Antibiotics and Ailments

I have a small burst of energy so I wanted to update everyone. After 4 days of antibiotics, I am not any better. Since Friday, I have been battling some sort of pain in the right side of my face, mainly my jaw and ear. It feels like someone has hit me in the cheek and my throat has become scratchy and burns. I cannot chew (b/c of my jaw), so I am living on pudding, oatmeal, and soup. (I know, they are not exactly on my meal plan, but I am eating something.)
Anne informed me last night that she took Arissa to a walk-in clinic and the poor girl has strep throat and an ear infection. She made her First Penance yesterday and she and I spent time with her on my lap, loving on me. I hope I am not getting strep throat on top of this. Isaiah was taken to the same clinic this morning and has strep and an ear infection as well.
Our family is keeping the pharmacies in business. I will be calling my doctor in the morning to see what he wants me to do. I am hoping he can call me some other medicine in and that I don't have to go back to his office. I just want to feel better. Mentally, I am great. Physically, I am dragging and have no energy.

4 Day Weekend............And No CoPay!

Yes, that's right. I get a 4-day weekend. We have so many students and staff out with misc. illnesses, that they cancelled school for the rest of the week. Even my best friend, Yvette, is sick. When the guidance counselor is sick, we should cancel school. (haha)
Unfortunately, I am also among the ill. I had battled this nose, head, congestion thing for as long as I could. I finally decided to bite the "co-pay" bullet and go to the doctor. They could get me in at 3:40. I left my last block class with another teacher and off I went, fully prepared to fork out the $20 co-pay. I checked in at the front desk and was informed I had a credit!!! Wooohoooo! No Co-Pay!!!!! My doctor and his nurse were thrilled to see me. The last time I saw them was October 11th and I have changed just a smidge. (Okay a big smidge) As sick as I felt, they said I looked wonderful and full of life. It was good to see their reaction and get a boost of confidence in myself and my recovery.
As suspected, I was diagnosed with a splendiforous sinus infection and written a prescription for antibiotic and decongestant. In summary, my $30 doctor trip turned into a $10 venture (plus gas). I have taken 2 doses of the antibiotic and at this moment feel worse than I did yesterday. Hopefully, I will feel better soon. My head feels like it weighs a ton. I am very glad that we didn't have school. I don't think I would have been able to go anyway.
I have added some pictures and changed the look of my blog a bit. I hope you like it, and if you don't, that's okay. It's what I like...................
****** Keep my sister Kathy in your thoughts and prayers. She had her appendix removed this past Sunday night! She was not expecting the "vacation" (like you can plan these kind of things). She is recovering at home and taking it easy.
Thanks for checking on me!!

Aches, Pains, and Triumphs in my Path

In true Carol form, my week was filled with ups and downs, but I handled them all in stride, much better than I would have months ago.
I will start with Monday......... I was nervous about cheerleading practice because of the events that had transpired at Friday nights ballgame. Practice was wonderful, they worked hard and everyone got along.
Tuesday, seemed more like a Monday. I will give a "block by block" replay of the day.
1st Block: I had purchased some much needed school supplies for my classroom (with school money of course). I was attempting to take roll with my new, pink mechanical pencil, and managed to poke myself directly in the eyeball! OUCH! My eye would not stop burning or watering. I spent the rest of the block whining. Then my computer decides to shut down and not come back on.
2nd Block: was okay until lunch time when I successfully dropped a bite of cheesy potatoes on my pants. They told me what to eat during treatment, but not how to eat. Maybe I need a class on how to use utensils.
3rd Block: I managed to bite my bottom lip. It felt like I had been hit with a baseball.
4th Block: I get a major case of the hiccups. The kind that makes your chest hurt every time.
I finish the school day by having bus duty in the arctic air. Why couldn't it have been 60 degrees like the last week? I was sooooooo cold. We had a ballgame and it was okay. We won but the refs were terrible and blind.
I woke up Weds. with a wonderful headache. I am confident it was because of bus duty in the cold air. The computer dude came to fix my school computer and informed me I needed a new hard drive, so I had to save everything on disk. I was not excited about that at all. I had cheerleading practice and it went well again. I came home and started to do some things for my taxes. This task sent me into a crying episode. I was looking at my planner to document doctor visits, etc. for the mileage, and looked back at last year, January in particular. Last January was a terrible month for me and seeing the notes I had written brought those feelings back full force. I cried because I hated to see the misery that I felt, but then I can see how I am now. Happy....... much better off. It was another "mirror" I had to look in and see myself and the past.
Thursday the computer dude came back and replaced my hard drive. The problem is that my computer is completely clean. The computer techs from the county were supposed to come that day to put the programs back on, but as of Friday, had not been there. I feel weird not being able to use my computer. Thursday night was awesome!! I went to my first ED support meeting. THere are 6 of us, ages ranging from 20 - 36. We have the common factor of ED, so age is not a problem. I look forward to offering and gaining support from these strong, amazing women. I got home later than usual and went straight to bed. I was beyond tired!
Friday, I was not feeling any better, as far as this lingering cold is going. It is official. I cannot breathe. I am confident a sinus infection is the cause. I could not make it through a Friday night ballgame without some sort of "cheer drama". It started during the girls game..... some of my girls were talking "smack" about each other. During the halftime of the boys game, they performed their new dance, which was okay. They have done better, but it was fine. We will clean it up more next week. I managed to miss the 2nd half of the boys game b/c one of my girls needed me. She is dealing with so much, more than a teenager should. I was ready to crash when I got home.
Saturday, my daddy came over to remove some junk that had been residing on the side of my backyard for approximately 2 and a half years. After 2 trips to the landfill and $21 later, it was clean. I spent the 4 hours after he left burning misc. pieces of wood and leaves. Great fun playing with fire, however, I still have that campfire smell in my nose this morning. I am also beyond achey and sore.......every morsel of my body hurts. From my stuffy head down to my toes, I hurt. I should have stretched and warmed up before raking and lifting. I am regretting it today. Simple things like walking, getting up and down, and breathing are difficult.
Like I said, my week was filled with ups and downs, but I have handled it in positive ways, ED free.
Hope everyone has a great week and I will check in next Sunday.

Puddles in my path

I can now say I have survived my first week back at work (school)!!! Of course it was filled with conflicts and an unexpected Snow Day on Tuesday!!
Monday was probably the most emotional day of my week. Cheerleading practice was tense due to the fact I have girls who are grieving the loss of a dear friend. (Let me recap December 11th ......Five of our students -- 2 different vehicles -- were involved in a head-on collision on their way to school. We lost a student from each vehicle that day, one a junior, the other a freshman.) Half of my squad was very close to Jordan, the junior. They are trying to live life, but are feeling things they have never felt before and don't know how to process those feelings. They are taking it out on each other and everyone around them. We are making contacts to get counselors in the school to help our students. Monday's practice also brought some other serious issues to light, concerning one of my girls. I am also getting her help.
Since Monday, I have been forced to be on the other side of those in need.....being helpless. It is a new side for me. For so long, I was the person in crisis. I am now feeling how my family and friends felt towards me for so long. I can definitely say it is a yucky feeling, but I have dealt and am dealing with it in positive ways, especially talking to my best friend, Yvette. She is my angel and completely gets me and understands me. She knows I am not done healing; that I will always be in recovery. I can now reach out for help when I need it. I feel positive about the next week, I have to; it's better than being down and negative.
I was stoked to have a Snow Day Tuesday, although it was an hour of heavy flakes that melted by noon. My only wish would have been that they called school off BEFORE we got up, got ready, and got to school. Yes, I wasted a stinkin' cute outfit on 1 hour of school. Maybe I will try it next week, I bet no one will notice. We have Monday off for MLK Day and there is a chance of snow for Monday night into Tuesday. It would be nice to have a 4 day weekend.
Have a great weekend. Please keep me in your prayers, as well as my school family.

But Wait!!

I made a mistake by sleeping in yesterday, until 10:30!! That is very late for me. So it was midnight before I fell asleep last night. I then managed to wake up at 4 this morning and have been up since. Do you know what is on television at 4 in the morning? Yes, paid programming......... I will demonstrate what I have learned.......

"If you act now we will give you the lighted micro-touch, not for 29.99, but for 14.99!! BUT WAIT, if you act now, we will also throw in the lighted tweezers. All for 14.99! BUT WAIT, that's not all. We will also give you a lighted compact mirror. Yes, you get the lighted micro-touch, the lighted tweezers, and lighted compact mirror, a 60 dollar value, not for 30 dollars, but yes, 14.99 plus shipping and handling. Hurry, our operators are standing by to take your order."

Does any of that sound familiar? Does it amaze or aggravate you? Do you find yourself wanting to call and place your order? I myself am guilty of being the proud owner of the "Bun and Thigh Roller", which fits nicely in my coat closet.

Let me know some of your stories. I would love to hear them.

Every little step I take................

I am going to try the "blog mania" out and see how it goes. I have nothing else better to do and enjoy meeting and talking with other people. Bear with me as I try to customize and tweak my blog.

To let you know a little bit about me, I am a firm believer in taking it "One Day at a Time". I have been in active recovery for an eating disorder since November 1, 2006. Every little step I take is a step towards the future and my happiness. My friends and family mean the world to me and I could not have made it this far without their love and support carrying me through each day.

Because of obtaining treatment, I took a leave of absence from school, where I teach 8th grade Math and 6th Grade Science and coach/sponsor our high school cheerleaders. My first day back to teach was this past Thursday, January 4th. I realized how much I had missed teaching and interacting with my students. Unfortunately, I also realized how much time I had spent sitting on my butt during treatment, etc. I am totally exhausted and need to rethink my shoe choices for next week!!!

One aspect I did not miss during my "treatment vacation" was the grading of papers and teenage cheerleading drama. Yes, in the 2 days we were at school this week, I experienced them both. I will be able to handle them better (I hope) now that I am better.
Life goes on and it will regardless. One day at a time.