Author: Jen Rios

Settling In…

So, my February appointments are done and now it’s just time for me to settle in. I will not leave the house until March 18. I will be 44 years old then. I have a bunch of things to do regarding my internist appointment and I understand what I need to do. I will make that call on Wednesday. In fact, I will probably write it all in MyChart on Tuesday night.

This year is so much easier than last year! We found out how much can rentals cost last year and it’s a lot. I like that so far, I’ve just had two appointments each month. I had already budgeted for that years ago.

I might have three appointments in August and October but I’ll work that out. After I message Dr. Chamas’ nurse, I’m going to make an appointment for June for my circulatory system. I am settling into doing the same thing every day because that’s what I do. My Mom really does not understand that but it’s true.

I never once expected this to be my life, but it is and it makes sense to me. I’m settling in until March 18th. It has been too cold for too long and it’s doing insane things to my body.!!!

#ItSucksToSuck!!! #MSsucks!!! 😒😒😒…

The Aftermath

My appointment was on Tuesday and a return appointment is already made for August 26 at 2 p.m. I cried when I got home because of some of the effects of this past procedure. Wednesday it was uncomfortable Thursday almost normal and today it was okay.

I already have my March appointments scheduled and I need to message Savannah, Dr. Chamas’ nurse on Wednesday because at this appointment with Dr. Chamas will get a whole panel of blood work and I need a referral for a vascular surgeon?! (the doctor responsible for the circulatory system) the fact that it’s a surgeon sounds scary to me, but I’m going to deal with it. And lastly, I need to get my first shingles shot.

I told my Mom this month that there are no longer recovery days. I just have to deal with the aftermath. This one wasn’t too bad and Dr. K said that after my appointment in six months, based on the findings, we might just do this annually.

I liked the sound of that! It would be one less van rental and I dig that!

Interesting OR Procedure Room 3

I had my appointment today. The very first of its kind. It’s interesting. Before I left, I’m going again in August. My appointment was at 2 o’clock. I did not get down to the lobby until 4:28:

I snapped this picture in the hallway because it was my exam room number:

After I did that, my Mom took a picture of the exam room:

Jason and Chelsea prepped me and Dr. K was in the room for about five minutes. I have entered a new realm of dealing with MS now…

With that being said, #ItSucksToSuck!!! #MSsucks!!! 😒😒😒…

4.6%

I am already thinking about my appointment on Wednesday because my Mom needs to pick up the van Tuesday evening because my appointment on Wednesday is at 2 o’clock. She wouldn’t be able to pick up the van in the morning and get me ready to go to my appointment.

Van rentals are 24 hours periods. My Mom is picking up the van tomorrow just before they close so then she can return it on Wednesday just before they close.

I am thinking about this today because tomorrow, I will set my alarm for 6:30. I am not used to having procedures in the middle of the day at the hospital. This disease progression ain’t no joke and I have never had one of these procedures before so I’m a little bit nervous because the last procedure I had related to this one did not feel good at all for eight days!

My Mom did my taxes last Saturday (I have to get them done early now ever since I was scammed) We figured out how many van rentals I had last year. I did the math and it cost me 4.6% of my income to rent vans. My medical care last year exceeded what I was making my final year teaching. I’m really hoping that this year it calms down a little bit.

I am not so sure about that though… #ItSucksToSuck!!! #MSsucks!!! 😒😒😒…

“Very Good, Actually”

I needed to get a new eye mask because it got overstretched. It arrived yesterday. I wore it last night. It’s a little bit different than the one I got originally, but it’s basically the same.

As my Mom was helping me get to bed, she gives me my goggles/eye mask before she covers me and she puts the Egyptian Magic on my face after she covers me.

I just slide the eye mask to my forehead, and she rubs it on my face. My cheeks and my septum. It’s been a little bit tender under my nose on the outside of my nostrils.

I asked her last night, “How does my face look?” and she said, as she was rubbing the cream on my face (on my cheeks really), she responded, kind of surprised, “Very good, actually.”

My face is feeling better and a lot less chafed than it has been in the past month. It’s almost healed. That’s exciting! Even though it snowed today, my body feels like the weather is changing so I think that I will change over to Pomegranate chapstick once this tube of Cocoa Mint is done.

Even though it might still be cold, I used to use Pomegranate year-round when I was working out at Barwis and then I changed to Açai Berry.

That flavor is discontinued, but I do know that I have about 10 in my basement somewhere. Hopefully, I’ll find them before they go rancid.

I Don’t Know When

When I awakened this afternoon, I started to check my emails before I got out of bed. Henry Ford MyChart sent me an email. It’s talking about my appointment on Wednesday. Which brings me to that stupid song! Something that I thought was about something different when I was a kid. But this is my life now. This is it! Let me ‘Splain ya:

Last Thursday, when I was getting ready for my virtual appointment with endocrinology, I logged in a little bit early and I immediately got a questionnaire about my appointment that’s going to be on Wednesday. So, I filled it out. Once I submitted it, there was another questionnaire about the appointment I’m having next month.

I don’t know when but this became my life. But it did. I just go to the doctor. I have to space them out because it’s so tiring but that is my existence now.

Here’s the song that I thought was about something different and it’s just dumb, but this is my life and ‘this is it’:

This is It!

I pillaged today. I didn’t get my supplements today that I ordered last Wednesday when I got paid. It’s not a huge deal because I’ve been on all of these supplements for years at this point. It just would’ve been nice if it would have arrived.

A song popped into my head a few days ago, and I’m reminded of driving with my mom in the backseat of her station wagon we’re going to the dentist in my Dad’s car. I saw the video today and it’s dumb!!! This song popped into my head and I’m letting it ruminate for a moment before I write a post about it, but here it is:


Great Teeth OR Powerful!!!

Today was the first Friday of Lent, so of course I watched, Jesus Christ superstar and right away, I was reminded of Judas’s great teeth! I love good teeth and his are absolutely great!

I did not think that I would cry because I have seen this movie so many times, but when Jesus pleaded with God, I started to cry because that is so powerful!!!: