haven't seen that one on our kitchen table, but I'll recommend.

Ardra Shephard:
So I want to recommend a journal that's on the gift guide. It's called The Healing Journal, and it's written by Emily Sunez. It is actually exactly what Nicole might be looking for. So it's guided prompts and inspiration for life with illness. And I think this is a really great book for people who are even maybe new to journaling because it's prompts. You don't have to think of, oh, what am I going to say? So I think it's a really great resource, maybe even if you're newly diagnosed or if you're struggling with progression or all of these kinds of things. It's got some sage advice, some really healthy prompts. And Emily is giving away two of these books.

Alex Hajjar:
I checked it out on Amazon. It's super cool. The designs are really nice inside. But giving away two, that's awesome. That's super cool.

Ardra Shephard:
The prizes just keep coming.

Alex Hajjar:
And I think we've got a few more to go yet, so that's cool.

Ardra Shephard:
We're not even halfway there, Alex.

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, true, true, true.

Ardra Shephard:
The holidays are about abundance, right? Maybe.

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, it's just pile the gifts. It depends on who you are, but just keep piling those gifts up anyways. Pile up the giveaways.

Ardra Shephard:
Some of these, this is a tangible gift, but it's also experiential in a way maybe.

Alex Hajjar:
And it gives you something to look forward to because you can work on it, and then it gives you something to look back on as well. Like you said, it's part of the memory-building thing, which it can be a struggle for some people. So it's nice to look back and be able to remember stuff that you wrote down.

Ardra Shephard:
What's the best gift you ever got, Alex?

Alex Hajjar:
The best gift I ever got. You're putting me on the spot here now because I think my parents-

Ardra Shephard:
Or the worst gift. Did you ever get a really crappy gift? Did you ever get Nicole a really terrible gift?

Alex Hajjar:
I got her a gift that she never used. For a wedding gift, I got her an electric bike. And we got married in October, so we stored it through the winter. But I didn't know that you had to take the battery out, so basically the battery froze and died over the winter. And then she was literally never able to use it because halfway through the winter, almost into the spring, we ended up moving to England. So we never saw the bike again. So that was a shitty gift.

Ardra Shephard:
I blogged in past gift guides about some questionable gifts I may have received.

Alex Hajjar:
I think lately, I'm 36 now, so I don't know how far I can actually remember, which means maybe I need to journal. But I think I've gotten a fair amount of alcohol over the years, which is not usually a bad thing.

Ardra Shephard:
I think there can be something about gifts saying how we think of you or how we know you. I think one of the worst gifts I got was a guy I was dating years and years ago. He gave me this mushroom-shaped, paisley-covered enormous candle from a head shop. It was the only gift he gave me.

Alex Hajjar:
Were you in high school?

Ardra Shephard:
I was maybe 21, but I was very much like, "You don't know me, and this is a terrible gift."

Alex Hajjar:
Mushroom-shaped candle, that seems dangerous actually, with the way the wax would fall off of that. Has Kerry ever gotten you-

Ardra Shephard:
I did burn it. It melted inward, but I hate burned it. It was not a romantic gift. It was-

Alex Hajjar:
Has Kerry ever got you anything that you were like, "Thanks a lot?"

Ardra Shephard:
Kerry is a very good gift giver, but I like romantic gifts, and so one year he nailed it with perfume, jewelry, just all these lovely things. And then the next year he gave me an electric purple blanket. I'm talking Barney purple electric blanket. And there were two other similar blankety type. The theme was very much like Ardra is a cold, consumptive old lady. And I was not happy. In fact, I cried on Christmas.

Alex Hajjar:
Was it because of the blanket itself, or was it the colour just added insult to injury?

Ardra Shephard:
It was like the size of a tarp, and it was ugly. It was not sexy at all. I think it was thoughtful. He was like, "You're always cold." He was being thoughtful, and I was being awful really, I think.

Alex Hajjar:
It's in the past though.

Ardra Shephard:
You know what? It's all presents that reminded me I was sick. And it wasn't-

Alex Hajjar:
And those are some of the don'ts, right? Don't get things that remind people they're ill.

Ardra Shephard:
But back to the gift guide, we talked about The Healing Journal, which is a great initiative to wellness. There are lots of tools available right now that recognize that managing MS is about more than taking drugs and getting routine MRIs. A holistic approach is really key. True Medicine has an online 12-week Live Well With MS program that is led by a physician who also happens to have MS, which I really love because she gets it. And I think that's so important. It sounds like a really cool program. I haven't tried it, but we have a giveaway of one. One lucky winner will win this 12-week course, which feels pretty amazing. It's going to be weekly Zoom meetings. It's all virtual. It's coaching with lifestyle tools to help support your body on a cellular level, and it's all within a community of people working to live well with MS.

Alex Hajjar:
So I read about this, and I am super interested because I think the overarching feedback we get is that MS is different for everyone. So is this a formulaic thing? Or what it sounds like is you get a bespoke experience for these 12 weeks.

Ardra Shephard:
I can't speak to it so specifically, but I think as much as everyone's MS is different, there are some universal things that we all struggle with and some universal approaches to wellness that I think can help guide those kinds of conversations. And also, there's-

Alex Hajjar:
No mushroom candles.

Ardra Shephard:
There's no mushroom candles, and you're learning from within your peers. It's always awesome, I think, to connect with and learn with other people with MS. But Alex, what's on your list for Santa? What would you like to receive? I'm getting 30 pairs of socks. We've established that.

Alex Hajjar:
So I've got another wild one, I think. But honestly, I've wanted this item really badly, so I got it actually a few months ago.

Ardra Shephard:
You got it for yourself.

Alex Hajjar:
But if I had another bathroom, I would get another bidet. So the one I have is dead easy to use. It's super simple to install.

Ardra Shephard:
Wait, wait, wait. Backup. Backup. You're like, I won't buy Nicole a rollator, a mobility, but you're suggesting that a bidet is a gift?

Alex Hajjar:
This is a gift for everyone in the house.

Ardra Shephard:
It's such an awkward gift.

Alex Hajjar:
I'll admit it's not the traditional gift, but I'll be the first to say I like a practical gift. I asked for a Brita water filter and a Waterpik for my birthday. So my parents think I'm really weird when they are like, "What do you want for your birthday?" And I say, "Yeah, give me a Brita." But in this case, so the one we have is a hose with a wand and things like that. It's really easy. It's just one screw into the toilet, super easy to use. And you can adjust the pressure, and you don't have to dunk your hand into the bowl to move around and stuff. It's super easy, but it's just keeping clean. It's keeping clean, and it's super easy to use. So it's about hygiene more than anything. It's fast and you're saving the planet. You don't have to use toilet paper all that much. So the one we use, it's called the Aquaus 360 handheld bidet, and I got it at Home Depot. But I love it.

Ardra Shephard:
That's a really shitty gift, Alex.

Alex Hajjar:
Literally.

Ardra Shephard:
You know what? Actually it is a very good idea. And I said to my doctor earlier this summer that in all my 20-plus years of MS having, which has included a significant bladder problem, I'm a self-catheter user. I've had so many infections. It's stunning to me actually that no medical professional has ever recommended a bidet to me.

Alex Hajjar:
Oh really?

Ardra Shephard:
Never. And I think-

Alex Hajjar:
We were recommended it by a doctor. This is a friend who told me about it.

Ardra Shephard:
And listen, you don't, as far as I know, have a bladder problem. I know you don't have MS. So you're saying this is a gift everyone can use. I am saying specifically for people with MS who want to avoid bladder infections, this could be a tool that is ... I'm on prophylactic antibiotics for years and years, and no doctor has ever said, "Have you ever thought of this?" It's cultural maybe, right?

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, I think, so my Italian grandparents had one of the ones that are a separate unit from the toilet. So you would hop, skip and jump over to it after you were done. This just attaches to the toilet, the one that I use. Nicole uses it the same. She loves it. I was disappointed. Like I said, we went to Cleveland on the weekend, they didn't have one obviously because North Americans don't typically have this, I think. And I was like, I cannot wait to get home and wash my backside properly.

Ardra Shephard:
I need to wash bum.

Alex Hajjar:
But it is handy. And like I said, it's healthy. It's healthy, and because you're not having to, for lack of a better phrase, reach around or maneuver with the toilet paper, you just point and shoot. And it's that easy. It's super cool.

Ardra Shephard:
I think it's also worth pointing out that you don't have to do a bathroom reno. This is an inexpensive attachment. I studied in France. I lived in France for a while with a family, and I had no idea what that weird little toilet was. I didn't ask, and I'm sure they had questions about why I never used it. It was very intimidating and scary, but this is not intimidating, and everyone should get one.

Alex Hajjar:
Absolutely. One last thing. I think culturally speaking, they were massive in Thailand when we went there. I think they're probably quite popular in Vietnam as well. And they're big in the Middle East as well. And I heard it from a Middle Eastern friend of mine, and they've had them for centuries and stuff. He had a travel one. When we went away, he had a travel version, and now I'm tempted to get my own because they're great.

Ardra Shephard:
The first time I went to a really, really fancy hotel in New York City and I sat on the toilet, and the toilet seat was heated. And I think when I move, the next time we move, we're moving in a couple of years, I want one of those fancy Japanese toilets. Let's get out of the bathroom. What else have you got, Alex?

Alex Hajjar:
Fair enough. So there's this really dope photographer that I follow on Instagram. I think that a photo shoot is actually a really great gift for partners because it's actually a really good confidence booster. I get the feeling that partners sometimes maybe feel or start to feel one-dimensional in their day-to-day. I do. You just feel like that. And this is one way that I think you can look back at yourself because these photo shoots are super classy, and they're super well done, and they're dramatic and sexy and stuff like that. So they really excite emotions and feelings that you don't get from doing your chores and things like that.

Ardra Shephard:
So you're saying the photo shoot should be for the person with MS?

Alex Hajjar:
I think it works for both parties, but I think the partner can definitely benefit from this, from a photo shoot as well because it's just a step away from your day-to-day thing.

Ardra Shephard:
I really like how journaling can help us reframe and process our own narratives, but I think photography can do this too. I had my own experience when I was struggling adjusting to mobility aids, and I hired a photographer and had a full glow up and thought, I want to feel a certain way about this, and I'm going to use this art form, this photography to help me feel that way. And it really, really worked.
So I actually think this is an excellent idea, Alex. It can help the person with MS maybe get back in touch with a part of themselves that they are not familiar with. It can help partners feel a certain way. You could do a couples shoot. This is something even that you could maybe even DIY or do a bit on a budget and list some friends or I don't know. But there is definitely something also about hiring a professional to just ... You don't need a wedding or a special occasion to just make a big deal of yourself.

Alex Hajjar:
I think in the grand scheme of things, it's a small scale way of really pampering and changing how you can see yourself whether, as you said, individually or as a couple or whatever. But it's really awesome because one lucky winner will receive a one-hour portrait session with 10 digital images. The winner for this one must be able to claim this prize in Hamilton, Ontario from Iryna Kostichin. And you can check out her portfolio kostichinphotography.ca. She makes everyone look like a badass.

Ardra Shephard:
I love that. And 10 images, that's a lot.

Alex Hajjar:
It is a lot.

Ardra Shephard:
That's wardrobe changes and different looks.

Alex Hajjar:
Yes. She could do it all. I'm certain of it.

Ardra Shephard:
So you said you have to be in the Hammer, Hamilton.

Alex Hajjar:
You don't have to be in the Hammer to win it, but you have to be able to claim it there because I think that's where she's based, and she does wonderful work there.

Ardra Shephard:
I used to live in Hamilton.

Alex Hajjar:
Ooh, did you live on the mountain?

Ardra Shephard:
I did not. You know what? I actually did live on ... I've lived in a lot of places.

Alex Hajjar:
I don't know where the mountain is. People say it, and I know it, but-

Ardra Shephard:
It's not really a mountain. It's technically an escarpment.

Alex Hajjar:
Okay, fair enough.

Ardra Shephard:
It is.

Alex Hajjar:
That's funny.

Ardra Shephard:
Yeah. No, but I lived in Westdale, I lived on the mountain, and I lived downtown. And the Hammer, it's a great town. I used to be a docent at the art gallery there, and it is a beautiful art gallery. And if you're in Hamilton, you should check it out.

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, Hamilton's underrated. It's a cool town.

Ardra Shephard:
Totally. Lots of great restaurants.

Alex Hajjar:
And football, if you like football.

Ardra Shephard:
I don't like football. I like TV.

Alex Hajjar:
Me too, but it's [inaudible 00:36:49].

Ardra Shephard:
But my dad, honestly during CFL football season, I can tell whether or not the Ti-Cats won or lost based on the mood my dad is in.

Alex Hajjar:
That makes sense. I could see that.

Ardra Shephard:
Does it make sense?

Alex Hajjar:
Oh, I don't think it's valid, but it does make sense.

Ardra Shephard:
Ti Cats. But TV, I would much rather watch TV. Alex, what's your favourite show? It's Fashion Dis, right?

Alex Hajjar:
So I'll just preface this by saying my favourite show ever is a three-way tie between Dr. Who, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek Next Generation, but just because I'm a huge nerd. I think Fashion Dis is obviously amazing. But I think it's fair to say that the entertainment industry has had an invisibility cloak over disability for a long, long time. So a makeover show that features disability is authentic and refreshing.

Ardra Shephard:
I'm glad that you enjoyed it. It was very fun making it, and we're actually gearing up to make season two soon. But the reason I bring up Fashion Dis is because one of the breakout stars of the show was Billy Footwear. Every time we introduced one of our participants to these top-opening shoes, their head exploded, and we had to call a medic.

Alex Hajjar:
I believe it. I've seen it. Honestly, so anytime I was watching Izzy open up those shoes they were a book, it was incredible. My mouth would drop because we do struggle. We struggle with these shoes, with all shoes because Nicole wants to feel seen and wants to feel cute. And I'm there tapping my foot like the warden of shoe prison with a practical, safe option that I'm just holding there. But these adaptive shoes with the zipper and the pull tab, they open up the whole tongue so you can just drop your foot like you're Tony Hawk. They're a game changer.

Ardra Shephard:
And you know what, Alex? I'm going to say they're not even adaptive shoes. I'm going to say they're universally designed because you don't have to have a disability to wear them. Of course, if you have foot drop or you use a dictus band or an orthotic or you have a prosthetic leg, these are the shoe for you. But everyone can wear these shoes. They look cool on everyone. And they have so many styles. And I think ...

Alex Hajjar:
It's nice to see a fashion-forward look doing this too. They've got high tops and low tops and things, and they've got different styles of shoes that can really just make you look like a true kick ass person. And they're easy. I would wear them, honestly. They're super easy. I'm tired of laces. Laces can screw up.

Ardra Shephard:
It's one of the first things you have to learn as a kid is how to tie your damn laces.

Alex Hajjar:
And now you don't even have to do that.

Ardra Shephard:
It's like math. Remember when we were kids and we were like, we're all going to have calculators in the future?

Alex Hajjar:
We do though, so that's the problem.

Ardra Shephard:
That's what I mean.

Alex Hajjar:
Because I learned how to do that stuff, and now it's useless.

Ardra Shephard:
Yeah, me too.

Alex Hajjar:
Because there are calculators are everywhere.

Ardra Shephard:
Yeah, me too, just taking up space in your brain.

Alex Hajjar:
Unless there's some Boomer with an abacus still in their office, I guess. I don't think so.

Ardra Shephard:
Do you think Boomers use the abacus?

Alex Hajjar:
No.

Ardra Shephard:
Apologies to Boomers everywhere. Alex, can I talk to you over here?

Alex Hajjar:
I'm a millennial, so take the piss out of me all you want.

Ardra Shephard:
All right. Listen, I am a big fan. Do you have a favorite app, Alex? I like apps.

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, I kind of like apps. No, I don't love the technology on my phone. Actually, you know what? I do have a favourite app and it's called Mango Languages. And I'll say this and all respect due to Duolingo, Mango Languages, I got it from the Toronto Library. They give you access to it or whatever, so I have it. And it's a really legitimately conversational way of learning a new language.

Ardra Shephard:
That is cool. I am also a language-learning nerd. I love Rosetta Stone. But this gift guide app has nothing to do with either of those apps, which are both great. But I think there's so many apps that can also help you manage your MS. I have notebooks back in that library of all the notes I used to take when I was first diagnosed. It was too much. Yes. Anyway, there's a lot of apps. There's a new one on the block called Our Serendipity, and it is specifically designed for people with autoimmune conditions. And it's got all kinds of things like meditations, gentle movement, allergen-friendly recipes, which I feel like most of us can't get enough of. There's even a marketplace of products designed specifically for the communities, and they are giving away three one-year subscriptions.

Alex Hajjar:
Oh, that's legit. That's a good prize, because I know sometimes subscriptions put me off, but a free subscription is hella nice, especially for something like this, which it could broaden your horizons. It gives you access to something like that. These are great gifts for people who want to start the new year, I think, with maybe a new habit. We meditate, I meditate. It's made a huge difference in our day-to-day lives and the way that we communicate with each other. So we thrive on apps that offer this sort of thing. And I think one specifically geared towards the autoimmune community, if that's something to say, it gives me faith in artificial intelligence. Build the algorithm for people with disabilities. Come on.

Ardra Shephard:
There are lots of great resources out there, but if you want to get offline, because I really, really do need to put down my f-ing phone way more than I do. One thing that I miss from the before times, pre-pandemic days, because I spend a lot of time in waiting rooms of doctors' offices, is all the access to magazines. I'm a child of the '90s. I still love magazines.

Alex Hajjar:
It's like any sort of tactile thing, like books. I like eBooks. I use them to travel everywhere because they're so compact. I don't need to take three or four massive books. But holding a magazine in your hand and looking at those cool, glossy pictures, who doesn't enjoy that?

Ardra Shephard:
Totally. My favourite magazine right now is Fashion. It is Canada's top fashion and beauty magazine, and it's tops for a reason, because it's a magazine that features everything you would expect from a fashion magazine. But they're just really killing it with making fashion for all. I feel that it is very inclusive, that I see so much diversity in every single issue. It's not just they do a special issue that's dedicated to this marginalized group. It's just so well-integrated. I see all different sizes, ethnicities, abilities, genders. And it's cool, and it's on trend, and it's on point, and I love it, and I can't say enough good things about it. And they are giving away a one-year free subscription to a listener.

Alex Hajjar:
All right. Is it a one-year free subscription? This will come to you in your mailbox. Is that right?

Ardra Shephard:
Yes. So you can access Fashion Canada online, but you get the hard copy. This is part of the subscription. I don't know. I will read a magazine cover to cover in print, but I don't online. I might look at one article or ...

Alex Hajjar:
So I work in engineering. So I have this professional group that I belong to, and they issue this actual quarterly magazine. And then they issue the exact same magazine online, which is great for a whole host of reasons. But I'll actually sit down and read the magazine whereas I'll just delete the email because it's just an extra email.

Ardra Shephard:
It's great for infusion days or insomniac nights.

Alex Hajjar:
Yeah, exactly. It's a real thing. So I think I'd like to think about the charity thing, and I know this isn't the most exciting thing. I know that a lot of people don't like or don't love getting a card that says, "We donated money in your name to this cause." But I don't have the time to go shopping for everyone. I'll just admit it. So I want to know what is a good charity that I can give to this year and then give people cards for it?

Ardra Shephard:
The charitable donation. God bless. When I was first diagnosed, my entire company took up a collection, like 600 people, and made a donation in my name, and I didn't get the tax receipt. I felt like it was nice. But don't stop donating to the MS Society or whoever you want to donate to. I am going to recommend something that I think is a really great way if you want to make a donation, but you want it to be something just with a little bit extra.
So Dr. Gavin Giovannoni writes The MS Selfie newsletter. It is a powerhouse of information, and in my opinion, it is the most valuable resource an MS patient can have, except for Tripping On Air, or in addition maybe to Tripping On Air because we ride in different lanes. But The MS Selfie newsletter, it's available on Substack, and the information is all free because Professor G, as he is also known, he is so passionate about having patients have access to this kind of information. It's so important. But he's donating his time, and it's a hell of a lot of it. So you can help continue to make this information free by making a donation to The MS Selfie Newsletter, which also you could gift a paid subscription to the tripper in your life because that also does give them access to a microsite that has a little bit more personalized information and some case studies.
You could even pitch your own question, and Professor G might be able to do a virtual case study that he will then make public. I'm getting long-winded about it. Please just check out The MS Selfie Newsletter. If you have MS, you should be following it, and consider donating if you would like to contribute to something that's very meaningful. He's doing great research and great work.

Alex Hajjar:
That's awesome. That sounds like a worthy cause. So this is some really great gear. I think some lucky trippers are going to have some banging gifts heading their way this year, I hope. Where can people sign up for this? Because this is a big deal.

Ardra Shephard:
Totally. So we've got 12 great gift ideas for someone with MS and 13 giveaways, I think, if I added them up right. I need to consult that calculator again. You can find the whole list on trippingonair.com, and I will post a link there where you can enter the giveaway. Or you can go straight to ami.ca/toacontest to enter. All of these items are available internationally, but you must be a resident of Canada to enter the contest. Contest closes December 1, 2022, and then we're going to announce the winners on Instagram throughout December. So make sure you're following trippingonair on Instagram. Happy holidays, Alex.

Alex Hajjar:
I hope Santa is good to you.

Ardra Shephard:
I hope he is good to you too.

Alex Hajjar:
And everyone else, everyone listening.

Ardra Shephard:
Everyone, all the good girls and boys and even the ones who aren't good. Thanks for listening to Tripping On Air. Don't forget to visit us at trippingonair.com.