Author: Jen Rios

I had my doctor appointment yesterday, so today is technically a ‘recovery day.’ But, it’s a Pillage day as well:

I could not NOT wear contacts because I had to see in order to Pillage so, today is a modified recovery day.

I had that appointment with the specialist today. A few days ago, I was a little bit nervous, but then I wasn’t.

I explained to my Mom a few months ago that all of these doctors appointments are nothing more than to get them to sign the ‘permission slips’ that I tell them to sign. I definitely do NOT want to sound or be haughty or anything about this but I have had MS long enough to tell them what I need.

This doctor told me that the last time I was seen in this clinic, was in 2013. I told him what I needed and he put the request in the computer. We had to wait almost 2 hours to see him and I told my Mom that’s about right because I came to this clinic in 2001 (it’s the same specialty but I don’t think it was the same office) and I had to wait two hours then and when that doctor came in, he did not sit in the doctor’s stool, but sat in the chair next to me. I will never forget him looking at me and telling me that, “MS sucks!”

I remember being surprised, first off, that he sat in the chair next to me, and then for him to say that to me. I that was the first time I heard those words from a doctor and I think I may have looked at him almost teary-eyed, and said, “Yeah.” that was way back in 2001, I didn’t even know what to expect back then but I already knew that it started sucking!!!

Now, for the rest of the year, I just have two doctors appointments in September and then I am done with doctors for this year. I think it was in 2022 when I got my pressure sores on my heels that I understood how this is going to work with me having MS for this long and the fact that now I need multiple doctors in different specialties to handle me.

I was telling my Mom today, that two of the last three doctors we saw, told us, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I had to call the specialist after getting the referral off MyChart from my internist. I have been handling this for 21 years, but it turns out that probably in mid June that it to be ‘broken’ so that’s why I went to the doctor today. He signed off on everything and now I’m good to go!

Somehow, this rain is killing me even more than it normally does! I am trying to decide which songs I want to post, but I feel too terrible to Think about it any further. Have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow….

Tomorrow begins go time for me for August. We will get our haircut and my eyebrows waxed and I am seeing a specialist on Friday. I want to explain why this ‘change’ is complicated’:

As I posted yesterday, this is my last tube of Cucumber Mint for the Spring:

Now, I am leaving the house tomorrow, so I am NOT going to take my bag o’ chapstick with me. So I have decided to make the executive decision to use the Strawberry Sorbet that I bought a couple years ago to try. I don’t love it but I don’t dislike it so much as to not use it. Last year, I just used it on Saturdays but I forgot to use it this past Saturday because of what was going on with my Cucumber Mint.

So this is what my Spring/Summer flavors look like right now. But here’s where the complication begins, after I finish my Cucumber Mint chapstick which is in a bag right now, I will finish the Pomegranate, and then I will put all of my Fall flavors in there, until my other pack of my leftover Fall flavors from last fall is gone. Then I will switch it back and will buy more Cucumber Mint for next Spring.

I know that there is no reason to pay this much attention to the type of Chapstick you are using but, it keeps my mind busy, and it wasn’t until I became homebound that I can use and tire tubes of Chapstick. That kind of makes me feel a little bit accomplished!!! I’m trying to look at the bright side of things…?

I noticed this yesterday as I applied my chapstick, but today it’s confirmed! I am more than halfway through my tube of chapstick! I know that because when I open the chapstick to apply some, a lot of wax is sticking out, so then I have to roll the plunger down so I can comfortably put chapstick on.

This is my last Cucumber Mint chapstick, and that signifies that I will switch to Pomegranate before October 1 which is Pumpkin Spice!:

This will be a complicated changing of the guard. I will use that little bit of Pomegranate before I open a new package because my current Fall flavors are almost gone:

But this year, I also have one more salted caramel. I do not like that flavor at all but when I bought the package of my Winter flavors, it had that instead of ginger spice, which is more of a winter flavor. I bought a bunch of those because those are special to me because they remind me of my Abuela.

I ordered all of these fall flavors a couple years ago but I haven’t used them yet. This package is my perfect fall flavor package!!! It’s Pomegranate, Chai, Pumpkin Spice, and Vanilla Maple.

So, once I open the new fall flavor package, I am going to put it in my Spring flavors container the new, unused Fall flavors until the old ones are used up which will be before Thanksgiving! I will have to buy another pack of Cucumber Mint, so that I am prepared for next Spring.

Next week is “Go-Time.” we are getting our haircut on Wednesday and then I am going to see a new specialist for a tuneup on Friday. I have had MS long enough so that I’m not nervous to meet new doctors. I am really glad that he is not 25. I saw his picture there was gray hair at his temples. I like that he is seasoned.

I was foolish to think that after 22 years, things would work like clockwork with having MS but that is NOT the case! It’s nothing but red tape! I am beyond frustrated, and I can’t even handle it on my own anymore! Talking on the phone is difficult for me so talking to my medical supply company is not an option for me. My Mom handles that because she is my caregiver.

We were specifically talking about the prescription and that I am going to that specific doctor on Friday to hopefully get that amended. The person we spoke to needs to send emails to other people in charge before my situation is rectified.

My Mom was on the phone for a while this afternoon, and this is NOT EVEN rectified. And this news just days after my chair was denied!!! It’s really a good thing that next week is “Go-Time” because that’s when I see the doctor two days after I get my haircut! Despite the red tape that I am sifting through right now, I feel that I am in a good place for my care but it just stinks that it’s not seamless. FAR FROM IT!!!