The Glass is Half-Full, Or Maybe More...

Those of you who follow my Tweets and Facebook posts know that for the last few weeks (make that 6, but hey, really who's counting?) I have struggled with neck and back pain.  It started with a stiff neck in November, which was quickly alleviated with some muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, and yes, those crazy pain pills (that I have indicated may have, just may have impacted some of my rational decision making).  It continued on in December with a stiff neck and pain that radiated through my shoulder and into my arm.  (more and better anti-inflammatories and BIGGER more potent pain pills).

After a trip to the doctor over break, a set of x-rays and a lovely MRI (who wouldn't love laying perfectly still in a tube with a plastic cover over your neck while someone makes the machine sound like is is self destructing around you for 40 minutes?), the cause of all the pain has been determined.

When the doctor called and left me a message with the news,  he actually said- 'This is not what I expected to find' (I think that is interesting.. don't know that I've ever had a doctor share news in quite that way). 

So.... I have osteoarthritis in my neck and spine. (Yep, like what a typical 60 year old would have).

It's funny, if you read here, I talk about the other typically age related disease that I suffer from... so I've started teasing Joe that he has a 37 year old wife in a 67 year old's body.....

Of course, Joe and I's questions started right away... how do I get rid of the pain that I'm having right now (WITHOUT the darn pain pills preferably since they make me loopy and make me feel really tired and I can't take them during the day and the pain is so bad by about 6 pm that I literally am incapable of making decisions), how do I keep the disease from progressing, what do I need to do on the preventative end, what does the future likely hold?

I talked with my doctor on Friday and got some answers- will see him again on Wednesday for more.  Here's the down and dirty...  I will be going to a Spine Center/ Pain Management Clinic later this month to try to get this current 'flare up' under control.  Other than that I need to:  eat healthy, exercise regularly, introduce yoga to my exercise routine, avoid stress, and take more vitamins (gee, that sounds like what I need to be doing anyway folks... sounds like what we ALL need to be doing).

I think the initial diagnosis really threw me for a loop, but after thinking about it for a few days... this is a piece of cake.  Gives me even more reason to take care of myself and my body.  So.. that glass isn't half-empty as I felt right after the first message from the doctor.  It is half full, well really, it's even more than that, I think it's like three-quarters full.

And as the Hunter S. Thompson says....

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, shouting GERONIMO!

Have a great day folks...

C 

Ummm.... what?

Headed back to the doctor today for a little checkup on how everything is healing... without going into the gory details, I had a few spots in my incision that were NOT healing... the doctor was able to take care of those spots in the office (without a return to the hospital-yeah!)... and IF I take it easy and rest a lot, I should heal up just fine.  :)   This will probably delay my return to work until the 6 week mark... I wonder if our credit cards will hold up to the on-line shopping I seem to have entertained myself with recently...

I did talk to him about being SO tired... just doesn't seem normal to me.  I even started crying when talking about that (don't think he was really prepared for that one).  Totally feel silly about those tears now, but they just came out and I didn't have much control over them!  He told me that he had something that would probably help the tiredness (even more than just taking it easy, resting more, etc.  about this time I kinda zoned out because he was ahem- working- so I was a little distracted).  He told me he'd bring them out to me before I left.

Here's what he brought me...

Did you see what they were?  Yep, look closer.... those would be PRE-NATAL vitamins.  Seriously.  For the gal who just had her baby-making parts removed.  Yep.  I had a good laugh about that one.  Then the receptionist said, "So, I guess congratulations are in order?"  I just about peed my pants I laughed so hard.  Isn't the picture on these vitamins a crack up?  All those women leaning over the crib?  Glad I have a good sense of humor...

On other fronts... kids seemed to have a good day at school today.  Both were EXHAUSTED when they came home.  Needless to say it was a short night of dinner, baths, more Harry Potter, and bed.  Nice thing was I actually cooked (get out the red marker) for my family for the first time in weeks.  :)  There may be a light at the end of this tunnel after all (is that the pre-natal vitamin talking??).

I'll wrap this up with one last photo... my dear friends at work sent me flowers when I was in the hospital (yep, that would be December 16th folks...)... and the flowers are STILL alive!  I have enjoyed them a LOT and I thought I'd share a quick picture...

Love to you all...

C

Last Two Days....

Friday night, I asked the kids if they had done everything that they wanted to do during Winter Break.  We made a 'list' of things that they had wanted to do, but that we hadn't done yet.  Thankfully, the list wasn't TOO long... so we were able to accomplish most of it. (Note that we did not accomplish what Momma wanted to do, which was to get the house cleaned and all the Christmas decorations put away.  But... remember the resolution, remember the resolution, remember the resolution.)  Turns out our last two days were pretty awesome....

Colin spent his last two days:  eating Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast, playing xBox, building Legos, playing games with Mommy and Daddy, getting comfortable riding his bike without training wheels (this took a WHOLE year to accomplish... but he's finally there), going out to dinner at Golden Corral with Nana and Papa (cause Julia was having a sleepover) and building the Propeller Racer that Andy, Amy and Kelvin sent him for Christmas.  Here are a few photos... it was SO much fun watching him build the racer because he could read the directions on his own... it's a pretty cool little toy too!

Julia spent her last two days:  eating Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast, playing Nintendo, reading, drawing, playing Poptropica on my laptop, spending the night at her dear friend Alyssa's house (remember the pneumonia at the beginning of the break?  She had a sleepover planned that Friday night that didn't get to happen, so she was quite relieved that we managed to work it out before the break was over), and sleeping on the chair (this is what happens when you spend the night at a friend's house and choose giggling over sleeping).

Joe spent the last two days: sleeping in, playing xBox with Colin, playing xBox after Colin went to bed, taking down the (200 lbs.- he swears) Christmas tree, taking out the trash, doing laundry, and trying to convince Momma that she should just rest (and that she is still pretty, even though she doesn't feel that way right now).

I spent the last two days: eating Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast (the diet has got to start soon...), getting comfortable with driving again, looking at blogs, reading blogs, talking to some good friends about redesigning my blog, playing games with Colin, cooking with Julia, dreaming about a laundry room makeover (more about that soon), Twittering, Facebooking, taking the Christmas tree down, cleaning out the refrigerator, going to bed early, not sleeping well, trying to get us organized because school starts again (TOMORROW!) and trying to follow Daddy's directions to rest more (and feel pretty more- hopefully soon).

School and work start again tomorrow for everybody but Momma- who has about 3 more weeks before she is fully healed and ready to return to the rat race.  I think being home alone will be VERY strange... I'll let you know how it's going soon....

Have a wonderful night all-
C

Public Relations?

I did a TV interview today with 3TV about All Day Kindergarten in the Kyrene School District. This task came to me because I handle 'all things Kindergarten' at the district level. (Somebody said to me today, but I thought you handled Title I, and sex ed... yep... well... add Kindergarten to that mix!)

(If you'd like to see the interview, you can see it here... and you can catch both Colin and I in the video as it was shot in his Kindergarten classroom)

In the past year, I have been interviewed on television five times and have been interviewed countless times for the newspaper- all in ways that relate to my job. I don't mind doing this- and I have to admit that I still get a little thrill out of being on TV or being quoted in the paper. It's different than my regular work- and I usually get to speak about topics that I am really passionate about (no sex ed jokes here please!).

But, as I was coming back to the district office I started thinking about the media and how it relates to Kyrene- and then more globally about how it relates to our society. See, when I first started in Kyrene, I don't think we were 'covered' nearly as much in the media. Sure, every once in awhile there was a story- usually more print than television- and especially in the local papers- but it was every once in awhile. Now, it seems like our district is on TV all the time... just think if I've been interviewed 5 times this year and I only deal with a handful of programs... how many interviews have there been altogether?

Part of this is due to the public relations person that works in our district. She has strong ties to both the newspaper and the television stations- and she's out there asking for the stories. But I think part of it has to do with the incessant coverage of everything that is happening in our world today. Seems like the media is desparate for news to cover- and I don't know that it's always a good thing. Take the Swine Flu for example... that was one that got blown WAY out of proportion and I really think the media had a LOT to do with it.

So, here's the question... is the media coverage of our district good or bad? When I look at the story today- it's good. This was great coverage about All Day Kindergarten and all that it has to offer for kids. Hopefully it will expand a few individual's minds when they think about what Kindergarten is and isn't...

But what about when the story isn't good? When the story is slanted (like some of the recent coverage of the sex education curriculum) and not accurate? When the story is created simply to try to create some anxiety- to CREATE controversy? What then?

Seems to me that it's a bit like playing Russian Roulette... and I'm not quite sure I'm ready to play with that gun on a regular basis.

Guess that's why I chose *public* education and NOT *public* relations as my profession.

ER

I watched the finale of ER last week with a heavy heart and with tears in my eyes. That really just isn't like me, so I started thinking about why...

Over the years I've watched a lot of TV shows from start to finish- never missed an episode of 21 Jump Street in my teen years, saw EVERY episode of Beverly Hills 90210 ever created (at least twice), I haven't missed an episode of Lost yet, and I've seen every episode of Big Bang Theory too....

ER though, ER was special. Most people stopped watching it a few years ago, but I've continued to watch it, and I am sad to see it end. I had a real connection to that show for some reason- and I have a lot of memories tied around it.... maybe that's why I like it so much. Here's just a few of my life memories tied to ER....

ER premiered on September 19, 1994. Joe and I had gotten engaged about a month before that... and I remember sitting on my bed at my parent's house, flipping through bridal magazines and watching the first episode. I actually didn't watch most of that first season (this was pre-DVR and I was never really good at working the VCR to record shows...) because I was going to school, student teaching, working, and planning my wedding. The few episodes I did watch were following a car accident that November that totaled my car and put me out of commission for a few weeks. I spent most of that time in bed... and that's probably when I really started watching the show.

I watched ER through the first year of my marriage by myself. Joe was working and going to school- and he was pretty much never home when I was home. I was in my first year of teaching, and very lonely in my little apartment, so I spent every Thursday night with ER and a bowl of ice cream (and I wonder why I gained 15 pounds during my first year of marriage!).

From 1997-1999, I saw at least part of every episode of ER. I know this because these were the years that I spent EVERY Thursday night at school getting my Master's Degree. I would rush home from class, land in front of the TV, and watch ER with Joe. It was tradition- he would be waiting for me- usually with a bowl of ice cream (are we noticing a trend?)

My next ER memory was of an episode of ER that I DIDN'T get to watch. I had Julia on Thanksgiving Day of 2000- and ER always had great Thanksgiving episodes. I had been looking forward to seeing that one, but Julia had other ideas. And there just isn't TV watching when you are having a baby with no drugs! Anyway, I remember my mom coming into the room and telling me that Karen Schwartz and my dad were sitting in the waiting room watching ER together.

Starting in 2000, following Julia's birth, Thursday nights were really special. During these years I only worked part time (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)- so Thursday night was my 'Friday night.' I remember celebrating the beginning of many a weekend with, what else? a bowl of ice cream and ER.

The next memory is when I was pregnant with Colin and in the hospital. I was only 26 weeks along, in labor, and scared. We'd had a long meeting with the neonatologist earlier that day who had told us that if they couldn't stop the labor, Colin had about a 50% chance of survival- and that I needed to stay as still as possible, relax as much as possible, and hopefully let the drugs do their work. They had given Colin steroids to help speed the development of his lungs- and all we could do was wait and hope. Joe went home at some point to pick Julia up from my mom and dad's house and take her home to have some sense of normalcy to her routine. I laid in the bed, watched ER and prayed. It was one of the longest nights of my life. No ice cream that night, but I probably REALLY needed it!

Fast forward through the next few years... I remember sitting in the emergency room with Julia who had pneumonia, watching an ER rerun (I always thought it was ironic that they were showing ER reruns in the ER...). I remember sitting on the couch with Colin after he was stung by a scorpion watching ER and keeping him awake to make sure he was okay....

In the last few years, I've run MANY a mile on the treadmill while watching ER. Not as good as eating a bowl of ice cream while watching... but still good!

Needless to say, ER for some reason, is tied to a lot of very emotional moments in my life- some good- some bad. I think it's crazy that I have such a connection to a TV show- to be so upset about it ending... I mean it's just a show, with characters who aren't real... but for some reason my adult life has really been connected to this show. I went from being a kid to an adult to a parent while watching this TV show- and as the characters grew and changed, so did I.

Who knows what the next show will be and how it will connect to my life... but I can't wait to find out!

Have any of you had a connection like this to a TV show? I'd love to hear about it....

Good News!

I went to the eye doctor today.

Now, for some folks, that is a minor thing- go to the eye doctor, get new cool looking glasses, life is good.

For me, going to the eye doctor is an event that is usually scheduled months in advance, involves two doctors (an ophthamologist and an optometrist), the latest and greatest in medical technology (several types of retinal scans), and needless to say creates a great deal of anxiety in my life. I typically have to 'prepare' myself for this appointment. I dread the appointment... dread the conversations... dread the results...

After putting it off for two months (and after getting FOUR postcards from my eye doctors) I decided today was THE DAY. I was going to call and make my appointment. I figured I'd get that part done and it would give me another two months to prepare for the actual appointment. So, I called. And I was greeted by this... "We actually had a cancellation for this afternoon. We can get you in to see both doctors today."

Holy cow.... today... well... okay. I wasn't really ready to go today, but... they had an appointment. And I could see both doctors... and well, that didn't give me too much time to get nervous- right?

So at 4 o'clock today I headed over to the eye doctor and submitted myself to the yearly round of tests. After about 40 minutes of having every color of bright light shined directly into my eyes, puffs of air shot at me, clicking endless buttons when I see something on the screen moving, followed by the typical "Which is better... 1 or 2?... 2 or 3?... 3 or 4?" (I particularly hate that... seriously... they all look the SAME!) I was done. And then BOTH doctors came in to let me know that there has been NO DISEASE PROGRESSION AT ALL IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS! WOOHOO!!! This was simply awesome news... awesome, awesome news. My preventative measures are working. I've managed to stop the disease... for now.

They followed this with the unfortunate news that even with glasses or contacts they can't get my vision to 20/20 anymore. Which is a bummer, but I'm doing okay corrected at 20/30... so... for now it will do. I need to avoid driving at night as much as possible. I can live with that. We keep talking about what the options will be in the future- sounds like they are doing some awesome new things with both glasses and contacts, so I know that this will all be fine in the future.

I ended the appointment with my favorite guy in the office- Bill. Bill is a total fashionista who helped me (for the second time) pick out a awesome new pair of frames (I loved the glasses he picked for me last time, so just turned myself over to him again for another new pair!). They are black plastic frames that are red on the inside... can't wait to get them so I can post a pic!! They are funky and fun and totally different from any glasses I have had in the past. It was a great way to end the appointment (and I'm gonna stay focused on that and not the almost $700 bill that I got at the end of the appointment... and that's WITH insurance folks!)

Anyway, just wanted to share the great news!

P.S. I know many of you have very mixed feelings about stem cell research. I had it myself at one point in time- and I still feel that it needs good regulation- just like all science. However, scientists believe strongly that macular degeneration is one of the first diseases that they can 'cure' with stem cells- completely stop the progression of the disease. The only trick is that once vision is lost, there is no way to bring it back. Which means, for me personally, the sooner the better. However you feel, whatever your position on this topic, please stop for a minute today and think about what that research means to someone like myself. Think about the fact that without it... it is possible that I will miss seeing the latter half of my life- my children getting married, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren. Please... all I am asking you is to think.

Choosing Wisely

Have had a really rough day today... seems like nothing is going well at work, home is chaotic, Colin has decided that listening to Mommy is overrated, and I'm trying not to be disappointed that Joe and I have been planning a weekend away (sans kids) for months, and it is possibly not going to happen- or if it does happen, he probably still won't be feeling the greatest.
So, my mood has been less than wonderful, my complaining is at an all time high (especially at work- think those people are about to drum me out of the place), and I've just been moping around. So much for the 'new appreciation' from a few nights ago.
But, saw a post on Facebook tonight from my dear friend Mark Eley that reminded me that, "When you are choosing your attitude you must choose wisely."
And I'm choosing it, right now. I'm choosing to see the positive in my life: healthy kids, almost healthy husband, still have a job, still working in the profession that I have a passion for, have a beautiful house, etc. etc. etc.
Here's to a positive outlook and a positive attitude. Thanks Mark.....