"If you’re going to use a cane, use a CANE!" I heeded that advice and never regretted it.

I was in my early 40s and my multiple sclerosis was as yet undiagnosed, but walking was becoming a problem, especially in public settings. My awkward gait and lack of confidence made me feel rather conspicuous, but I was not thrilled about the prospect of using a cane at my age.

We’d picked up a cheap metal cane at a drugstore for a trial run, soon realizing that I would actually look and feel more confident and natural with a cane than without. But that cheap metal cane was not exactly the image I wanted to project.

So the online search for a more presentable cane began. Still somewhat self-conscious about the prospect, I sought out canes that would blend into the scenery. I thought that my cane should be useful, but not particularly noticeable. I wanted a boring, fade-into-the-background look.

That’s when my husband stepped in. "You’re looking at this thing all wrong. If you’re going to use a cane, use a CANE! Don’t be embarrassed by it... make a statement with it. Own it." Wise man, my husband.

That’s how I ended up at a website called Fashionable Walking Canes. The assortment of walking canes and walking sticks for men and women evoke the style of a bygone era, the cane not only a mobility aid, but a fashion statement.

My search for the perfect ladies' cane ended when I spotted a red paisley adjustable folding cane. That’s right -- red paisley. I knew I could forget about fading into the background with that one, but like the man said, "get a CANE!"

That cane is still my favorite, although I’ve since added others to my collection. And I do get noticed -- not because poor pitiful me has to use a cane, but because people stop to compliment me and want to know where they can get one.

Visit the Fashionable Walking Canes website: www.fashionablecanes.com or on Facebook.

Disclosure: This is a compensated post -- but a 100 percent true story.

Ann Pietrangelo is a freelance writer for WebCamp One, LLC. She is a featured blogger at Care2.com’s Reform Health Policy and Living with Multiple Sclerosis. Email: writer@webcampone.com