May 15, 2002

Dear Ms. Mazor:

We were delighted and surprised when we heard that you had reviewed our book, "Facing Multiple Sclerosis: Our Longest Journey." We want you to know that we were really moved by your perceptive and sympathetic reading of our story. You might be interested to know that since we wrote the book, we have gone together to Ireland for two weeks--with a nurse, of course--and travel down to NYC to visit our children as often as we can.

We're also planning to purchase a special lift that can be installed in a car so that Dorothy can sit in a car instead of in a wheelchair or an uncomfortable seat when we travel.

We are presently beginning an article about our experiences for "Continuing Care" magazine that will feature the book and brief bios of the two of us. At present, Dorothy is still living at the nursing home and although I visit her every day, and we go out weekends, I still feel that I should be doing more, considering her surroundings. I am thinking of retiring in several years and then might be better able to take more care of her myself, but much of that depends on both of our health. Dorothy generally works four to five days a week at a protected shop center for physically and emotionally handicapped people. She had been working in doing computer records for her first four years there but, to my dismay and hers, her job was phased out and she's now doing piece work, which, considering her physical limitations, is not really appropriate for her, and especially since she has two masters degrees.

But she keeps up her spirits remarkably well considering her circumstance. I'm hoping to persuade her to collaborate with me on a sequel to our book that would chronicle how we both have led our lives since she was admitted to Northwoods (the name changed from Highgate.). I think that story will be inspiring without being "heroic."

Thanks again for your kind words. They give us courage that there are people out there who really understand our story. We knew nothing about your web site before we were informed of the review. I wish it all success. Since I teach Jewish-American literature at my college, and have edited two standard reference works on Jewish-American writers for Greenwood Press, I appreciate what you are doing to give more substance to our culture which is, I feel, in jeopardy in an increasingly superficial world.

All the best,

Dorothy and Joel Shatzky