Pulp
Fiction: Playing With Problem Solving
by
F. Alexander Brejcha
This is a non-fiction
piece originally written for the Summer 1999 issue of Inside
M.S., a glossy, large print, quarterly publication from the National
Multiple Sclerosis Society. It grew out
of my observation that as people with disabilities, we have usually read more
about our disabilities than we care to admit -- but often we are too close to
the information to effectively recognize and apply the correct answer. Call it information overload.
After the article was
printed, I got an e-mail from the editor of Dialogue, an excellent
multi-format magazine for the visually impaired and blind. She really liked the article and felt it
would be equally useful to her readers, and she bought reprint rights for the Winter 1999 issue.
And now, as it bears
directly on the topic, I have added some additional material drawn from my
web-site article on keeping mentally fit at http://www.netreach.net/~abrejcha/whatif.htm
-- material which I couldn’t fit in the magazine articles due to space
limitations.
Hopefully this will
tickle the imaginations of some who read this book -- and prompt some other
writing, and maybe some publications.
* * *
Pulp
Fiction: Playing With Problem Solving
by
F. Alexander Brejcha
Part One: General Strategy
Sometimes
the biggest problems with multiple sclerosis (M.S.) aren’t the fatigue, bladder
problems, or mobility impairments -- they are our poor coping tactics. Do we sometimes fail to deal with our
problems because we are too close to them?
In many cases: yes. Most of us
have probably read more than we care to admit about what we face -- or fear we
will have to face ‑‑ but we often fail to effectively use
that knowledge.
I turned to writing as
creative expression, and later as supplemental career, when coordination
problems from my M.S. made continuing my art studies impossible. I have a full-time job as a night-shift
hospital telephone operator and operating room and trauma dispatcher (a job
where my wheelchair is irrelevant). (note: 4/1/07-My employer of 27 years [23 in a wheelchair]
closed and as I could not find another accessible job, I went out on S.S.D.) And thanks to a notebook computer, I use
quiet moments in the middle of the night to write disability-related newspaper
and magazine non-fiction, and magazine fiction stories in various genres.
When I
started, as with most writers, many of my stories were drawn from my own
experiences and feelings. I quickly realized that this would not be a
practical way to become a professional, but I discovered a whole new
perspective of myself as I reread my stories.
From that came this insight: “Step
back and give someone else your problems!“
I now use this idea to
help others when I lecture on writing. Don’t worry about trying to sell your
work a first. I advise people to
concentrate on the writing at first.
Write about your problems, but develop a fictional character based on
yourself and put that character into whatever problem situation you are
having. Then forget about this character
being “you “ and give him or her an interesting goal to strive
for, and -- this is important -- only one disability-related problem at a time
to deal with. This is important to keep
yourself from being overwhelmed (more on how to do that later).
Use a role-playing
game strategy in your imagination and have your character select tools and
strategies from the resources you have already absorbed. With only one problem at a time to deal with,
you will often find that you have the answers you need for your work of
‘fiction’. In real life you are often
too close to your problems to be objective.
And if you don’t have the answers, have your ‘character’ do some
research.
This game is a mental
exercise and a fictional exploration all in one. It is designed to give your character a goal -- and to help you
improve your mental perspective. As you
become more practiced, this process can provide you and others with an
entertaining read -- and possibly a marketable product.
Nothing is better for
my self-esteem than seeing my name in print.
I have a good body of publications (see my bibliography at http://www.netreach.net/~abrejcha/biblio.htm
), but I still get a thrill whenever I see my name in print in a magazine or
newspaper -- especially when I get cover credit or when it is an article about
me.
So use your experience
and problems to give life to a fictional character with your challenges. Invent backgrounds, characters, and environments -- and
more importantly, some solutions you might be able to apply to yourself. And most of all: have some fun doing it!
* * *
Part
Two: Resources
If you want to go
commercial with your efforts, or just want to polish your craft, let me make a
few suggestions. First, check out local colleges. Often they have continuing education courses
which may be relevant. Also, through
colleges and community groups, look for writers’ workshops where you can work
in a group to get feedback and learn self-editing and other writing skills --
feedback from other people is very valuable.
Your local public
library is another vital resource on writing and the marketplace. Check into books on writing -- you’ll find a
lot! And for places to sell your work,
check out Bowker’s International
Marketplace and the Writer’s Digest Writer’s Market books in the
reference section. The Writer’s Digest books are superb, with editions for
screen writers, fiction, science fiction, and poets.
The Internet also
offers a wide range of sites for both beginner and pro -- including
opportunities to publish your work electronically. Check out my “Writers’
Resources!“
page at http://www.netreach.net/~abrejcha/writers.htm for a good selection.
But be aware of the
fact that, for most people, freelance writing does not pay very steadily or
very much in monetary terms, but as described here, the work can be its own
reward. Especially
with the ego boost and self-worth affirmation provided by seeing your name in
print in a public forum.
* * *
Part Three:
Keep Problem Solving Simple
Earlier, I mentioned
the importance of not being overwhelmed by a whole spectrum of problems. To prevent that, sit back and consider this:
First of all: stop
taking your disability personally! God, the Universe, circumstances ‑‑
the cat (or the dog) ‑‑ have not all conspired to make your life
miserable.
Next: take charge!
Aren't catch‑phrases
wonderful? But seriously, they are important. The most important thing is
probably to avoid projecting and second‑guessing the future of your
condition. That way lies ruin (take it from one who knows!). What you have to
do is to avoid being overwhelmed by all of the problems you may be having, and
start separating them into individual, discrete (I know ‑ that's
redundant [but that is intentional]) complications that you can tackle one by
one.
Walkingproblems‑urinaryincontinence‑visualproblems‑balance-problems‑coordinationimpairments‑sexualdysfunction‑etc.
OUCH!! For someone
with M.S. or other conditions with such problems, who the h*ll
can deal with all that at once?
Okay, so break it
down. Let's address each of these common problems with M.S. -- as an example.
First: Walking problems: Why? Foot drop? There is a
brace called a MAFO (Modified Ankle Foot Orthosis),
that fits invisibly inside the pants and shoes (sorry ladies, a bit more
visible with a skirt) that supports your foot to keep it at a right angle to
your leg so you won't trip over your own foot. Is balance the issue, staying
up? Will a cane help? A quad cane? Or
Loftstrand (Canadian) crutches? A walker, even? Or are you unable to walk at all? Then the
question becomes one of what type of wheelchair you need. Consulting with a
rehabilitation specialist is essential. Manual chair, power chair ‑‑
what type of the latter? In each of the above cases, it is imperative to
carefully identify the specific difficulty, and the
remedial course for that. Okay. That's one.
Next: Urinary incontinence. Male or female? (I
doubt you'll have much trouble with that one). First(!!!)
seek out advice from an urologist specializing with this problem. Many
hospitals have incontinence centers. Ask around. But, as a
quickie overview, there some solutions.
For men: In addition to drugs that may help, we have
more practical, external plumbing which is readily fitted with external,
adhesive condom catheters (I remember trying to describe them when speaking at
a convention, and I called them my Catholic condoms ‑ because they
improved and concentrated my aim). But they roll on the same way and are held
on by an adhesive coating, and the catheter attaches to a tube and a leg bag
worn under the pants to keep me discretely dry. For clients who need to
straight‑cath, I don't have personal experience
and I suggest speaking to a doctor or to people who use this technique. Contact support groups which can usually be
located through local hospitals or national organizations for whatever
disability you may have.
For women: incontinence pads have made great strides in
keeping wearers comfortably dry while minimizing irritation, and if you plan
fluid intake and voiding, it is possible to keep control. Again, consulting
with an incontinence specialist is vital. For both men and women, there are
also other options, both medical and surgical, but seek out a specialist!
Visual problems: This is a bit more tricky.
I have not had many of these, but I did have severe blurring in one eye, and then severe double vision in the early stages of my
M.S. (and once for a couple of weeks recently). There are some medicines that
may help, but an eye patch may be necessary. Then you get used to it and learn
to negotiate your way with it. But consult a specialist.
Balance problems: This goes in with walking difficulties. The
same aids that help with walking, will help keep you steady, but talk to your
doctor.
Coordination
impairments: This is one of my curses,
which ruined a promising art career and reduced me from typing seventy words a
minute to about twenty as a two‑finger typist who has to look at the
keyboard because I can't feel the location of my fingers. Here finger exercises
may help, but re‑training and patience are all that can be done. Do your
own occupational therapy after talking to your doctor to see if you can get
some provided. There are a number of
inexpensive devices and aids available.
Sexual
dysfunction: This is a biggie. This has
spawned three articles on my web site at http://www.netreach.net/~abrejcha/sex.htm
if you have web access. But as with incontinence, let's hit a few highlights.
Again, seek out an urologist specializing in this!!
For men: First, keep in mind that an erection does not
great sex make. I had a penile implant (the wrong kind) and never got the use
out of it that I expected, but it didn't stop my girlfriend at the time and I
from having great sex (see my home page motto: "If what you got don't
work, work with what you got!". There's nothing wrong with my tongue, only
a little wrong with my hands, and nothing wrong with a few toys.) So, first
talk to a specialist, who has to make a determination of neurological
impotence. There are a number of options, and always remember great sex begins
with heart and mind!.
a) Pharmacological. Who HAS NOT heard of Viagra?
And there are medicines injected with a fine needle which will bring on an
erection.
b) Vacuum device. This stimulates an erection which
is maintained by a tight constricting rubber band. WARNING: pay attention to
Viagra cautions, and for these two options, it is vital not to over-medicate or
leave the band on too long, because if the erection is too prolonged, damage
can result.
c) Prosthetic implant. There are three types of
these, imbedded surgically into the penis. 1) malleable
rods. These can be bent and leave the penis perpetually erect, just bent as
needed. 2) self‑contained
inflatable (the kind I had, and then had a real problem operating ‑ but I
didn't feel like getting sliced again). These contain a fluid reservoir in the
base of each cylinder triggered by squeezing the tips and deflated manually. 3)
multi‑part inflatable. The fluid reservoir is
embedded in the abdomen, the pump in the scrotum, and the cylinders in the
penis. Pressure on the pump, pumps fluid into the cylinders
for an erection. Each of these have pluses and
minuses, but as they require an invasive procedure, they should be carefully
discussed with your doctor.
For women: A major problem due to loss of sensitivity (especially
for women with spinal injures), is a lack of lubrication and sensitivity.
Recent studies have shown that Viagra is also useful for women with sexual
dysfunctions by improving lubrication and sensitivity by increasing genital
blood flow. But the same precautions men
must take also apply to women, so be sure to speak to a qualified doctor before
trying Viagra.
Substitute lubricants
(water‑soluble!) can also be used, along with planned fluid intake and
careful positioning to avoid pressure problems. Drinking a
good amount just prior to sex sounds like strange advice, but it can assure
good flow‑through afterwards to reduce the chance of an infection.
For men and women: First of all, it is vital to learn to feel with
ALL of your body. Get your focus away from "penisvaginaonlypossiblesexualsatisfaction".
I'm running that together on purpose, because that's the way most people think.
But we have sensory nerves all over our bodies capable of differing degrees of
pleasurable sensitivity, so USE THEM!. And learn to
focus on your feelings, and to learn to tune in to and share your partner's
pleasure. Personally, I may not be able to achieve orgasm anymore, but I can't
tell you how delicious it feels to have a woman lie in full contact with me,
and also to be the one to bring her pleasure, and to share it through our
feelings.
Finally, let me add
that these are problems common with M.S., but also to other disabilities ‑‑
and the idea for handling any disability is pretty much the same.
Points to remember:
1.)
identify each discrete problem, 2.) develop a solution for each problem ‑‑ one at a
time, and 3.) Implement each solution. The idea is to take control of your
situation and be proactive, not reactive. You would be amazed at how much
better you feel when you assert control over yourself.
-end-