CI, CP, and other life changing acronyms

Last week, I spent three days at a conference for TPRS (teaching proficiency through reading and story telling/asking). I was a student of Mandarin for that time. The drive was lengthy, but class didn't start until 9:00, so I was able to get up at a comfortable time, make breakfast, be with the dogs and cats, etc. I enjoyed it so much, that I've decided, as best I am able, to try and duplicate that time during the school week. What this means is waking up between 4 and 4:30 to leave by 5:45 to get to school by 6:15. In terms of what I'm doing... I wake up, take my hair down, and check on the cats. If the dogs aren't up, I go ahead and get dressed. If they are, I let them out and make breakfast. Then, I take breakfast back to bed and enjoy it in quiet with the dogs, usually reading articles or catching up on a podcast. Then, I finish getting ready (do my hair, wash my face, etc) and leave the dogs to rest while I spend a little time with the cats and finishing some...

When I couldn't afford the MRI, I switched insurances. The MRI cost went from $600 to $45. The potential cost for surgery went from ~$4,000-10,000 to $250. I filled out the paperwork to have my files sent over to the new doctor and made an appointment as soon as I could. To say that I was disappointed with my new doctor would be an understatement. The roller coaster ride I went on was nothing short of disheartening and, sometimes, very depressing: The First Visit The first visit went very well. I felt heard by her. I felt like I was going to make progress. I told her everything I'd been through: the pain medication, the chiropractic therapy, the x-rays, the physical therapy (2 months), the potential for surgery, the pain, everything. I thought she really listened. I walked away from that meeting with: a new pain medication, and a "prescription" for bracing for both feet. The bracing was over the counter, but was of a certain kind to allow for more serious sup...

I hate New Year's Resolutions. Partly because I mark a few different New Year's each year. I have celebrated secular, lunar, Rosh Hashanah, Druid.... each marking something different. Personally, I prefer to mark the year with the seasons and, with each change, I notice a change in my goals and what I'm working towards and willing to do. It's like each change represents a little hill, a fresh start, a place from which you can see all the potential obstacles and you think, "yes, I can do this." Of course, when you reach the big hills, it isn't so easy to see the lay of the land. I think, with the starting change of this season (however early it may be), I feel more confident about those big hills. I feel like I have a little more support now to get over them, even if clumsily. It's a different landscape. --- Current: * yesterday's water intake - 12 ounces (ouch!) * today's goal - 90 ounces * pain level - 2-3 sitting; 5+ walking ...

I don't want to say much, as I am still working on my medical history that I want to share, but my 2nd opinion on Tuesday went... well! I really feel like there is a plan in place now, with real deadlines, when we'll know what the next (hopefully final) step is. For now, just a brief overview in the form of my top 5 favourite things about the visit. 1. She could tell how frustrated I am. 2. She confirmed my diagnosis of accessory navicular bones. 3. She (and this is a big one) had read my file prior to my appointment and knew who I was. 4. She is approaching this holistically. We talked about everything. 5. She doesn't beat around the bush. She and I had a real, honest conversation about what I want, what I need, and where I am. I am excited to see what happens next. --- Current stats: * yesterday's water intake: 36 ounces * current goal: 140 ounces * pain level: 2-3 * current mood: hungry

I was an Irish step dancer for about a year: both soft and hard shoe. I was just getting into the more advanced steps when, one day during class, I fell. My left ankle had given way during a move where one rocks back and forth from ankle to ankle. It was a bad sprain and kept me off the dance floor for a long time. By then, I had fallen behind and decided to take a break from dancing. When I started taking ballet in adulthood, I was incredibly careful. My ankle had healed, but had always been a bit stiff since the initial incident. Slowly we worked it through stretches and dancing. I danced on and off for a few years in class and then, when my studio closed down, I decided to continue at home. I bought a ballet barre, arch stretchers, etc. and I went about it on my own. I combined my dance routine with heavy lifting, cardio (I tried running, decided that elliptical and heavy incline were better), and yoga/Tai Chi. This was my routine. Some months I was off (once for a broken wris...

I guess my lack of words should have been a sign to me. Things kind of fell apart last Thursday in a very unexpected (kind of way), which leads me to another acronym: CDH (chronic daily headaches), which leads me to another kind of headache: migraines. I woke up early Thursday morning (like 1 am) completely disoriented. I couldn't make sense of where my animals or boyfriend were, but, I shook it off and went back to sleep. Thursday morning (4:30 am), I woke up dizzy. Dizzy enough, in fact, that I couldn't actually stand for a few moments. But, I shook it off. At school, our building has been hot for a week (darn Southern "winter"). Wednesday had been so hot that my students said I'd looked like I had done a cardio workout, I was sweating and red. Thursday was more of the same, but now with dizzy spells. The worst came just before my planning period. I was in the middle of a dictation and had to stop mid sentence and find my place again. I attributed it to the ...

Current Stats: * Yesterday's water intake: 90 ounces * Goal water intake: 140 ounces * Pain level: 6-8 * Current Mood: exhausted, overwhelmed

I have long loved being active. I didn't really do much as a child though. I was very much into theatre, but I had a desire to play soccer (although my fear of getting hit in the face kept me from being too serious), and a desire to dance. I never expressed these interests to my parents, however. I was very aware of various things in my life and decided not to put that pressure or desire on my family. One of my favourite memories and experiences as a child was Irish step dancing, which we did for a while. Otherwise, I didn't find my groove until I was an adult. I started ballet when I was 22. I loved everything about it. I love the precision and focus on form. I love the fluid movement. I remember when my teacher told me, "always be in motion". Even the bottom of a plie was was not a pause, but a movement into another direction. I had long loved the movements of the Broadway musical "Cats" and many of those actors were/and are my models for setting eventua...

Feeling more awake mentally today than I have all week, which I think is good. I'm going to count that as a win. :) I am also really thankful for my neighbour teacher who helped turn the light on and is always in the hall between classes. It especially helps when I am dealing with my braces or in pain. Today, I am hoping to rest my feet a little. I stood all day yesterday to do story listening (where I retell/tell a story to my kiddos and draw while I do so). It was a much needed activity as the flu and respiratory infections have been making the rounds pretty seriously at our school and it has been a while since all the kids were in my room to hear and read these stories. I am paying the price today, in exhaustion and pain, but I cannot say it wasn't worth it.  Getting to talk to my kids in Latin, make jokes, and see them enjoy the language is one of my favourite things. So, today we will be doing some interactive games to get another perspective on how they are doing wi...

I am sitting in my darkened classroom today and I paused my prep because I realised just how much my pain is affecting me today: I am sitting in a darkened classroom because the light switch is high and my feet hurt too much to be able to get on tip toe and turn them on. Today will be a day of pain management. My plans involve standing and telling stories all day (a much needed activity for the kiddos after flu and testing and more flu) which means my pain level will only increase from here on out and, if I want to be able to do some things at home (and I do), I need to make some key decisions about how today goes. So... Advil? check  Water? check Did I stretch this morning? check Compression socks? check Ankle braces? check  Okay day, here we go.  --- Today's stats: * goal water intake - 140 ounces (current intake - 3 ounces) * pain level - 4-6 (varies on current activity and position of feet) * current mood - hungry