So it begins. Monday rolls around, alarm going off shortly after 5 a.m. and I start the routine. Feed feline, get clean, attempt to style hair, hope that I remember to take my meds, pack up my bags and try to get the door open.
By the way, it's always bags, never just a purse or one bag. Today I had a purse, a lunch pail, a school bag, and another bag to carry other stuff in.
I live downstairs by the way, so it's a balancing act trying to get my large, unsteady body up the two flights of stairs with all the bags. Then I have to open the door of the apartment building and go down a set of stairs to get to the ground level. Half the time I am locking the car doors with great fervor instead of unlocking them because I can't see because of all the damn bags.
Today I limped around at work because my right foot and hip are giving me some special gifts of their own. I tend to stand almost the entire time I am teaching, whether at the board, or lecturing, or moving to work with students around the room. Directions for me are to sit as much as possible but when the kiddos are there that doesn't happen. My students know I have MS but part of teaching is that almost constant movement here, there, and everywhere. Of course, amongst all the movement I carry papers or books or other important things and then put them down and lose them. I spend a lot of time looking for things I just had in my hand.
Summer vacation was great in that there is no money but also no work that has to be done. This year I could not tolerate the heat at all so that made it tough to actually enjoy most of the vacation. The last few years haven't been that bad but this year was a doozy with my bod and the heat. I was constantly miserable and suffered some pretty awful leg spasms and dizziness. I traveled nowhere and barely left my apartment because I needed to be rightnexttothefan; yes, really that close! It is still in the 70s now and I'm still uncomfortable with the heat.
Most days I am in the school building for 9 hours which shatters most people's idea of a teacher's work day. I also bring stuff home every single night and every single weekend. There is always more to do and when you think you are done, you just start pushing the giant boulder back up the steep hill. Yippee, what fun.
This is the fourth day back with kids for me. I hope God really is riding shotgun because I am going to need some major help to get me through this.
**As part of my Tysabri not-call-a-thon to everyone under the sun news, I must let you know that the hospital infusion center that was SURE they were going to start working with my doctor didn't call me back. The hospital was going to call first thing this morning to find out and then leave me a message.
No one did, imagine that.....
3 comments:
I can really relate to many of your posts. I especially like the title on this one.
I too stand most of the day and find that I run around way more than I care too. For me, the standing is not a major hardship but all the whirring around is really messing with my vision and so after a few hours, I'm dizzy and headachy. I think I'm about to email my doctor because the constant headaches are getting ridiculous.
I knew it was time to quit teaching when the amount of stuff I carried back and forth had to be transported in one of those wire grocery trolly thingies... It used to drive me crazy when non-teacher friends would question my hours/work load ("but you have such a cushy job! you get out at 2PM! you have all summer off!") If only they knew...
I guess everyone sees the grass as greener elsewhere but teaching is like being a mom to 20-30 kids all day every day. You don't know how it is until you're doing it.
We do what we can with what we have but sometimes it sucks the life out of you.
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