... About my trip to India.

When I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 1987, my husband, Dave, and I were in the process of adopting a child from India. We decided to continue and were soon the proud parents of a 4-month-old boy. We named him Jeremy. In 1991 we adopted again, a 13-month-old girl, Julia, also from India.

We had always vowed that when Jeremy and julia were old enough, we would take them back to see the country. Over the years we have become active in the Indian community in Denver, and in 2004, one of the families proposed to play tour guide for a group visit. By then, I needed to be in a wheelchair or scooter most of the time. I asked the group if that might be a problem for them. No one said it would be.

In December 2004, our group of 25 people set out for the subcontinent. We did not stay in five-star hotels. We all wanted to travel as Indians do. We did request Western toilets, however. And before we left I had a catheter put in. I tend to have problems with bladder control and I did not want to have a mess. On the whole the accommodations were adequate and comfortable. We usually got a room on the ground floor.

Streets in the cities we visited in India were very narrow and extremely congested. Sidewalks were a nonexistent dream and when they did exist, they were full of holes. It was very difficult to get a wheelchair around, but we managed. Dave, Jeremy, Julia, and the rest of the group were very helpful.

One of the most wonderful places we visited was the Taj Mahal. The white marble is inlaid with stones that glow in the daylight. The last section of the approach was very steep with tall, slick marble steps. By the time I got to the top not only did my group cheer, but so did many Indian people who had given me an arm to get me up.

Another highlight was Jaipur. There, we visited the Amber Fort, which is on the top of a hill. The only way to get there was by elephant. My wheelchair and I were put on the top of an elephant and off we went, lurching and swaying eight feet from the ground on a decorated platform.

The Palace of the Winds in Jaipur actually had ramps, although this had nothing to do with accessibility for people with disabilities; they were part of the original construction. Apparently, the ladies of the court wore a great deal of jewelry and when they did, they could not walk. They were carried in chairs.

One of the main reasons for our trip was to visit the orphanage where Jeremy and Julia had lived before we adopted them. We brought donations of cash and sup plies that we had collected from churches, schools, and friends at home. It was wonderful to see the orphanage and I wanted to hold the babies there. Unfortunately, they were on the 4th floor of a building with no elevator. So I walked. It took me a while to get up there, but I managed.

Through this long adventure my wheelchair got quite a workout. It was tied on the top of cabs, rode in auto rickshaws, went to the beach, was tied on the side of a train, rode an elephant, and was carried up palace stairs. It also got a lot of mileage in airplanes. By the time we got home the foot rests had fallen off, it was filthy, and was listing heavily to the left.

This whole trip proved many things to me. First, the human race is, on the whole, wonderful. People are willing, even happy, to help. When something seemed overwhelming--like facing numerous plane and train changes--I just took it one step at a time.

I am very blessed to have family and friends who supported me all the way. I think I surprised everyone, including myself, as I discovered how much I could handle. I learned to adapt to whatever happened, to keep my sense of humor, and to treat everything as an adventure.

Kathy Evans has had MS since 1987. She, Dave, Jeremy, and Julia live in Denver, Colorado.