Update

So, here I am. For the SNCP, this will look familiar--of course, sans speeding ticket for Blair. For my PDX peeps, this is new.

It's been six years (almost exactly) since my last (and first) Crohn's flare-up, so I'm pretty lucky. But I'm still full of uncertainty about what this means long-term for me. When is solid food in my future? Oh cheesburger, I long for you!

I include this picture not to induce sympathy, but jealousy. See the tubes feeding me? That means that finally I can be lazier than my stomach. See the green thing on a stick? That's not a lollypop, but a delicious sponge! So that when my mouth gets dry, I can quench my thirst without all that bothersome swallowing. Notice the stylish mitts? It's like I'm a boxer!

This was taken yesterday, and fortunately they've graduated me from the hellish "Total Bowel Rest" to the mere torture that is "Clear liquids." I tell you, there are more food commercials on TV in the hospital. I actually DREAMED about food last night.

For those of you who may be totally confused about what's going on, here's a short description. Those of you wanting the more disgusting details can email, I guess, or call James, as my left hand is out of commission currently, and hunt-n-peck is getting tedious.

Crohn's is a glamorous disease where you immune system thinks your intestines are foreign, and subsequently attacks them. This leads to all sorts of nastiness, like hospital food. My doctors have me ingesting (through the veins or the mouth): two antibiotics, Potassioum, Saline, steroids, immunosuppressants, and immunomodulators. They're saving the mouse rDNA for later. Also, much jello.

No fruitcake, alas.

Good vibes

Please send me some of your good thoughts--

I'm not getting any better.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Fruitcake

This year, I tried especially hard to get back to my roots for the holidays. I, like Paul, have reservations about what the holidays have become. I abhor chintzy decorations, cheesy versions of holiday songs, and marquise lighting. So, last Sunday, I called me mum and asked for the traditional Fruit Cake recipe. Shunned and welcomed in equal measure in our family, the Fruit Cake has been passed down for more than four generations. The original recipe calls for ingredients that aren't readily available in most grocery stores. Fortunately for me, Crisco makes an adequate substitute for lard.
So, I began preparing said Fruit Cake on Sunday afternoon. This was a long process and involved many kitchen utensils and bowls. Great-great Grandma's kitchen must have been bigger than mine. You must understand, I was very excited about this Fruit Cake. That's why it's capitalized.

What I should mention right about now is that for the last few hours, I had been developing quite a pain in my abdomen--and the same type of pain that I had felt six years ago when I was in the hospital.
As I was nearing the moment when dry ingredients met wet, I doubled over in pain and said to James, "I think I need to go to the hospital." So off we went.

And so I stayed until Tuesday afternoon, after convincing the doctor that I was feeling well enough to go home. First meal after days of jello and beef broth? Grilled cheese and tomato soup. And Ben&Jerry's.












This was after two doses of Demerol, innumerable doses of Dilaudid (and several accompanying stupors, many of which were admittedly welcomed), steroids, four bags of antibiotics, and many many bags of Saline.











And a CT scan. With IV contrast AND watery drink contrast. And many doctors asking me if I'm allergic to any drugs (how many times do they need me to say "morphine"?).


I was dreading the thought of another sick holiday. It seems that every Thanksgiving, Christmas, or both, I'm sick with something.

...so James and I went to the Fred Meyer pharmacy to pick up my four new prescriptions (no avoiding the steroids this time... but at least they're giving me a bottle of Vicodin). As we were waiting, we strolled down to the furniture section to take advantage of a cuddle-friendly loveseat. Unfortunately, it was also located right in front of and facing the holiday decorations. Chintzy decorations, cheesy versions of holiday songs, and marquise lighting greeted us from kitty-corner. A million Santas waved to us. And James and I began wondering when the whole Santa-brings-us-toys-thing began. Early 20th century? I think we both agree that Santa represents commercialism and nothing more, and that we want our kids (wherever they may be at present time) to know traditional holiday stories and avoid the Christmas that we have today. I would love to talk about St. Nicholas. I would love to make traditional tree decorations (round orange slices dried and strung through, beads, cranberries and popcorn strings).

And I would love to make Fruit Cake.

Quarter Update

So, my quarter semester grades have been entered, parent conferences scheduled for next week, tests taken and new projects began. I can't believe we're already 1/4 the way finished--it feels like the school year just began.

One change that has made a HUGE difference in my day is the switch from teaching Photography to Psychology. One of the big things they wanted to learn in Psych was how to manipulate people (yeah right), so I gave them a good dose of it. Thanks to Paul's help with finding Forer's Personality test, I hooked the students on day 1. They took the personality test (I made sure to make it sound super-official) and I gave them the results the next day--but of course, they all got the same "analysis." Most of them thought it accurately described them, and they took it very seriously. Then they were appalled when I read the analysis out loud and asked who thought it sounded familiar--and all their hands went up. Hilarity ensued. And a good discussion of subjective validation, Clever Hans, and the observer-expectancy effect. It was nice to have an actual discussion with students who are genuinely interested... and even when there's a lot of chatting in the classroom, they're talking about the subject. Hallelujah! It's a nice way to end the day. Students stay after the bell to ask follow-up questions.

My favorite mini-victory: many students in that class are failing all others. The pot-heads, the apathy kids, the anarchy kids, the I-want-to-rebel-for-the-sake-of-rebelling kids. And those are the kids who raise their hands the most and offer the most insightful and intelligent comments. I love it. Now I really have something to look forward to during my day.

New Post

My doctor told me this morning that she wants me to quit eating chocolate.

My tests were all pretty inconclusive, so she wants me to have a caffeine-free diet for a while and see if my PVCs (Premature ventricular complexes) get any better. Other than that, she says my heart seems great.

In other news: It was nice to take the day off. I needed that. And Friday, it's a "grading day" so... no students! And no school on Monday (happy early Anniversary, Hubby!)! I can't believe the school year is already 1/4 done. The past 9 weeks have FLOWN by! And I've really got to start planning my Psychology class, as it starts next week. Gulp! I'm excited, really.

Fuzzy pink slippers have become one of my new best friends.

And I finally broke out the oil paint set that Hubby gave me (almost a year ago, he was quick to add). To be honest, I'm very intimidated by oils.

Skunkie is as affectionate as ever. He slept in the crook of my arm last night.

School has kind of hit a low with me, and I've responded by developing a thick skin of apathy. I don't want to become one of those teachers.

Debating

I've been debating over whether or not I should post this, because A) I don't want to seem like a whiner, and B) is it really anybody else's business? and C) does anybody else really want to know?

But oh, heck, I made this blog as more or less a journal that I just happen to invite other people to read. Kinda like the opposite of having one of those little locks and putting it under my mattress.

I'm finally out of Kaiser Permanente's icy, impersonal hand, and I went to my new doctor yesterday. Several things are slightly amiss: my blood pressure is high (and it's normally perfect), I have an irregular heartbeat (EKG revealed several additional beats in there), and my thyroid is perhaps working a little more than it ought. The doctor thinks maybe it's hyperthyroidism, which would explain the heart things, my struggles with weight even on a diet, my fatigue, and my anxiety.

It's strange, the timing of this appointment. I'm not so scared about my own health, just mystified. In fact, I feel so ungrateful for the body I've been given. I don't take care of it very well at all. Of course, my doctor thinks that with my schedule as it is, I'm doing a fairly decent job. But I know I neglect myself.

Most of you who read this know Jared and Skye and their current experience with cancer. The past few months I've reflected a lot about it.

The night before last I found out that one of my dear old friends (an ex-boyfriend, coincidentally) from BYU days has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He's only 23. He takes care of himself. He's full of life. He just started college in Hawaii. And now he's facing eight months of chemotherapy and hospital bills.

And I guess I'm kinda mad that someone whose body should be healthier than mine has been given such a horrible disease. And that someone who has a little baby should have it too. And what am I doing to take care of myself?

Not gross this time!

I looooooooovvee autumn.

The first day I step outside and smell the smell of October is one of my favorite days of the year...













The beautiful sunrises that I've been enjoying as I drive to work start my day off wonderfully...










The squash soup, the pink and red berries, the crunch of leaves underfoot, the anticipation of trees' color transformation, the wearing of sweaters and scarves, the smell of carved pumpkins, the visible puff of your own breath...













Oh, I love it, I love it all!


**I've decorated my classroom with spiderwebs, fake gourds (real ones would get stolen and smashed, unfortunately...), and orange leaf clusters (thank you Michael's 50% off sale!). My Smartboard looks like it lives in the forest. I have self-appointed decorating advisers that add little things every day. How many leaves are too much?

Turn away, those weak-stomached!

I'm home sick--a rare occurrence for a teacher. My voice is barely working, and even though I'm still functioning, the others told me I should take the day off and sleep in and watch cheesy tv shows. I'll take that.

*Do not read below if you get grossed out easily*
Unrelated news--last Saturday I inhaled a string. The resulting coughing fit caused so much pressure to my head that it caused a subjunctive hemorrhage.... which means that the capillaries in my eyes burst and bled between my eyeball and the thin, clear film that covers it. The picture below will help gross you out. It doesn't really hurt, but it's been a handy tool to win instant street cred with the boys at the school.










Don't worry, it'll go away in a week or two. No doctors needed.

Long days.

I am tired.

Two 13 hour work days in a row, with a 1-hour commute both ways...

Parent phone calls, lesson planning, after-school homework help, Art Club, Project-Based Learning, Advisory, modifications for English Language Learners, modifications for SPED students, technology, grading, finding time to eat lunch, following directions, explaining directions, writing down directions, no passing periods between classes, learning the Adobe Suite, public relations, ECHO, Reading Strategies, journal writing, tracking sheets, rules, the Constitution, THE MASCOT WE NEED A MASCOT WHAT SHOULD OUR MASCOT BE, homework, drama, enablers, co-dependence, excuses excuses excuses, Evolution is wrong, Math is boring, why do we do this, off campus lunch. Math night, science night, Back to School Night, parent night, meeting night. District meeting. Inservice day. Trainings. E3 coach, PBL coach, IMP coach, WriteSource coach, 1st year teacher mentor(s), ELL support, SPED support, SmartBoard trainer.

Punched in the gut

So, during 2nd period, my principal and the McMinnville School District Superintendent unexpectedly dropped by for a good 10 minutes.

Uuuuuuummmmm..... I hope that's not a normal occurrence. Not a bad experience, but I lost a lot of "teaching umph" resulting from my heart stopping for a good 60 seconds. I wonder if they could actually see my eyes popping out of my head.

They went to everybody's class. Liz lucked out. It was her prep period.

Thank goodness for the quiet ones.

I just wanted to let you all know that my first week of school is going marvelously. James has been relieved that I'm experiencing very little stress. These kids are coming from all sorts of different places--many of them want to be at MACA, lots of them were forced by parents and are trying to get kicked out. So, some classes are more challenging with others. But, as James put it, it's nothing I can't handle--and certainly it doesn't compare with some of the other situations I've dealt with. I just hope I don't have to use my restraint training during Math class, you know? ha ha. But really, I'm feeling fantastic right now. The staff at MACA is phenomenal--very smart, very supportive.

From Tuesday morning to Wednesday afternoon we spent our time at Camp Yamhill. 40 hours with 165 stinky teenagers (60% boys in the school!) was definitely an experience I'll never forget. But I got to know several students pretty well and formed what we like to call "alliances" with some of the troublemakers. For some reason, it seems like they gravitate toward me, which is funny 'cause I'm a total nerd. Once we got into the classrooms (today) and got to see my mad SMARTboard skillz, they were pretty impressed. That thing is awesome.

Today in my class we talked about bullying. On the way out the door, a quiet girl said to me, "That was really good." That was so nice to hear. And after the next period, another girl said, "Math is my favorite subject!" (They know I'll be teaching math). So sweet.

I think I also managed to jazz some up about taking psychology next semester--we aren't offering it now, but Deb just ordered psych textbooks (of my choosing).

My school day goes pretty fast, but it's also exhausting. At 8:30, I'm already pooped. Poor James has a pretty boring wife. I get up at 5:00, leave by 6:15, and his alarm doesn't even go off until 7:45. So, our schedules are pretty far off. :( I'm in bed for hours before he's tired.

Oh, and my schedule changed again. Some of my fellow (and more experienced teachers) realized that I'm teaching four different classes--which means I have four different subject/lessons to prepare every day. This is, as they said, "insanity, and not really fair." (Most of them are teaching two, and they've been teaching a lot longer than me.) So, they switched some things around to try to make it easier for me. My schedule is now:
Prep period
Cognitive Tutor (math on computers, study time)
two Science classes (diving right into Evolution. Heaven help me. This is a really conservative place.)
two Math classes
Digital Photography/Photoshop

You may have noticed that I am STILL teaching four different classes. At least they're chunked together now.

It's real!

This is my new classroom. I'm not finished setting it up yet, but I thought I'd share anyway. Notice the SMARTboard and mounted projector in the ceiling. My board has already earned the nickname "Sharkie." For some reason I just decided that the poster fit nicely under the SMARTboard, and now I can't imagine him anywhere else.
"Who wants to come up to Sharkie?" "Great presentation! Sharkie's proud."











Another view, looking at the back...











And from the back, to front.











This is the whole school. I'm at the farthest corner of the building; all of MACA but the library and cafeteria are housed on the second floor of a very old building. It will be nice to be able to peek out my door during passing period and see every single one of the students.










The office. Andrea, Paul, Heather, Donna, Liz, Doug and I are all in here. It's all about collaboration! And NOT killing each other.










Both Doug and I's desks are placed right at the entrance of the L-shaped office. We face each other, so I can only imagine how many staring contests we'll have. On the other hand, since we're teaching the same classes, planning together will be easy. He just ran Hood to Coast, and he's also a tennis coach, hence the clothes. We Nerdspeak to each other, since we are both very aware of our nerd-dom. The other day, we discussed binary for a good 20 minutes.

THIS is what I've been up to...

Edutopia article about MACA...

Paul, Andrea, Deb, and Laurie are my fabulous peeps!

Help me!

I am really really wanting to go spend time in nature before school starts. Just one night. And I know it'll be packed, but we can hike in somewhere.

If anybody else would like to do some camping, please let me know!

Movin' right along

I'm tired, and stressed, and scared silly about starting school.

A Bed, a Book, & a Skunk

If you were to walk into our apartment at any time this past weekend, there was a great chance that you'd encounter this scene, only with me in it as well. Reading the book.

Skunk spent the entire weekend cuddled up to us readers.

Oh, and by the way, the book was awesome, for those of you who haven't finished it. And for those who have no idea what book I'm talking about, you should read the news now and then. :)

It's all about class.

Last night I had the wonderful privilege of making dinner with Hubby. We took a trip down to the Portland Farmer's Market and got fresh, organic onions, basil, apricots, raspberries, locally farmed sausage (the pigs were farmed, I guess. Not the sausage), peppers, tomatoes, and olive ciabatta. Then we got some fresh linguine, fresh Parmesan, and soft black peppercorn & parmesan Rondele to toast on the bread. Several hours later, we had a delicious spaghetti sauce made! I also had Cuban Oregano in the kitchen, which was also added to the sauce. I didn't take a picture of the apricot-raspberry "crisp", because it was more of a "soggy." Still delicious, even if it was soupy. And I must add, that I think the sauce was one of the best tomato sauces I've had in a really really long time. I think it was the Hubby that made it so good.










And this morning I slept in with the skunkie. Can you see how his back feet are flipped all the way up to his head? and his little front paws are tucked up by me? I love him I love him!

Finally, I have some good news to share. After much deliberation, I decided to go the "classy" route with my car. We purchased this gem on Monday evening.










Notice the absence of hubcaps--a real nice touch. And the tape that's been baked into the windshield.










No car would be incomplete without a bashed-in trunk missing its lock! This beauty can only be opened by climbing behind the back seats and pulling on a cord.
I would have also had a picture of the gaping hole in the dash with the wires hanging out of it where a radio would be, but I quickly installed an actual device that plays music. I DO have an hour commute, after all.
The ignition has a special "trick" to it, the driver's side door can't be unlocked so you have to go through the passenger side, and there's a couple places on the dash where buttons used to be but aren't anymore. At least it has power steering.
All this, for a mere $800!!!!! Actually, for as great as the engine runs, that's quite a "steal." Get it?
Oh, and now I've been doing plenty of reminiscing about Waffles, my old '88 Mercury Tracer. This one doesn't look a bit like it, nor does it have the same engine, but it's a manual as well, and handles quite similarly. Oh, Waffles! This one I named "Joey Lawrence."