Do You Prep?

 

 

 

There is a big day looming on my MS horizon.

Appointments.

Not one.  Not two.  But three appointments in a single day.

 

A trifecta of care at the Mellen Center of the Cleveland Clinic.

 

 

 

 

I’ll begin with a morning session of Botox injections in my legs to slay the arch-nemesis spasticity.

Followed up with a nooner inside an MRI tube.

All topped off, for shits & giggles, with an afternoon visit with Claire, my lovely & talented CNP.

 

Can you say “Ca-Ching!”

 

Yes, I will meet my yearly deductible in one glorious day!

But that’s the price you pay for convenience…and I’m just happy to get it done in one trip–instead of three!

 

So I must begin my preparation.

What’s that you ask?  Preparation?  What do you mean?

Surely you prepare for appointments.

I have a checklist I go through for ANY appointment.

 

 

 

 

When I am about to get my wig busted (haircut), I always make sure my ears are properly cleaned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same goes for a dentist appointment.

I brush.  And floss.  Which is weird because the hygenist is going to floss the very same way–so why do it?

(Suppose I don’t want her to think I am slacking on my dental care.)

 

 

So I prep for MS appointments much the same way.

 

In the days leading up to a doctor visit, I tend to move around (exercise) with more determination to keep limber.

I do extra stretching, wiggling my feet & ankles for flexibility.  My bones creak & crack like a bowl of Rice Krispies.

 

 

 

 

I make sure to wear my Dyna-splint in the evenings & night to help with foot drop.

 

 

 

Being sure to take my Baclofen…get plenty of rest…eat my veggies…say my prayers…don’t step on a crack to break my mother’s back…and any other thing you can think of.

 

In other words, I want them to see me at my absolute best.

I want to be faster during the timed 25ft walking test.

Quicker doing the nine-hole peg test.

Kick butt on the memory quiz.

Brighter eyes. 

Sharper mind.

 

Maybe it’s about being competitive…trying to beat my times.

But maybe, just maybe, it’s my way of showing them that multiple sclerosis isn’t going to take me down as quickly as it wants.

How about you?

Do you prep for appointments?  Anything special you do beforehand?

Please share in a comment as something you do may help someone else.

Keep moving.