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When Ardra Shephard walks into a room — real or virtual — you know it. She's smart, stylish, and unapologetically candid. Whether she's writing on her blog Tripping on Air, hosting her show Fashion Dis, or promoting her new memoir Fallosophy, Ardra brings an electric honesty to every conversation about life with multiple sclerosis. Her voice doesn't just resonate in the MS community; it cuts through to anyone who's ever had to navigate adversity with humor, resilience, and style.

A philosophy of realness
  Ardra explains that Fallosophy is more than a memoir — it's a declaration. Subtitled “My Trip Through Life with MS,” the book mixes sharp-witted storytelling with practical insights and intensely personal revelations. Shephard didn't set out to write a self-help book or aspire to be anyone's inspirational figure. Instead, she created something much harder to come by: an honest portrait of living with MS in all its contradictions.

"I wrote the book I wish I'd had," she said. "I looked for stories I could relate to when I was first diagnosed and couldn't find them. I needed someone to be real about how much this can suck, but also show that your life isn't over."

Fallosophy acknowledges grief and fear but also crackles with sardonic humor, joy, and even hope. Her chapters touch on topics like dating, disability stigma, fashion, incontinence, mobility aids, sex, and identity — all told in Shephard's voice, with a wink.

"Honey, I Peed the Bed" — And other stories we don't tell

Shephard got her start telling unflinchingly honest stories through her blog Tripping on Air, which now includes more than 100 essays. One of the first? Honey, I Peed the Bed — a story about bladder dysfunction and learning to self-catheterize. "I thought, if I'm going to put this out there, it needs to be real," she said. "And funny helps."

In Fallosophy, humor becomes a survival strategy. She doesn't shy away from humiliating moments; she reclaims them. Whether it's the struggle of finding stylish orthotic-friendly shoes or dealing with ableist assumptions, Shephard invites readers to laugh, not to diminish the pain but to disarm its power.

Becoming disabled

"I didn't think of myself as disabled at first," she said. "I thought I just had a disease." Shephard resisted the word for years, burdened by the negative assumptions culture places on it. But when her MS progressed and she began using mobility aids, the reality became harder to avoid.

Fallosophy doesn't just document that shift — it reframes it. "Disability isn't a fate worse than death," she writes. "And if we can't even say the word, we're never going to get the access and inclusion we deserve."

Her refusal to soften language or sugarcoat her experience makes the book stand out in a sea of sanitized disability narratives. She challenges readers to consider how they think and talk about illness, bodies, and limitations.

When fashion is function

MS didn't just affect Shephard's mobility; it also changed her closet. "Drop foot meant no more heels, no more cute mules," she said. I had to rethink everything."

But she didn't give up on style. Instead, she became a vocal advocate for adaptive fashion, pushing brands and designers to think beyond function alone. Her show Fashion Dis, which aired for two seasons, featured models with disabilities styled in editorial looks, proving you can be disabled and glamorous.

In Fallosophy, she talks about her own evolution and the broader movement to create more inclusive clothing. She celebrates brands such as Skims and Nike for expanding representation and offers a call to action for the fashion industry to keep going.

The importance of finding your people

Shephard talks candidly about the early days of her diagnosis and the loneliness that came with it. After attending a support group filled with people whose disease looked very different from her own, she realized that community only helps when it aligns with where you are in your journey.

"You need people who get it," she told me, "but you also need people who get you."

Today, her community spans real-life and online spaces. From Instagram DMs to improv class to messages from strangers who tell her that she helped them embrace a cane or walker, Shephard's circle is full of people whose lives she's touched simply by showing up with honesty.

Comedy, control, and cancelled plans

We spent a surprising amount of time discussing stand-up comedy in our conversation. Shephard took classes at Second City in Toronto, dabbled in improv, and deeply appreciated comics like Norm Macdonald, Joan Rivers, and John Mulaney. Her writing has been compared to Amy Schumer and Chelsea Handler, a compliment she receives with humility and humor.

Fallosophy mirrors that same comedic lens. One of her favorite quotes comes from Nora Ephron: "If you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. But if you tell the story, you get the laugh."

She applies that to disability. "You can't laugh at me if I already made the joke," she said. "It's not a tragedy. It's a rom-com."

Her favorite kind of day? The one where someone cancels plans. That, she insists, is pure joy.

A love letter to life, not a glossy package

One of the most powerful threads in Fallosophy is Shephard's refusal to wrap her story in a bow. She doesn't deny that MS is difficult or that she has mourned the life she expected. But she also refuses to accept that her life is somehow worth less.

Asked what she would say to her newly diagnosed self, Shephard paused and replied, "I don't think it would matter. She wouldn't believe me anyway. And that's okay."

That level of truthfulness is the beating heart of “Fallosophy.” It's not here to reassure you. It's here to show you what's possible when you stop pretending, start adapting, and find the story only you can tell.

Where to Find Fallosophy: Available now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and indie bookstores near you. Visit trippingonair.com to learn more.

Follow Shephard on Instagram: @ms_trippingonair