I had an MRI today....while I am very thankful for the medical technology that allows for that diagnostic, and I am very thankful that my insurance company finally approved the test (and paid for it 100%), I have to say that it is a very unpleasant test. The chamber you are put into is very small and cramped and yes, claustrophobic. The noises that the machine emits are painfully loud (they give you earplugs but if you have good hearing, they don't block enough sound). And, when you have disc degeneration in your L3 through L5, laying flat on the machine for 30 minutes is excruciatingly painful - especially when you are already inflamed and in pain. I'm glad it's over. I'm glad I have a diagnosis. I'm thankful that I can go to physical therapy, although they can't schedule me until Monday unfortunately. I am thankful for medications that might make this whole process less painful, although they aren't doing much to touch it so far since I refuse to take narcotics (they make me too nauseated).
I put out feelers among my friends today to see if anyone has a wheelchair I can borrow and I'm following up some leads on that. I am DETERMINED that I will not miss the first day (or week) of school! I have spent entirely too much time confined to my bedroom and this house and the first day and week sets the tone for the entire year. Besides, I don't have any days to spare in AP Gov - we have to make them all count! Since I'm a pro at sitting still and stable, I can always teach that way if I can just find one to use.
Final note - found a GREAT substitute for a bag of frozen peas as your ice bag...popcorn! Not the microwave bags - a good, old fashioned bag of kernels. Freeze the bag and use it as an ice pack. It conforms to your body like a bag of frozen peas or corn will, but it doesn't become mushy and melty like the softer veggies do. Thanks to my cousin Karen for giving me that tip - it's a keeper!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
End of summer update
I have done a very poor job of keeping up with this blog over the summer! My last post was, I think, from Princeton, NJ which was in late June. So, what have I been doing since then?
In July, I taught summer school. I used it as a time to experiment with some activities that I had not tried during the regular school year, including some online games. While I thought some of the games were pretty elementary, the students did seem to gain value from playing them, so I will probably leave them in the line-up for the regular school year.
I read the book "Teach Like a Pirate" as part of a book study with some of my colleagues. I did take away a few ideas from the book and will be concentrating a bit more on "hooks" in my class, and trying to make sure my passion is transparent and obvious to my students. I also read the book "Who Owns the Learning" which gave me some ideas about making my classroom more student-centric - a goal that has become more and more important to me over the past year.
I have thought a lot in the past couple of weeks about the importance of taking time for myself and family. We went to stay at my husband's Aunt's lake house the last week in July and I aggravated a condition that I didn't know I had. I had been dealing with some sciatica this summer and had even seen my doctor for it. His recommendation had been to exercise. At my oldest daughter's urging, I did create the habit this summer of going to the YMCA and exercising - which anyone who knows me knows is a HUGE lifestyle change! I was regularly walking 2 miles on the treadmill and doing a few strength training machines on a regular basis - at least 4 times per week. While at the lake, I wasn't able to continue this regime. I played a little "Goldilocks" at the lake - this bed is too hard, this bed is too soft, etc. I never found the "just right" choice and by the end of our week, my back had me incapacitated.
I spent a week balancing some professional development teaching commitments last week with bed rest and finally went to the doctor last Friday afternoon. First, the urgent care facility took x-rays and told me to consult the ER or my regular doctor. They gave me some oral steroids and offered more pain pills/muscle relaxers, but I refused the extras because I already had prescriptions for those from my regular doctor. On Saturday, the pain was so debilitating that my left leg would give out within 3 steps if I tried to maneuver around, so I went to the ER. All in all, that visit was satisfactory because they did a CT scan and gave me a double shot (steroids and anti-inflammatory) that made me feel almost normal for about 24 hours. They also called my GP and made an appointment for Monday morning first thing.
On Monday morning, my doctor examined me and talked with me and put in a request with my insurance company to approve an MRI. The CT scan showed a bulging disc in the L5 region, arthritis and degenerative disc disease. The one of those that disturbed me the most was the "A" word since there isn't much treatment you can do for arthritis in my experience. The others can be resolved with physical therapy and strengthening my core. He told me I had to stay home until I had the MRI done because PT without it could complicate the injury - this is where it gets complicated. I was supposed to go back to work on Monday for teacher development days. It is Tuesday evening and here I sit - getting some work done on my online course materials, but taking sick days and hearing nothing back from insurance at all.
I am extremely grateful that I've never been at the mercy of the bureaucracy of a health care organization to approve medical tests that my doctor deems necessary before, but I'm certainly not enjoying the experience now! The insurance company still hasn't approved my MRI and I can't start physical therapy until after I have that test. Since students come to my classroom on Monday, I am getting more and more frustrated by the delay! I'm ready to feel better and to do what's necessary to make that happen....
This cartoon was funnier before I felt like I was prey to the system....it's from 2007 and highlighted the debate of that presidential election. I've always been a little dispassionate about the argument since one of the blessings of being a teacher in Alabama has been good health care coverage. Even with "good" healthcare coverage though, I'm now dealing with this major frustration. There is definitely something wrong with a system that requires me to get "sicker" or hurt more before someone in an office decides to look at my physician's request and grant me testing that will help me get better! Enough on that soapbox....I'm sure it's just my pain speaking.
Speaking optimistically, I'm hopeful that I will get a call early tomorrow, a test, a diagnosis and physical therapy started....pray with me for that result!
What have I learned on a personal level from all of this? I need to take time to take care of myself! I often let myself get caught up in taking care of everyone else except me. I need to be the first priority for awhile so that I can take care of others too.
In July, I taught summer school. I used it as a time to experiment with some activities that I had not tried during the regular school year, including some online games. While I thought some of the games were pretty elementary, the students did seem to gain value from playing them, so I will probably leave them in the line-up for the regular school year.
I read the book "Teach Like a Pirate" as part of a book study with some of my colleagues. I did take away a few ideas from the book and will be concentrating a bit more on "hooks" in my class, and trying to make sure my passion is transparent and obvious to my students. I also read the book "Who Owns the Learning" which gave me some ideas about making my classroom more student-centric - a goal that has become more and more important to me over the past year.
I have thought a lot in the past couple of weeks about the importance of taking time for myself and family. We went to stay at my husband's Aunt's lake house the last week in July and I aggravated a condition that I didn't know I had. I had been dealing with some sciatica this summer and had even seen my doctor for it. His recommendation had been to exercise. At my oldest daughter's urging, I did create the habit this summer of going to the YMCA and exercising - which anyone who knows me knows is a HUGE lifestyle change! I was regularly walking 2 miles on the treadmill and doing a few strength training machines on a regular basis - at least 4 times per week. While at the lake, I wasn't able to continue this regime. I played a little "Goldilocks" at the lake - this bed is too hard, this bed is too soft, etc. I never found the "just right" choice and by the end of our week, my back had me incapacitated.
I spent a week balancing some professional development teaching commitments last week with bed rest and finally went to the doctor last Friday afternoon. First, the urgent care facility took x-rays and told me to consult the ER or my regular doctor. They gave me some oral steroids and offered more pain pills/muscle relaxers, but I refused the extras because I already had prescriptions for those from my regular doctor. On Saturday, the pain was so debilitating that my left leg would give out within 3 steps if I tried to maneuver around, so I went to the ER. All in all, that visit was satisfactory because they did a CT scan and gave me a double shot (steroids and anti-inflammatory) that made me feel almost normal for about 24 hours. They also called my GP and made an appointment for Monday morning first thing.
On Monday morning, my doctor examined me and talked with me and put in a request with my insurance company to approve an MRI. The CT scan showed a bulging disc in the L5 region, arthritis and degenerative disc disease. The one of those that disturbed me the most was the "A" word since there isn't much treatment you can do for arthritis in my experience. The others can be resolved with physical therapy and strengthening my core. He told me I had to stay home until I had the MRI done because PT without it could complicate the injury - this is where it gets complicated. I was supposed to go back to work on Monday for teacher development days. It is Tuesday evening and here I sit - getting some work done on my online course materials, but taking sick days and hearing nothing back from insurance at all.
I am extremely grateful that I've never been at the mercy of the bureaucracy of a health care organization to approve medical tests that my doctor deems necessary before, but I'm certainly not enjoying the experience now! The insurance company still hasn't approved my MRI and I can't start physical therapy until after I have that test. Since students come to my classroom on Monday, I am getting more and more frustrated by the delay! I'm ready to feel better and to do what's necessary to make that happen....
This cartoon was funnier before I felt like I was prey to the system....it's from 2007 and highlighted the debate of that presidential election. I've always been a little dispassionate about the argument since one of the blessings of being a teacher in Alabama has been good health care coverage. Even with "good" healthcare coverage though, I'm now dealing with this major frustration. There is definitely something wrong with a system that requires me to get "sicker" or hurt more before someone in an office decides to look at my physician's request and grant me testing that will help me get better! Enough on that soapbox....I'm sure it's just my pain speaking.
Speaking optimistically, I'm hopeful that I will get a call early tomorrow, a test, a diagnosis and physical therapy started....pray with me for that result!
What have I learned on a personal level from all of this? I need to take time to take care of myself! I often let myself get caught up in taking care of everyone else except me. I need to be the first priority for awhile so that I can take care of others too.
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