Author: Jen Rios

“Make It Real”

Today, my Mom put compression socks on me for the first time in about a year!!! I had my pressure sores beginning in April 2022. They lasted until November 2022 and they were most painful experience that I have ever had! And that comes after having a knee surgery and then a child via C-section, and then another knee surgery!!!

I thought I knew what pain was! But I was not at all prepared for the eight months of agony last year! But then, they healed, (because my mom is the best caregiver in the world!!!) and I was able to get fitted for and buy three more pair of compression socks on April 20.

My Mom was able to put them on today. She was surprised at how easily they went on! I have gone from a size 3 compression socks back when I tore my hamstring. While I was working out at Barwis. And then I was a size 2 for a couple years and now I am a size 1.

I told my Mom that my legs feel cradled like when I had Kinesio tape on my torn meniscus! I really like it! Today, my Mom said to me just after she put them on, “It’s been a year since you wore them!” You know what song popped into my head and has been playing over and over again since she told me that this afternoon!:

I think I was like five years old and I used to sing the song with the radio all the time!!!

#MyGirlL: My Very First SALTS!!!

I have decided to put a positive spin on the fact that I have awakened to the sound of rain falling on my roof for two days in a row! That definitely has not made me feel good at all! But I can share that yesterday, just as I was waking up and my mom came into my room and told me something that was my very first SALTS!!!

A Facebook friend of mine posted this a few days ago and I thought it was really funny! She said that instead of writing ‘LOL’ That we should write ‘SALTS.’ That stands for (Smiled A Little Then Stopped).

So, my Mom comes into my room yesterday and told me that she was letting Leia out to go to the bathroom and it was damp out but it was not raining so my Mom opened the back door, but Leia just waited for her raincoat.

At first, my Mom didn’t know what was going on but then she realized that she is a diva and HAS TO BE properly dressed! When she told me that, that was the perfect occasion for my very first SALTS!!! I was just waking up, so I was still groggy, and there was precipitation in the air but I was amused!!!

Chapped

So this happened on Wednesday:

Normally, when I am this close to the end of a Chapstick tube, the plunger falls out of the empty tube so therefore, I need to have a “Bag o’ chapstick” which always reminds me of my student who noticed and commented on my “Bag o’ Lotion.”

I am absolutely startled at how quickly I am going through Chapstick but I guess that is part of my progressive disease. My lips feel so chapped all of the time! I amuse myself with all of my different flavors according to season.

I smelled, the hint of spring on Thursday, so once I finish this pomegranate, one, I will move on to my spring flavors!

I Needed Her.

My Mom asked me the date today. I had forgotten this memory until I told her that it’s April 21. It was on April 21, 2022 when I finally realized why my Mom was living with me during the pandemic.

I needed her.

If I recall correctly, and I am almost positive that I am correct, but it was on April 21 last year, my niece, Ysi’s birthday and I remember my Mom leaving my room as I was going to sleep because she had just tended to my ever-growing pressure sores and I think that I was crying. I was crying because they hurt so badly and I think at that time they had not gotten to the biggest point yet.

We just finished “Go Time” for April, and it was more seamless than March, because March was absolutely terrible and I’m still trying to process that right now.

One thing that I will say is that I am just about fully accepting the limitations of my current life. I don’t like it at all but I’m good at it. I am a scheduler and I plan things. I just never thought that would be the extent of my life.

Based on the fact that I needed to re-calibrate and segment my day, because my brain stopped when I tried paying my bills in 30 minutes like I have been for my entire life. I paid my mortgage and signature line today.

I ordered my Amazon and Target orders on Wednesday and Thursday. I had to get my compression socks so I didn’t think about my bills until today. I will pay more over the weekend I think.
my brain is slowing down and it looks like I need her still.

[NotSo] Rando Tune #38

It was a successful, “Go Time” but I am thoroughly exhausted! We got three new pair of compression socks today and I am super excited to wear them again!!!

We explained to the women working there, how I had to NOT wear my socks from April to November 2022, because I had pressure sores and it was terrible!!!

I needed to get resized, because since I have been seeing my nutritionist, I have gained 4 pounds, but I have since stopped seeing her and she told me to call her again when I start losing weight again.

I never thought that my life would be as small as it is right now, but I don’t see it changing from here on out. We got our haircut yesterday and I talked with a woman as I waited. We seem to have the same appointment time because my Mom recalls seeing her last month!

As I was talking with her, a song came on the radio, and I hadn’t heard in so long! This song is from Songs About Jane, you know, before they sold out, but I loved hearing it!:

Gearing Up

I slept until kind of late in the day today. I almost felt rested. I thought that was good though because tonight, I will be in twilight sleeping and as well as Thursday so I will crash on Friday.

I’m quiet today and gearing up for Wednesday and Thursday. I will formally implement my new recalibration and segmentation of my, “Go time.” I guess That I will attach these two songs because I think I need to hear them right now because go time for me is starting to get more difficult…:

I switched up the order of these songs in this post for this month.

This a a Fact but…

I saw this on Facebook when I awoke:

This made me laugh because it is completely true! I have lived in Michigan for my whole life and this is fact! But can you imagine what it doing to my chronically ill body… I think that’s why I did not sleep well last night but I am not feeling well at all but Wednesday starts ‘go time’ for me…

Adaptable

My Mom has always been quite adaptable for my entire life! Because I am still rocking the window air conditioner, I turned it on a few days ago but tonight, I cannot handle this!:

My Mom pulled it out of the window and placed it on a dining room chair. This is how it is for me for the next couple weeks. #MSsucks!!!