48 Minutes

Well, I was nervous about this all weekend long but it seems that my workaround worked perfectly! I knew what I needed to do and I started doing it at 1:23 PM. That was just after I got out of bed! Don’t judge me! I am chronically ill!

I called my medical supply company who has been my medical supply company for years. I am no stranger to waiting on hold when talking to a doctor’s office so I just waited. I knew exactly what I needed to do and it took me 48 minutes to get it all figured out! Kudos to Marie who was excellent and I gave her all fives in the survey!:


Marie told me that my monthly order was on hold because I needed to change my primary care physician in the order. I did that and she did some thing on her end where I would be on hold for a little while longer and then she told me that it will be shipped out today!

Once I hung up, I let out a heavy sigh of relief because my medical supplies are coming now! I really can’t even understand how this happened because I have been receiving these supplies since 2001. That was when the doctor prescribed them to me but that was after a very strenuous testing that was done.

That was the doctor home my neurologist’s nurse wanted me to see but I have seen him before! He is the specialist who people with MS see and whom I have seen before. I don’t need to see him again! I did not like his bedside manner and they don’t have a cure for me now so I just need my supplies!

That’s why I had my workaround because I did not want to go through that test again because I already know what the test would say! I messaged my current PCP and told her that my medical supply company will ask for authorization for something that I have needed since 2001.

We also called Dr. Skarf’s nurse as well today and left a message for her to call my Mom back for testing and scans thatI need to have done on my eyes in the new year.

In and Out

I have been in my head since I received that message from my neurologist’s nurse about the necessity to see a specialist. I have a clear idea of the two phone calls that I need to make an order to make this miscommunication problem go away.

I have talked it over with my Mom incessantly since I received the message. I think this just all makes me nervous!!!

I guess that I just can’t get over the fact that this new nurse doesn’t know my 21+ year history with having MS in the same health system! That’s how I came up with my workaround. I am just going to change the doctor who prescribes my medical supplies.

It’s really no big deal, but I keep getting in and out of my head and that seems to make me nervous! But the thing that has calmed me the most is how calm my Mom is about this! She assures me that I know my body and I have known it for 21+ years!

This is all startling to me because I have not been in this situation before where the people responsible for signing off on things for my medical benefit have retired. My previous neurologist and his nurse just handled me getting my medical supplies on a monthly basis like clockwork and I didn’t know that I had to do anything! Now, that all changes but I think I have figured it out! I will know more tomorrow.

A Nervous Work-Around

I think I figured out a workaround at about 3 o’clock this morning. This workaround makes me nervous so I guess I found a nervous workaround this morning! Here is the deal:

I have that good smelling fellow who was working with Dr. skarf to think for this because he looked in my file and enumerated all of my current doctors. I have seen many specialists for specific reasons but they are not my doctor all the time.

He went through my chart to gather that information. I have been seeing them lately. That’s when the workaround came about!

I was completely caught off guard because the message I received from my neurologist nurse suggested that I see a doctor whom I have seen before and I know what they are going to do and I’m not going through that again! I know what all of that is about and no thank you!

What I am going to do, is make two phone calls on Monday. The first phone call is to my medical supplier and I will tell them of my new doctor to approve my supplies. Then, I will message my PCPs office to tell her about it. I have already seen her twice and each of those times, my mom has been with me and she marvels at how much of a handle we have on my disease.

My First after Thanksgiving Movie

Today is not an excellent day but I decided to watch my first Christmas movie of the year. It’s my very first after Thanksgiving movie and it’s completely fitting that it was Last Christmas.

I heard this song when she is sitting at the bar and turns down another drink and she goes home. This song is from when I was seven years old! At least that’s what I am thinking. It was summer time and we had our green carpet at my Parents’ house in our living room back then:

it looks like it is turning out to be a double feature today and I don’t mind at all!!!

An MS O.G.

Upon waking up today, I received a message from my neurologist’s nurse. I thought about it and before I even got out of bed, I watched this video three times:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1242307939895400?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V

I told my Mom once that I must have seen at least 30 different doctors in the 21+ years that I have had MS. I have learned a thing or two in the past 21+ years. I have spent that entire time in the same hospital system and I KNOW that they have my records!

My Mom was the one who actually calmed me down. This is all a misunderstanding! I now know which doctor I need to speak to you to get them to approve my medical supplies that I have been using for 21 years. Both of my neurologist and his nurse have since retired but they were the ones who handled everything before.

Things are different now and I will have to let them know that I am an MS O.G. (original gangster).

Changing of the Guard

I just put my Vanilla Maple Chapstick on for the last time this year. It is officially the day after Thanksgiving so my fall flavors are done with and now it is officially the changing of the guard because I’m moving into winter. There completely is method to my madness!!!: 😂😂😂

FALL:

Vanilla Maple is the one in the center.

WINTER:

I am excited to wear my Ginger Spice chapstick when I wake up. That coupled with Christmas music is just excellent!

ALL-TIME Christmas Faves 2022: The Basics with a Little Bit of Background

I started compiling this post on the Monday before Thanksgiving. I was thinking about it and I am comfortable with my top 20 all-time favorite Christmas songs but for this one, I want to add a little bit of background:

I had my Mom snap this picture when we went to see St. Alphonsus just before it was set to be torn down:

This picture was important to me because that is the exact place where I made a very important decision!!!:

I had to crop the picture a little bit so the focal point came into view:


I imagine that we were running late for church because that is the ONLY reason we would have parked there but that is where our green station wagon was parked and I looked at that one-way sign as I climbed into the backseat of the car and heard what I had decided in that moment was my favorite Christmas song:

I have no problem telling everyone that that is my favorite Christmas song!!!

And now for the rest of the hits:

José Feliciano “Feliz Navidad”

That song is driving to my Abuela’s house in Southwest Detroit and stopping to get tamales at Nuevo León Tamalería.

GaylaPeevey “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”

I just love that song and I have the musical Christmas ornament to prove it!

Judy Garland “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

That probably was my favorite movie growing up when I was, like, six. How I used to love singing along with it and I absolutely loved Esther‘s red dress!!!

Karen Carpenter “Merry Christmas, Darling”

This song reminds my Mom telling me about the Christmas my Parents spent apart when my Dad was in Vietnam. I love her voice!!!

Mariah Carey “All I Want for Christmas is You”

This song is driving to my grandparents house (my Dad’s parents) also located in southwest Detroit. That is where my Parents met and grew up together. So I have even liked this song before I saw Love Actually!

Alabama “The Christmas Shoes”

I was actually in college and working and dfcu financial when I first heard this song when I was shopping for an outfit to wear to their holiday party. It always makes me cry!!!

Train “ shake up Christmas”

this song was instantly one of my favorites when it came out!!! We was already living in our house.

Bon Jovi “Please Come Home for Christmas”

There is just something about Jon Bon Jovi‘s voice!!!

Jon Secada “O Holy Night”

It was by accident that I found this version of this song but I absolutely love it! I can hear my cousin, Sal, singing it at the piano with his sister and his friend the year we spent Christmas in Texas.

Sarah McLachlan ”River”

This song will always remind me of Parker and my time working with him as my MRT therapist because this song was it on his holiday mix on his iPod.

u2 “Baby Please Come Home”

Bono’s voice makes everything better!!! 😍😍😍

CeeLo Green “Mary did You Know?”

I remember when I first heard this

Kelly Clarkson “Underneath the Tree”

Whenever I hear this song, it makes me feel good!

Band Aid “Do They Know its Christmas?”

and sometimes a stinky Link accidentally shows up…

Barenaked ladies “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”

Even though this song cut out in this recording, I love it!!!

Andy Williams “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

This song reminds me of watching Allen.

James Taylor “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

I am excited to watch The holiday this Christmas! This song reminds me of that movie!

Bing Crosby & David Bowie “The Little Drummer Boy”

I really have come to appreciate their voices in this song more! But I still remember singing ‘the Little drummer boy‘ at my school Christmas play. My brother, Dave, remembers too!

Bruce Springsteen ”Santa cause is coming to town”

I think this one has become one of my favorites through osmosis because it always reminds me of my cousinT, Shannon! She loves this Christmas song and I love Wham! We had that conversation when we were in high school and it’s still the same even though we are both in our 40s!!!

Tiring.

I had a virtual appointment with my nutritionist this afternoon. My Mom asked me how that went and I told her, ”Tiring.”

Having to see a nutritionist is tiring. It all is tiring! She complemented my speech today and I thanked her for that because I am working at it! So, here is the deal. I can no longer chew food. I meet with a nutritionist to give me tips on what I can eat and she wants to monitor my weight as well because I am losing it kind of rapidly I think.

I never would have thought that I would lose weight without trying! That’s what’s happening! I am not comfortable with it at all but I have told my Mom and I told Sarah today that, “Eating is no longer easy or enjoyable.”

Sarah sent me additional recipes for rolled oats so I have more variety in my diet but I really don’t care about variety. This is all so tiring!!!