Author: Jen Rios

So Much More Difficult

It was ‘go time’ today and I got everything done. Yay. But man, it was so much more difficult!!! I am still trying to wrap my head around it right now. All I know is of October 28, 2023, I woke up with my hips burning, both of them! That was the day that I started using wedges every night to save my hips.

I realized then that my disease was progressing but I am not sure that I know how to handle what happened today at my doctor appointment and my subsequent haircut. My Mom had to put my coat on for me completely. Like I was a child. It was really cold for me today and I wore my winter coat and hat.

But, tomorrow, after my knee x-ray, we are going to the Cider Mill!!! I have been looking forward to this since last year and it WON’T rain tomorrow like last year…

Racing

Tomorrow morning marks ‘go time’ and my mind is racing!!! Getting up and out of the house is getting harder! So much harder! I need to go to the naturopath and then we are getting haircut. Thursday we are going to a cider Mill after I get an x-ray and pay my water bill.

And because it’s October now, I am getting lasagna!!! I’m so glad that I can still eat that! It’s getting cold now and I need the warmth!

“The 12th of November”

When my Mom went to the orthopedist a couple weeks ago about her finger I asked how the appointment went and asked her if she has a return appointment. She told me that the doctor says that her finger is healed but it hurts and then she said, “The 12th of November”

Immediately when she said that to me, my eyes welded up, and I started to cry! I completely surprised myself! But I cry all the time now! But I was specifically thinking about a time when my Mom sang to my Dad when he was in the hospital. I am pretty sure that this was near the end…

Sean came by and I asked him to pull this song up and I told him about my Mom and Dad. He pulled it up and I heard the opening bars and I lost it! I think it’s a little crazy that it Johnny Mathis song make me cry, but it does now:

So Much More Involved

My new tens unit arrived last Saturday. When we opened the box, I saw that it is so much more involved than the previous tens unit I had!!!

I really couldn’t understand why it was so different but this is a different medical facility then when I first received it in December 2017. I was lucky that my Mom went to the orthopedist last Friday for her finger, he explained the differences to her and how I should best use it.

I know I have posted pictures of my tens unit before that looked like a pager from the 90s. This one looks a little different:

it took some time, but I think we have figured it out. I will keep it in the tens unit mode for the duration of me wearing it. The battery will definitely die quickly. I was given for additional batteries in the package with the leads that I received.

We called Zynex before I started using it, and ‘Jennifer’ helped us. She told us to call when we need anything. I think that this medical supply company is different than my normal medical supply companies. She asked if I was still in litigation regarding this matter. I told her, “Yes.” so it seems like I will have a second medical supply company sending me supplies. I never once expected my life to be like this!!!

I really like that I can see the lights easily. It was not that easy to look at the lights on the last tens unit I had. It will be like this for the rest of my life. But somehow, that is just a little bit daunting… or a lot!!!

So that Explains It!

I woke up this morning, knowing that I was going to pillage today. I got so concerned when I cried multiple times while getting ready today. It was the ugly face crying that I was doing. I felt it. But then it started raining so hard for about 10 minutes. So that explains it! That’s why I was crying! Disease progression ain’t no joke and that’s what’s going on right now. ‘Go time’ is on Wednesday.

Crick

I woke up Thursday with a crick on the left side of my neck. It hurt a whole lot! I had to be audible as my Mom was getting me out of my bed. I was thinking that this was the culprit:

I think that this happened to my chair on Tuesday. And I have no explanation for it! When I saw it, I made the honking noise because that’s what it looks like to me! It’s all wonky! My Mom called Dave at RIM to tell him about it. we know that he is so busy and he suggested coming out on October 22. My Mom told him that my neck is starting to hurt and he is coming on Tuesday!

We saw my headrest, and my Mom suggested that it might just be stress. I looked at her an asked her what do I have to be stressed about?! With all obvious reasons aside, I do have a lot to be stressed about with my disease progression, and my knee is still killing me!

But today, the crick has left my neck and it’s settled into my left shoulder blade. So, I guess this is just stress. Next week for ‘go time,’ we are going to the naturopath and to get a haircut, and then on the 17th, we are going to the Cidermill! I am so excited!!!

A Lot.

My Mom asked me a couple days ago how many times I put my chapstick on. I shrugged and told her that I didn’t know. A lot.

So, I counted how many times I put it on during the day. The answer is 12. I smear chapstick on my lips 12 times a day! But each application, I have to smear it on three times on each slip. So I guess it’s a lot!!!

Yankee Candle Co.

I remember when Yankee Candle Company came to Fairlane mall! That Candle store has a very unique smell! I think it’s a mix of all the different smells combined! How that store smells is EXACTLY how my Salted Caramel chapstick tastes! It took me a minute to place the smell, but that’s it! I remember when I was in high school, my friend Gatimi worked at a store that smelled similar to that store in Fairlane Mall.

This is the last tube of salted caramel that I have. I bought another fall flavor package a while ago ago, but it just has pumpkin spice, chai, vanilla maple, and pomegranate. As soon as I’m done with all of those flavors, I will just go to having Vanilla Maple all the time just like I have Cucumber Mint in the Spring/Summer time.

All of this is a very important thought process I go through. It really doesn’t matter but what else do I have to do?!

Totally Worth the Cold

I saw this meme on Facebook a few days ago and it made me laugh out loud but I’m totally not that way!!!:

I said on Facebook that this is not me because it’s really not! I get cold, and it takes me so long to get warm again! I was able to get this just after I posted that meme:

Big brother totally knows me because I HAD TO complete this puzzle that had mint chocolate chip in it!?!

it is way too cold outside now for me to eat ice cream, however, I had to take one for the team! Actually, for my Mom! I had to eat a fudgsicle, so my Mom could have the stick For her finger. She is going back to the doctor on Friday. I ate a total of 3 fudgsicle for her! Totally worth the cold that I felt!!!