Author: Jen Rios

#MyGirlL: Two Little Paws

So, I went out for the third time last Wednesday for an eye appointment. I still haven’t processed everything and I will write about it when I get there. I do have to say one thing about #MyGirlL though. It was a rough day for me for many different reasons!

When we got home, my Mom told me to turn my wheelchair around so she could hug me. She stood on my left and gave me a hug. I started to cry as we hugged and then I felt two little paws on my right thigh. I chuckled through my tears and put my right hand on top of her paws.

After a little moment, she came around to my left side to stand next to my Mom with her hands on the armrest of my chair so we both could hug her too! She wanted to offer comfort and wanted in on the love as well! It was the sweetest thing for me to feel those two little paws on my leg! #MyGirlL is the best and I love her!!!

I texted Sean this picture not too long ago. She hadn’t been outside when she put her paws on my leg so I didn’t get an a paw prints but it was like this:

No Words

So, this happened. I just put them in:

My eyesight is still a little bit wonky this morning. Have to get used to it I think? If you can see the picture, that’s correct. The new power I need is 8. I have no words regarding this and I am trying desperately to grab them!

This song popped in my head and I know the sentiment is not the same but I keep hearing it over and over again in my head;

MS Fatigue

A few days ago, a Twitter follower and fellow MS warrior tweeted out that her MS fatigue was kicking her butt. Sometimes you just have to say stuff out loud to get it out and I completely I understand that! I told her what I do for MS fatigue.

I must have started this a while ago. I had seen it on Ellen and knew of the benefits of apple cider vinegar. My interest was piqued but I being on a fixed income, I wasn’t sure if I could afford it. I think I save some money for a few months before I was able to buy one bottle to try it out. I tweeted her this picture and told her that this is what I use for MS fatigue:

The directions on the bottle say to take six gummies a day but I knew I couldn’t afford that! I told her that I only take two in the morning when I am drinking my breakfast. I noticed right of that I was not passing out in my chair in the middle of the day so I must have been helping.

Well, this morning, it must’ve been an oversight but as a drink my shake and took my vitamins, I forgot to take my gummies. I did not realize that until my Mom had already washed my hair and I had to blow dry it because it was cold. I couldn’t figure out why I was so exhausted I summation point yes I drink my lunch today I had my gummy‘s because that’s the only thing that I could think of.

I think I have gone through five or six bottles so far and when I get some money, I stocked up on them. There’s no cure for MS but at least this works for me to help with my MS fatigue. It stinks that I had to figure that out by forgetting to take it so today is a bit wonky!

#MyGirlL: She Gets Me

I think I was probably about five or six years ago when my Mom witnessed me being in pain because of on the wind. We were getting into the car and the wind started blowing and she so my face and me cringe. It wasn’t cold outside but just when the wind picked up, it felt like shards of glass hitting my skin

My Mom came in this morning laughing. She got up this morning and took Leia out before she got me out of bed. She was laughing because she said when Leia went outside, the wind started to blow and she crouched on the paver patio in my backyard in an attempt to avoid the wind. She just peed by a bush close to the patio and ran toe the back door! That’s when my Mom started to laugh!

She helped me get out of bed and explained how Leia was trying to avoid the wind. Is she reclined my chair to get me into it comfortably, I just said matter-of-factly, “She gets me!”

I have thought about that all day and given that it’s so windy and cold outside today, she really doesn’t want any part of going outside unless it is to get her business done and come back inside and sit by the heater vent. That is something new she does and it’s super cute!

I am missing a vent Cover in my kitchen but here she is:

She got my knee brace from my last surgery out when my Mom moved the couches to put the Christmas tree up. I knew there was a reason I still had it three years later! The blanket she is resting her head on is Sean‘s so it smells like him.

Pieces

Sean and I moved out of my Parents’ house 15 years ago this past August. My Mom moved into my house on March 14, the onset of the pandemic. My Mom and I have been sheltering in place here since then.

I’ve said before that my life hasn’t really changed since the pandemic began except for my overgrown hair and eyebrow. It has been a bit of an adjustment living with my Mom again. For her too!

We never had that teenage angst or antagonistic relationship as I grew up. One thing that has happened with her living at my house now is that she is NOT a fan of Love Actually. She could handle my obsessive watching of Hocus Pocus on a daily basis but, Love Actually is another story.

She doesn’t particularly like it at all! She does admit that she has only seen pieces of it but the pieces she has seen usually involve Judy and Jack. That’s why she’s NOT a fan! She sees me cry every day with Karen and she hears me laugh loudly at Billy Mack. Whom she does not like either! Especially, his video!

Just yesterday, I had to explain the exchange between Colin and Nancy and Juliet and Steven‘s wedding.

I’m quite proud of myself that I was able to say their dialogue of verbatim! I have seen the movie a whole lot but I really dig it!

I think I relate mostly to these two characters which really doesn’t say that much about me but…

Still…

I have watched the movie, Love Actually 12 times this December. I really enjoy this movie and it relaxes me. I still laugh out loud in the beginning to Billy Mack causing!:

I still grieve with Daniel at Joanna‘s funeral:

Colin’s whole storyline is just so interesting/amusing still:

I still feel for Mark:

But my absolute favorite part still is Sarah and Carl. I’m so sorry it didn’t work out!:

Even today, I still actually cried with Karen!:

Unlike Jamie‘s nieces and nephew, I don’t hate him I hate Mia… still!

Breakfast For Dinner

Sean and I used to do this all of the time starting when we lived in our second apartment! I first saw this idea watching The Wizards of Waverly Place with Sean. That was Selena Gomez and her dad’s thing in the show. They talked about it in a couple episodes and then I asked Sean if he wanted to do that. He was all about it and so was I because it was easy for me to fry up some eggs or make some pancakes for dinner and it was cheap!

I didn’t worry about his nutrition because I always used to put a bowl of raw spinach on the floor for him to snack on while he watched TV while I washed dishes in the kitchen.

I only say this because my Mom and I had “Breakfast for dinner” last night. But, here’s the thing for me:

I would say just before the beginning of the pandemic when my Mom moved into my house to be with me. That was in March and it has been since March that I have been drinking both my breakfast and lunch. I constantly think of this commercial:

For me, it’s NOT a weight-loss thing at all but rather, it’s too difficult for me to chew in the morning and in the afternoon. Drinking a protein shake is easier. I just prefer Aatkins shakes to any other protein shake because I have been no carbing it for so long!

So, it was breakfast for dinner last night but my Mom was here and she makes pancakes FROM SCRATCH so I couldn’t pass those up! But, drinking two protein shakes and eating only two pancakes from scratch with syrup which I have had no sugar in so long COMPLETELY DID A NUMBER ON ME!!! I am talking about my body completely going to limp on me!

THANK GOD FOR MY MOM!!! I am thinking that I will continue having two protein shakes for a while because that works out for me however, I know that I need to be more selective in my choices for breakfast for dinner! But my Mom’s pancakes were worth it by the way!