Author: Jen Rios

1012°

I got my teeth cleaned today from Sarah. She was my hygienist, but then my Mom wanted her so I went with Kristen because I liked her as well and my Mom and I got our teeth cleaned at the same time. Now that my Mom and I are no longer on the same schedule because I get my teeth cleaned three times a year instead of two, we both can see her.

She was the one who suggested to my Mom that I should take the pills for my colonoscopy. She asked me about that today and I shook my head and said it did not work so I am going back in October. I told her that we just have to wait for the schedule to open up and then I will schedule one. I told her that it will be unpleasant, but at least it’s a, “Ber” month.

I told her that I did not know what I was thinking when I scheduled all of these appointmentsin June in July. She looked at me and said, “Well, we didn’t know it was going to be 1012°?!”

I laughed at that statement because it has been so hot! Dr. Fox asked me how my summer was and I told them that it’s so hot!

So, my teeth are cleaned and next week I am going for my next appointment. I really can’t believe that this is how it is now but it is…

“I Bet That’s for Me!”

I was thinking the other day about a movie I saw on TV when I was probably 16. I periodically would see it when it was on TV since then, but the other day, I decided just to purchase it.

I have seen it four times since buying it so that makes me feel better because it costs less each time I watch it than what I paid for it. At least that’s what I tell myself!

The movie is, The Thing Called Love with Samantha Mathis and River Phoenix:

I will say that one thing that makes me wince every single time I see it is the twin towers as she is leaving New York. I remember when we would have the moment of silence to commemorate the events every year when I was teaching.

I remember one year a student asked me, what that was like because they were all too young to know. I thought about for a moment and I just said, “Sad.” And then I added that I was pregnant and it was so scary! I really wasn’t talking to my students then when I made that statement, I was just remembering.

Seeing those twin towers is tough for sure, but I am happy that I bought this movie! I think it was the second time that I saw it, that I realized that I seem to repeat Sandra Bullock lines!!!

I didn’t even know I said this because of this movie, but when my classroom phone would ring while I was teaching, I would always tell my students, “I bet that’s for me!”

But, I guess I did that a lot, I said things to amuse myself! I just think that it’s silly that I didn’t even know it was from this movie until I purchased it!

One of the, “Ber” Months!!!

I was going to write about the heat for the past two days, but it was too unbearable for me. Today it’s a little bit easier to breathe. But all this back-and-forth is doing insane things to my body!!!

I am leaving the house tomorrow to get my teeth cleaned but it’s projected to be in the 80s tomorrow not the 90s.

I don’t know what I was thinking to schedule all these appointments in this heat but MS needs to be addressed even in the heat. My Mom called to reschedule my colonoscopy and I can’t do it until after September 25. That schedule isn’t open yet so we’ll have to call again toward the end of July.

My rescheduled colonoscopy and endoscopy is not going to be pleasant at all with my two day preparation before the procedure but at least it will be one of the, “Ber” months!!!

Seems to be Serious Now…

For the first time in years, I did NOT pillage:

That is because I have a procedure on the 15th so I had to stop taking supplements on the first. It feels very strange that I am not doing this today and I won’t do it next Saturday either. Year 24 of MS seems to be serious now…

Extremely Vivid Flashbacks

I am listening to Gavin Degraw right now and as soon as I heard the opening bars of this song, I immediately got extremely vivid flashbacks of both of our apartments!

You know, back when I still could drive and get around on crutches or even a manual wheelchair. It’s summertime and my apartment is clean.

This is My Life Now.

I secured my final appointment for the year on Tuesday. It’s scheduled for my internist in October. This is my life now. I really can’t believe this?! But this is how it is now.

A nurse called my Mom today to reschedule my endoscopy and colonoscopy. She told my Mom that it needs to be 3 to 6 months from my last attempt. That was on June 25. My Mom was in the kitchen and I heard her schedule it for September 9.

It took a minute, but I told my Mom that she should call her back on Monday because three months would be September 25 so she should call and reserve a date for the first weeks in October.

And by the way, I miss spoke about standing up fully. I didn’t stand up fully until today! It took eight days after getting anesthetized that I could come back from it. I didn’t even know that it was so hard for me until I stood up today! I can’t believe this is my life now!!!

Inherit

I realized today that it’s July 2 so I should be watching Hallmark Christmas movies. So I put one on today:

I remember I saw this one last year in three stages. But today, I got to watch the whole movie from the beginning. I think it’s cute! I was hoping to find A Crown for Christmas, but not yet I guess. There’s time!

Because I was watching a Christmas movie, I saw an excellent Hallmark Christmas commercial and I had to share even though it’s NOY holiday themed (it’s July) and I am NOT a first generation homebuyer so neither is Sean, but this commercial made me cry:

When it talks about, “Those eyes.” That’s a trait that we all have gotten from my Dad. He got it from his mom, my grandma.

Sean has them too, even though when he was young, he saw a picture of his dad, and he thought it was him and he asked when he had blue eyes. He got those eyes from me and I remember the day in the hospital when they changed from gray to bown. He was about three weeks old.

Outpatient Procedures

So, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis on December 28, 2000. Since then, I have not been hospitalized. (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!) I have worked really hard to NOT be hospitalized for over two decades in watching my diet and exercising what I can.

What is kind of smacking me in the face right now is the fact that I have all of these outpatient procedures coming up. I have already stopped taking my supplements until the 15th. Then, my Mom will be getting a phone call to reschedule my endoscopy and colonoscopy.

This is a whole lot! I’m just happy that my house is comfortable because it’s been 70° here all day so I need to take the wins where I can get them.

I just can’t believe that I did not think that it would get like this… EVER. Seriously?! But here we are. I’m just going with it. This is scary and I KNOW that I will cry uncontrollably at least two more times this year.

That’s a little bit daunting, but I’ll be ready gearing up for the I’m going to have my next outpatient procedure on the 15th. And then my colonoscopy and endoscopy needs to be scheduled.

I just can’t believe that later this year, it will be 25 years since my diagnosis, and this is serious now! #MSsucks!!! 😒😒😒…

A Little Rough

My Mom got a call from a woman named Amy who is the anesthesiologist for my cystoscopy on July 15. I was sleeping and she wanted to talk to me so she called back when I was awake.

I need to stop taking my supplements until my procedure?! That’s 15 days?! I had already taken my morning supplements today, before I talked to her,but I won’t take them again until after my procedure. I do feel this for sure! I have been taking my supplements for so many years that it’s doing something for me that’s helping me out but to be without them is a little rough!

She did tell me I can continue taking my Prilosec (I still have gastritis), Claritin, Tylenol, and eye drops. It’s just like the last time! My Mom asked me why I am having all of these things so close to together. She was kind of frustrated!

I told her that I have had MS for 24 years and my different organ systems are reacting accordingly. I just don’t know why I did it in the summer! That’s rough in and of itself so I don’t know what I was thinking.

So, I know what’s coming for this procedure. kind of. I do know that I am going to let myself cry and I will look forward to having supplements again on the 16th!!!