Fallosophy: My Trip through Life with MS by Ardra Shephard
Reviewed by Selena Mercuri
Ardra Shephard’s Fallosophy: My Trip through Life with MS is a sharp, darkly funny, and unapologetically honest exploration of life with multiple sclerosis. Best known for her blog Tripping on Air, Shephard brings the same irreverence to her memoir, pairing pointed critiques of systemic failure with a keen awareness of how disability shapes her experience without allowing it to erase her humour, style, or identity.
Much of Fallosophy is about confronting the stark realities of disability in a society that remains stubbornly inaccessible. Shephard eschews the tired narratives of perseverance and inspiration, instead exposing the impossible choices disabled people are forced to make—the expansion of MAID eligibility to people with MS in the wake of systemic failures in home care and accessible housing has left many feeling as though assisted death is their only option to avoid enduring the indignities of inadequate support. “In addition to complaints of insufficient, under-resourced health care, a staggering number of disabled people point out the critical lack of adequate accessible housing that is driving them to seek out MAID.” This systemic neglect is compounded by the exorbitant costs of essentials like catheters, medications, and treatments—expenses that turn basic survival into a financial burden. For many, the choice isn’t just between suffering and sanctioned death, but between bankrupting themselves and their loved ones for care or opting out entirely.
“Shephard wields razor-sharp wit along sobering truths, tempering her critiques with self-deprecating humour that is as biting as it is disarming.”
Shephard wields razor-sharp wit along sobering truths, tempering her critiques with self-deprecating humour that is as biting as it is disarming. Whether bestowing irreverent nicknames upon medical professionals and mobility aids or delivering withering takedowns of ableist assumptions, her humour is not merely a coping mechanism but a deliberate act of defiance. She does not use comedy to soften the realities of disability; she uses it to sharpen them, cutting through the polite fictions that non-disabled people tell themselves about accessibility and inclusion. Her voice is unfiltered and fearless, embracing irreverence where others might tread cautiously, making her perspective all the more powerful.
Beyond humour, Fallosophy is a manifesto of self-love and bodily autonomy. The expectation that disabled people should shrink themselves to make others comfortable is one Shephard forcefully rejects. Instead, she insists on claiming space, asserting her right to beauty, confidence, and self-expression. “In a world that insists on perfection, loving my disabled body is a radical act that promotes the idea that it’s normal to be imperfect.” Shephard’s passion for fashion, far from being a trivial pursuit, becomes an assertion of identity and agency. Clothing is not just adornment but a rejection of invisibility, a declaration that disabled people are not merely medical subjects but whole, multidimensional individuals.
Fallosophy does not offer a tidy resolution, nor does it conform to the conventional arc of triumph over adversity. It demands discomfort. It forces readers to reckon with the ways society continues to marginalize disabled people, framing their struggles as personal rather than systemic. It does not plead for sympathy but insists on justice, making it clear that what disabled people need is not inspiration but equity.
Shephard’s memoir is a searing critique that dares to be both serious and fun. To read it is to be challenged, entertained, and, most of all, to be forced to rethink the status quo. With equal parts wit and fury, Fallosophy is both a call to action and a celebration of self—bold, unfiltered, and impossible to forget.
About the Author
Ardra Shephard is a writer, consultant, podcaster and speaker whose award-winning blog, Tripping On Air, has an international reach and reputation. She is the creator and host of AMI-tv’s lifestyle series Fashion Dis. Her personal essays and non-fiction work have appeared in FASHION, InStyle, Best Health, BezzyMS and other magazines and online publications. Yahoo Lifestyle reported that “@ms_trippingonair is the number-one chronic illness account to follow on Instagram.” Ardra lives in Toronto, ON.
Book Details
Publisher : Douglas & McIntyre (March 4 2025)
Language : English
Paperback : 256 pages
ISBN-10 : 1771624302
ISBN-13 : 978-1771624305