Author: Jen Rios

I think that I have been pretty much homebound since I got my power chair in July 2018. It’s only now that I realize that I am completely homebound.

it’s taking A LOT to get used to.

I first started seeing a nutritionist in November 2023. I think that we had very productive conversations! She told me how life was going to be now that I am chair bound completely.

I needed to adjust my eating. It wasn’t too much of an adjustment because eating has not been, “Easy or enjoyable” for me since the summer of 2019. She first wanted me to stop drinking Adkins shakes.

I have been on a diet pretty much for all of Sean’s life! It was difficult for me to eat in the morning so I would just drink my nutrition.

Sarah, my nutritionist, told me that I needed more calories. I decided to switch and she suggested Orgain because it doesn’t have dairy. I told her that I’m lactose ‘not a good idea.’

I got the chocolate Orgain nutrition shakes in January 2023. When I first tried it, it was disgusting! Sean asked me what I was going to do, and I simply said, “Drink this for the next 11 days. And then I will order the vanilla ones and hopefully they taste better.”

The vanilla ones tasted pretty good and Sean says they taste like ‘melted ice cream.’ I’ve been getting those since February 2023. I get them on Amazon.

Well, Amazon doesn’t offer them right now, they didn’t offer them in December either so I got two variety packs.

I did not realize that the variety was iced mocha Café, Sweet Vanilla Bean, and Creamy Chocolate Fudge. I thought it was Neapolitan so there would be Strawberries and Cream in that pack as well. I told my Mom to give me a chocolate one first because they’re gross, but she handed me an iced mocha café one.

I am NOT a coffee drinker!!! But just like I told Sean, I would have to drink eight iced mocha café shakes this time. I only have two more and it has been brutal!

The first time I drank it, I completely felt caffeinated so I’ve been drinking them every other day. Tomorrow it’s chocolate.

I do have to eat one of my bite-size Twix that Sean got me for part of my present on Christmas. Coffee breath is really gross!!! I force myself too have that little piece of chocolate so I don’t taste it anymore.

I can’t get over how much of a hard time I am having right now?!!!! We watched New in Town and we hadn’t seen it in a couple years so it was really funny!:

I hope that I feel better tomorrow so I can write about the Iced mocha café nutrition shake that I have to drink tomorrow?! It’s disgusting, but I need the protein!!!:

So, my eyes have been a thing for a while, which makes me nervous. I read an article from one of my MS emails. The author talked about embracing the ‘grayness’ of MS.

She spoke about her nighttime eye mask, which she loves. That fact, peaked my interest because my eyes have been itching and burning in the morning.

I ordered a cheaper version from Amazon and I liked the reason she’s wearing it. I got mine just before Thanksgiving. I did not start wearing it till the few days after getting it but now it is completely molded to my face.

My Mom took this picture of me the other day after she used the massage gun on my feet.Just so you know, I’m sleeping:

It’s like that now. And now my Mom has started putting Neosporin on my nose and cheeks because my face is chapped because of this cold weather and I blow my nose so much during the day.

I thought to make a joke about me being a welder or Yzma:

but I can’t joke about this. It’s getting serious now. I’m seeing a podiatrist on the 20th.

*I’m also wearing my mouth guard and my dentist. Dr. Kassem did not like that I slept with my mouth open. She told me that it’s not good for my gums. My hygienist, Sarah told me that I go to the dentist three times a year now to check on my gums. I saw her in December and I’m seeing her again in April. I told her that my dentist appointment is the one appointment where I DON’T get bad news.

So, I have had MS for 25 years and one week. What is going on?! I have never felt like this before in my life and it’s a little bit scary!!!

Today is day six of having MS for 25 years. I just finished pillaging. This is really brutal! ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL!!!

This was my ‘Pic of the Day’ right before New Year’s:

This was from the fall of 2010. The second fall I lived in this house, but now the tree next-door got cut down so we’re not going to have that many leaves anymore.

I have two small mulberry trees in my backyard so I will just be getting the neighborhood leaves from here on out.