Never have I ever…

Watched playoff hockey live in August.

I’m watching the pregame and without missing a beat, and questioned why there were big signs in the stands? What about the… well duh! I feel silly!

Anyway, the game tonight is Montreal/Pittsburg. It’s one of those games where I kinda just. Here for hockey. I’m not a Sydney Crosby fan, and I’m not a Montreal fan (even though I was born there).

Wow, just wow. The fake audience sound is weird. The seats are covered over with screens or tarps. This actually reminds me of the completely empty soccer stadium I played hockey in when I was in Budapest! This is the complete opposite in temperature, obviously.

August!? Playoff hockey?!? Can I even process my feelings?

No.

Game has started! Let’s enjoy.

C-c-c-combo breaker?

Technically not since I am posting this, or at least I was, before my sister FaceTime called me to talk to my wife. Not upset, just what was I going to write about?

On call week!

Oh how it messes with me. It’s not even particularly difficult. I just find it can be draining.

Mentally.

And maybe this was going to be a rant, or maybe not. The train has been derailed and no one remembers where it was going.

Goodnight.

Somebody, please, come get her!

So a TikTok Animal Crossing vidéo came across my feed, and ties in well to the ear worms.

https://vm.tiktok.com/J2Dof7x/

This has been a huge game changer. I giggle every time the island bells chime, talk to a villager, and anywhere else I haven’t discovered yet. Each scenario has its own pitch/tone/tempo!

I love it. Try it and smile.

Kitten mittens?

I recently ordered three pairs of Voxx socks, and they arrived yesterday. Here’s my quick and dirty 24-hour review!

I like them, I think?

I have worn a pair yesterday afternoon and the majority of today, and I think I’m dragging my feet less? I’m not confident because I’m struggling with the inner thoughts that it’s a placebo effect and I’m walking a bit better because I’m paying attention to my feet and trying to scrutinize every movement.

Are they working? Yes?

I have felt different different leg pain last night and this morning. I have slightly less neuropathic pain in the balls of my feet. There’s some muscle tightness at the top of my calf, behind the knee. It feels like I exercised without stretching. Big leg day, bro!

Will I keep using them? Yes.

They were pricey for socks, and I am still skeptics, but I do like trying new things to see what gimmick works for me. Also, a couple MS people seem to think these really help for them, so a fair test period is warranted! I think I’ll try the non-grippy soles tomorrow with my flyease sneakers and see how that pans out!

Ear Worms

I thought I would share that which invaded my brain…

And those are just the ones that are still rattling around in my head. Had to share! What’s stuck in your head tonight?

Exhausted

After a super long day, exhaustion is setting in. I have spent my spoons, no more shall I needlessly plod around the house. I’m just going to sit here and repeatedly press A on animal crossing and collect my stars for tomorrow. Stay safe out there.

Do I even know what nerve pain is?

As I start this, no. Do I have it? Probably? But what is it? Let’s find out together!

I have used a variety of apps to log symptoms of my chronic illnesses to really help me articulate what I feel is happening. Emily is my current go to app and one question it asked was where did I have pain, and where do I have nerve pain. I don’t know! Usually the bottoms of my feat are pins and needles these days, and when my wife gives me a foot rub, it helps but she does not usually find knots or crunchy tissue. This is my first clue.

I searched online and found a thing. https://ntc.lluh.org/blog/nerve-pain-vs-muscle-pain-there-difference

The nice bullet points tell me that I probably have both! Just probably not the same pain in the same spot. The description of nerve pain 100% describes one of my first MS symptoms.

• Burning, tingling, pins and needles, numbness, sharp sensation
• The pain tends to be chronic pain (lasting for 6 months or more)
• Usually resides in arms, hands, legs and feet

I have noticed that there is usually only enough bandwidth in my body to focus on the most painful of nerve pain. Doesn’t mean I don’t notice the pain. If I think hard about it, or if I temporarily relieve one, another one takes its place! Pain whack-a-mole? No fair! As I sit and type this, I have my legs tucked under the seat of my office chair with the balls of my feat planted down and the smushed into the floor so they are being flexed up. This feels like its relieving the nerve pain enough that my right hand is getting a little tingly. Can’t win!

Now, muscle pain, why it’s a best friend to the nerve pain! I think the pain causes some of my leg stiffness because it feels like my calf muscles tense from the pain all day. I’m starting to think not all medical web searches are wrong. But not all are right. Of course you can try to inform yourself, but talk to your doctor! I’m just trying to not say “I hurt” and say “I have paresthesia in my extremities, located mainly in my metatarsals.”

I do love big words.

Vibe to Chromeo

Just chillin’ to some Quarantine Casanova on this quiet evening. Quiet being a bit of a lie, there be severe thunder out there. Not right this moment, but earlier and maybe even later! Sure hope there isn’t severe action after 10pm!!

Not much happening in my life today. It was a little boring, and a little bit lonely. I filled my day with Korean leftovers and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There was a bug off that I periodically participated. My aim was to get some prizes to share with my son who’s not here to play. I did initiate a FaceTime with my wife and child, and I feel like that was a step in the right direction for me.

I’ve never been a social instigator, and I’ve usually just operated on the assumption that everyone else is fine without me and not bored. Now having said that, I did start and actively host a Friday night hang out in college. A shout out to all the past Friday night ritual people! Now this is a rare occasion where a spark of an idea fleshed out to a near weekly occurrence. I felt like this could’ve side tracked me and I don’t want to burn though my life at a breakneck speed, so the point I’m trying to make is that I am social, but not the spark that starts a party.

Oh, the music has ended… So I guess I stop. Fun album. Put it in your quarantine playlist!

Korean food

Well not really food, but a blog post! I did order myself a mess of Korean food from Backoos tonight to feed my disabled body this weekend. Why would I do this to myself? Well it’s solo weekend at Casa de Jengibre. I have no wife or kid to share the house with because I’m on call. I’m obviously a lot of work to travel and having to work while traveling with hardware and workspace locale issues just aren’t something I can tackle. I have spoons to do on call, and promptly pass out at bedtime (if I’m lucky). Now on call isn’t typically very difficult, but when you’re trying to make it through the day on limited spoons, an uncomfortable 2+ hours driving and packing would steal most of them!

Wow, there’s a few things in that past paragraph that you can mostly infer the meaning to but for clarity sake, our home is ginger house for obvious reasons, and Casa de Jengibre is just more fun. Spoons refer to the metaphor of a day with a chronic illness. Go search that one. Paints a great picture with words on how life is with a disease like MS.

Whoops, lost my train of thoughts. My family called and there is cleaning to do. Until tomorrow! I’m out.

The 8 o’clock ritual

When 8 AM/PM roll around, my mobile usually starts the chimes. It’s medicine time for this “old fart”. And while this is usually a take medicines, check off that they’re taken, boring twice daily occurrence, I have added a “me” self care element to the whole process…

SNAKE OIL

Now, it’s not really oil from a snake. It’s a multi use beard oil! I don’t know if you know this about me, but I like having a longer than average beard. This of course means care and maintenance so I don’t look like a dishevelled mess. I was usually bad at applying beard oils and they would often turn rancid before I could use the entire contents of the bottle, but making it part of a routine has helped, and I am honestly happier for it.

With the current state of the world, we have not been able to get our hair professionally maintained. Currently, at Sailor Bup’s, they can trim hair, but not beards. I guess it’s on me to take care of things in that case. Most average people would be fine with this, but having to do this with the balance and standing issues with MS, it’s not easy. With less than steady hands it’s quite a feat to trim up my neckline and thin out the bushy sides. I like a tapered look with a longer middle/chin area. My lovely barber, Bobby, was kind enough to gift me a suitable comb to have my wife assist with the beard trim. I could rant and rave about my favourite barbershop, but really, I’m getting side tracked!

The beard oil has a great scent, and if I splash a little too much for my facial hair, it pulls double duty in my regular hair! Again, truly a great product. Self care is important to my mood, as I am sure we can all agree. And I’m just doing my best to keep it need and trim. There are a lot of video calls these days, and one must look spiffy!

Anyway, to wrap up this post and swallow the other oil I’ve been holding in my mouth for while I typed, I must wrap up the 8 PM medicine time of the evening.

*gulp*

And now I ask you. What self care do you ritually do during these dark days? Have you any other great scented oils to recommend? Am I a stereotype using scents, like some olden times French aristocrat?