MS Diary | Wednesday, 4/24/24 | How to help your Wheelchair Users  Attention family, friends, caretakers, ducks, cats, aliens, and species in-between… You can make a HUGE impact on our mental and physical health by ensuring we can reach cups, plates and sit in our spot. Y'all know what I'm talking about! Wheelchair Users have favorite silverware because it accommodates a limitation. Keep it readily accessible so we aren't wasting limited energy looking for it. Ohhh, the food. Yes, I get it. Food must be kept cool, the fridge only has so much space but DAMN. We're worth a little rearranging huh? Maybe leave fruit or snacks on a counter where we can REACH. Please and thank you. This ain't no life for the weak. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Tuesday, 4/23/24 | --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Monday, 4/22/24 | When the negative thoughts are aggressive  I do a LOT to thwart the effects of negative thoughts but sometimes… --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Friday, 4/19/24 | Doing my best to stay calm With Multiple Sclerosis, any type of rush or stress multiplies the intensity of symptoms. MULTIPLIES.  I use techniques like self-talk to stay calm. I practice breathing exercises and actually bust ‘em out while rocking the nerve pain, rolling the spasms, opening the legs, pulling the feet back unto the pad, etc. I do my best to relax muscles between movements and transfers. *sigh* This ain’t no life for the weak. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Thursday, 4/18/24 | How I handle the mindfuck Multiple Sclerosis is THE mindfuck. Losing your independence feels like… liiiiiiiike…. I imagine myself as a lion being caged. Social media gives me somewhere to roar. I hate that others go through this but I can't lie… It's soothing to connect with others going through this. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Wednesday, 4/17/24 | Tylenol v left leg pain I know it's not nerve pain. My left leg  spasms by itself. The pain covers the entire leg but focused around the knee. In bed, I manage by switching feet positions. When medication is needed, I jump in 2000mg of Tylenol. Usually, a single round is enough but sometimes, I get that 2nd round too. I try to wait 4hrs. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Tuesday, 4/16/24 | National Healthcare Decisions Day It's that time again. Time to review health insurance, discuss options, make calls, TALK about your health.  I'm on ACA, Affordable Care Act, and pay about $12/mo for myself, wife and 1 daughter. It pays for my Dr. visits, most medications, specialists. It does NOT cover those expensive ass DMDs, Botox, DME. (At least, not the sky high wheelchairs despite RX or medical advice.). I don't choose my own doctors but I could if I upgraded from $12/mo to $250/mo. Nope. I'm not doing that. I have auxiliary coverage for eyes, ears and dental. That one is $150/mo. I'd drop it but I need glasses and 2 wisdom teeth extracted. *sigh*  Tribespeople, this ain't no life for the weak. Take your health seriously.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Monday, 4/15/24 | DRINK WATER REMINDER  It's National That SUCKS Day and I'm starting with high spasticity. That SUCKS but I do have good news. Dehydration causes muscle weakness, spasms, spasticity and more. Before I get too crazy, I'll drink water. A LOT of water. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Friday, 4/12/24 | Married with MS I don't wanna even try further explaining. It'd take too long. I'd jack up writing with side stories and complicated testimonials. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Thursday, 4/11/24 | Laugh and keep going  We've all heard the saying.  “Sometimes, you gotta laugh at yourself and keep going.” That was me. Hell, that IS me. Damn near eeeeevveeery day. I'm swanging and banging with Multiple Sclerosis, working a full-time gig, building a University of Gratitude and these disabilities will throw shit off. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Wednesday, 4/10/24 | Spasm stories Yoo. I'm finally there.  If I reach with my arms, I spasm.  If I turn my neck in bed, I spasm.  If I push too hard trying to pee, I spasm. I spasm so hard that my pants often split from the pressure.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Tuesday, 4/9/24 | How UTHealth workout felt Wow. Bro, I went so hard I was sweating! That felt good. I can't remember the last time I was able to move that much. My wife was flirting with me. (That hyped me even more.) My energy was up so the Baclofen didn't knock me out or make me drowsy. I'm gonna try doing this 3x/week. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Monday, 4/8/24 | Weekend wins & lessons I spent the entire weekend on the couch. It was glorious. I slept late then sat on the couch. It prevented some nerve pain. *fist bump* It's less pain from pressure spots too. I'm grateful I didn't get hurt either. I fell from bed twice. Once, I fell into the corner of the office desk. That HURT but I didn't get hurt. I fell during a transfer. That dinged my pride but whatever. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Friday, 4/5/24 | Stop overpacking your bowls I'm an avid cannabis guy. Blunts, papers, wraps, edibles, tinctures, pipes, oils, ointments, everything.  I prefer pipes. They're cleaner, efficient and effective. What I must watch is my bowl size. If I pack it, it gets jammed, doesn't smoke as well, nor am I any higher for real. I'm just wasting cannabis. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Thursday, 4/4/24 | When self-care goes wrong I did a 2nd consecutive day of self-care. I showered so I could apply fresh ointment on pressure spots. I used the baby powder to ease th4 chaffing. I sat on the much softer couch to relieve some pain from the wheelchair seating. I researched and bought something for the wheelchair seat seat cushion that's splitting. Hell, I drank more water than alcohol so I could hydrate too! I didn't do anything physical. No yoga. Not a stretch. Didn't put feet up. None of that.  I start Thursday with serious nerve pain. Spasticity, spasms, leg quivering, oh I'm hurting. *sigh* It may not be related but I jumping in Gabapentin and starting my exercise NOW. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Wednesday, 4/3/24 | Self-care revelation  Yesterday, I realized something MAJOR with my wellness. I know I'm not the only one. I only self-care when I'm alone. I'm sick AF. I'm severely disabled. I'm riddled with bullshit, disabilities, limitations, chronic pain, explanations for doing nothing. Yet, here I am. Here, WE are. I'm married. I refuse to collapse in front of my wife. No way. The intense crush I wield for her is my theme music of survival. I'm always going forward when she's around, grinding, building, working, believing. It's tiresome. I'm a father so there's no rest. Noooo. How? When? Where? The kids NEED shit. The kids didn't ask for this bullshit, don't deserve to miss out over MY limitations. I'm earning for them, growing, learning, improving, sacrificing. It's exhausting. When I'm alone, no wife, kids gone, fam and friends busy. That's when I slow down. That's when I sleep, rest, pay attention to what hurts. It's the only time I self-care.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Tuesday, 4/2/24 | Gabapentin vs left leg pain On a scale of 1-10, my left leg is like a 5, maybe 6. It hits every few days. Gabapentin is my solution. I've labed it “working” because I take few pills and this seemed to address the pain within 30min. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Monday, 4/1/24 | I should be used to it Alright, here we go with my 3rd week of training. I need help. Immediate help.  I turned in my ADA paperwork on Friday. It's already an issue, as usual. The employer is worried I can't perform at expected levels. Whatever, I can. I need a little extra time but I'm ready. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Friday, 3/29/24 | Wins & Losses this week This will be my new thing on Fridays. I'll share my wins & lessons. (I shouldn't be using the word “loss”. It's a mindset thing that I'm gonna bring back.) Wins: Mindset is strong and accepted the employer-sponsored healthcare thing as manifestation for wellness. Lessons: I didn't exercise, yoga, workout. I didn't hit water goals. Spasms and spasticity haven't improved at all. This will be my goal for next week. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message

MS Diary | Thursday, 3/28/24 | Decisions, decisions  I only accepted this gig because it promoted employer healthcare. Blue Cross Blue Shield.  The healthcare is $900 every 2-weeks. The paycheck is $1400 every 2-weeks. That means I'd bring home $500 or a $1000/mo. Then, I still pay 20% for my prescriptions after meeting a $3000 deductible.  It won't work. No way. AND my major treatments aren't covered or in the formulary so those would be MY financial responsibilities. Over $100k/mo in medical treatments!! It won't work. NO way. I will waive all coverage and continue what I'm doing. If this ain't manifestation, I don't know what it is. This is the Universe demanding I believe in me.  Welp. Here. I. Go. Swanging and banging,  on the 1s and 2s… --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kendrickavant/message