Category: A Bit Of Randomness

I met my endocrinologist today. I did this because I am a ‘rule follower.’ What I learned from her superior is that my bloodwork said that I am a -2.8 and you have osteoporosis when you are -2.5.

I see my naturopath on Tuesday. Actually, it’s a substitute for my naturopath in the same office, because my naturopath is injured. I told My. Mom today as I was thinking about my chosen MS plan I think I am Eastern medicine but I still check in with Western Medicine.. That’s why I saw her today. I think that I will write more about this tomorrow because I am exhausted!

She wanted me to give me blood sample but my appointment was so late in the day that the lab was closed. Or at least it was closing in 15 minutes and it was too far away for us to get there. She told us to give the blood sample and my next appointment, which is next month with my internist.

So, in summary, I now will see my endocrinologist once a year in May just like I am seeing my neurologist once a year in August. I started that when I was teaching because it was the summer when I would see her. So much has changed with this disease progression, it’s kind of making my head spin a little bit…

I realized this today. I am not sure why but I am unsettled. The only reason I know this is because there is only one other time in my life where I changed my gum out three times in pretty much an hour. I was chewing my gum so fast that the flavor was taken out pretty quickly!

I have yet to bounce back from Thursday. Now, my recovery time is a FULL WEEKEND each time I leave the house! But I’m going to see my naturopath on Tuesday. after that, I can crash until June 19.

I saw a little over 3/4 of the movie Burnt. I will finish it tomorrow. I love that movie!!!

So, I have been thinking about this since last Thursday at my endocrinology appointment. I think I need to start off this blog post by explaining the type of person I am.

I think Sean was very young and we had gone to a doctor appointment. And getting into the office, (which we were going to often) was NOT handicapped accessible. There was a probably an inch gap between the sidewalk and the actual floor to the office. It was difficult for me to get in! Not TOO difficult but annoying.

I don’t know what it was, but I was given a survey to complete after Sean’s appointment. I do not know why I took the time to explain how difficult it is for me to get into the doorway the building. I just remember that I did that and I think that I was irritated that it was so difficult so I wrote it on the survey.

I think it was like a month later when we went back to that office for another doctor appointment and to my surprise, the sidewalk square right where you open the door was redone. It was on a slight incline so I could get into the office easily! I was completely aghast! I looked at Sean with disbelief, and with my voice shaking, I said, “This is because of me?!”

That building is no longer a Henry Ford building and Sean and I don’t even go there anymore but I was completely floored that I said something about it and it changed. I guess the “Squeaky Wheel…” is correct! I was thinking about this experience when we went to my endocrinology appointment.

My endocrinologist is in the same building that my dermatologist is just on a different floor. It is downtown at New Center One. It is a building that is newer to Henry Ford I think. But, let me tell you that anything downtown is definitely NOT handicap accessible!!!

I am just going to put some pictures that show the lack of accessibility. This was my face as I try to navigate through it:

let me first start up by saying that 23 years into this MS diagnosis, I constantly hear that d*mn doctor who told me that I was going to go blind and then die at the outset. I am not blind… yet and I’m not dying. I just have to live with this! It is getting difficult! Let me ‘splain ya:

I want you to take note of a couple things in this picture. My Mom took it when we were leaving. Notice the cobblestones?! Oh, I sure did!!! That is so NOT cool and it’s a pretty large area that has cobblestones.

Notice the entrance. Normally, and doctor appointment I go to has the automatic double doors clearly marked! I could not see this little button and my mom told me it was there. Unfortunately, there were nothing but standard doors in this building and as a power chair user, that really doesn’t work!:

But then you have to:

My Mom took this picture because I was inching down the hallway because this was what I turned in to:

It was such a tight squeeze! And remember, my vision isn’t as good as it used to be!!! And then we left:

This entire appointment, I just kept thinking, “Disabled people matter too!”

A majority of my appointments are in Dearborn which is completely accessible. Otherwise, I usually go downtown to Henry Ford. And I’m just used to it there, so that’s not a problem either.

I was thinking that I cannot be a squeaky wheel here as I was in the elevator that was way too shallow for a power chair. And I know because my feet were right up against the glass as we rode up and down:

I only need to come here for my dermatologist, and my endocrinologist and I think that seeing my endocrinologist is a little bit premature. Next month, I’m going to see my internist in Dearborn completely a completely accessible place!!! It’s like this now… 😒😒😒…

Today, is ”Recovery Day” for me and this heat is not helping at all!!! I didn’t get out of bed today until about 2 o’clock. By the time my Mom put my compression, socks on, my legs had already begun to swell!

It feels like my legs are trying to rip out of my compression socks! No, it doesn’t feel like because that that sounds gross. it feels like my legs feel like they are bread rising!

I remember back in April 2022 when I got fitted for my compression socks. So the day I first put them on, when my Mom was taking them off, she noticed that there were red marks on the top of my thighs. She thought that we bought the wrong size! We called Befitting You where we got them from, and she told us that during the summer months, Bodies swell.

My Mom keeps asking me how it feels, and I told her, “It doesn’t feel good!”

This disease progression is getting to be too much! This morning, I awoke to my legs feeling swollen and I thought, “Oh yeah, I forgot about this!”

I saw my naturopath on Tuesday, no, I didn’t see him, but I saw a different doctor who does the same thing in his office. My normal naturopath is still injured. I’d liked this new doctor and he adjusted my supplements a little bit.

I ordered a new pillbox that is arriving tomorrow:

My current pillbox has spaces for supplements three times a day, but with Dr. Le May wants me to take my supplements four times a day. He just added the amount of pills I take each day.

I take a combination of tablets and capsules and I have gone from 20 pills a day to 31.

It’s taking me a minute to process this! I’m going to ask my Mom to wash it out when it arrives before I pillage on Saturday. I can’t believe it’s like that now!!!

Last Tuesday, when I saw Dr. Le May, Yama, was working with him and I asked her if they were changes to my supplements. She told me that there were a lot, but it’s all written down! I decided to wait until I pillaged on Saturday to change out my vitamins.

Yanna has told me before that she likes to overload supplements in the morning so then it will give you more energy throughout the day. I listened to her this time! Yesterday when I pillaged. I knew that I put a whole lot of vitamins in the morning slot and they just barely fit!

So this morning, I dumped all the vitamins into the ramekin that I keep by my pillbox that has my therapy putty in it. I counted the pills and I had 12 pills and one wafer to eat. I took the wafer first and slowly took each pill. It was probably an hour after I took my pills, and while I was praying that I felt a huge, “Oomph!” it felt like I was sitting up straighter, and I could see clearer, even even though I was not wearing my contacts yet!

I have decided that I like my new pillbox! I’m a little startled, though. It was easier to open each slot. I was startled that I had already had 20 vitamins and I had yet to eat lunch! I guess it’s just a little bit crazy that I am THAT in-firmed now! I need this many supplements just to make my body feel better?! That’s something I’m going to think about for a while, but I think next week when I pillage, I should do it a little more neatly, especially in the morning!

*Bu the way: I didn’t notice if there was more energy, even if there was today.