Final Word

is that you can have Whooping Cough and NOT get a lab result to confirm it...especially if you've been on antibiotics. Which I have. Twice now.

I've been told after the district nurse consulted with the health department that I must stay home until Tuesday when I've finished my antibiotics.

I've also been told I can get 60% of my sick leave back if I get a diagnosis of Pertusis...which seems difficult to do in my situation. Gurrrrrr.

Basically my chart says this: "Bronchial Pnemonia presumed Pertusis".

Take my advice...go now, get your DTaP booster, yes they have that for adults now. They are obviously giving it to the old folks (like my parents), ask for it.

The good news? My personalized rate of return on my 401K is up to 44.98% Cool!

The Dr. Says

I must stay home tomorrow and take my NEW antibiotics and rest. He thinks I probably do have Whooping Cough and some other infection in my intestines...possibly an infection caused by my last antibiotics (I didn't know that could happen). Interesting on my note for work he put suspected Pneumonia...I guess the whole Whooping Cough "thing" and diagnosis is controversial.

Lots more tests...so we'll see what comes of that. Oh..and I have 'thrush' in my mouth from the inhaler.

When will it end.

Still sick...

Deja Vu? Worked today. It was O.K. the first 1/2, but by the end of the day I thought I was going to pass out. I'm going to the Dr. tonight....again.

Yes,

I was home sick again today. I think I'll be going in tomorrow, even though I know we have an assembly...how I dread assemblies.

Good News

and there is always some good news. I've put my entire 401K (don't be too jealous...not really that much $$) into 'high risk' investments and seen a 40% return this quarter. It is very fun to check my balance each day. Maybe it will all go away...always the risk, but it was fun to watch :)

I don't plan on touching it for 20 years...so does it really matter? Robert or Steve, feel free to call me and give me advice :)

Oh yeah

Vitamin Water is just the best!!! So much better than Gatorade.

Home Sick

Feeling a little better. Taking a nap soon.

Today I found out we have 2 students at our school with Whooping Cough. Hummm could what be what this horrible cough is? Wasn't I vaccinated you say. The vaccine wears off around age 10 which is why most who get it are teens and adults.

And if I don't have it, I'm not so excited about going back to school with a cough and such a weak immune system.

New Rx

So, looks like I was lucky enough to catch an intestinal virus after my wonderful respiratory virus. Doc gave me 2 new drugs. The pharmacist warns that one Rx might make my neck muscles get stiff--- WHAT? . I then look at the laundry list of possible horrible things (difficulty swallowing, mask-like face, shuffling walk, puffing of cheeks, lip smacking - WHAT, again I say WHAT. ) I decided to research this drug... Compazine. Seems it is given for nausea AND schizophrenia. Some side effects can be irreversible:

Compazine should not be administered at doses of more than 20 mg per day or for longer than 12 weeks, because the use of Compazine at higher doses or for longer intervals may cause persistent tardive dyskinesia that may prove irreversible (see WARNINGS ).

Okay. He prescribed 10 mg every 6 hours. Ummmm -not taking THAT drug.

I'm off to lay on the sofa and hope my other meds do the trick.

Home

I made it 1/2 day through work. My mentor teacher said I needed to go home. Really crappy night again last night. I knew I shouldn't go to work today...but since I'd just had 3 days off I figured I just had to try to make it in. By the time I figured out just how sick I still was, it was too late to turn back. I found a 1/2 day sub. unfortunately it's the really easy 1/2 of the day. Anyway I REALLY need sleep. I'm off to take a nap then I'm headed to the Dr. today at 3:30.

Oh yeah, as I was leaving... the sub who was covering my room for 20 minutes came in blowing her nose. Crap...now I'm afraid to go back. Actually before I left my phone rang and she picked it up then handed it to me, I did not want to take it but had to.

I don't even know what to say this morning. Basically this is absurd. I guess I'll just leave it at that. I'll go back and lay on the couch now.

Night From Hell

Terrible night. I'm having a hard time keeping a positive attitude. I just want to cry today because I'm so so so tired of being sick....and worry about how this is / might effect my new job.

I just tried to take a nap and Declan woke me up 2x. I wanted to spank him in a very serious way after the 2nd time. My voice is almost gone and he won't listen very well. I am very weak and exhausted. I'm afraid to eat much of anything because of my stomach issues.

This is insane, that's all I can say. My parents are being helpful...but that is never stress-free. Right now it just sucks being a single parent.

Doxycycline Sucks!

I have progressively started feeling crappy in a whole new way. My stomach is constantly upset or sour. My vision is just weird. My brain is cloudy. Today I began to wonder if maybe I'm having depression issues... Well maybe I thought that because a teacher friend asked yesterday if this was all a "veges nerve reaction" to the stress of my new job. What? Maybe I'd consider that if I was having a headache, upset stomach, IBS or tremors, but a cough with a high fever? I don't think I have that much control over my body.

I've finally had enough of my stomach and realize that it might be the antibiotic. So I googled it. Turns out all my feeling crappy, dizzy, and just plain "bad" symptoms can be attributed to Doxy. I'm 5 days into 10 and I'm stopping. Everything I've read says I really shouldn't have been on it anyway. Just a shot in the dark on day 5 of a fever.

Then again, maybe I've come down with some stomach virus. NO. NOT possible. Either way my stomach can't handle the doxy.

ON ANOTHER SUBJECT

Declan actually cried in the car on the way to school yesterday. He misses seeing his non-school friends (Zachary, Theryn, Solomon and Coleman). It was sooo sad. I think it has been most difficult not seeing the kids I use to babysit every week. It has been over 3 weeks with the school craziness, his being out of town and our illnesses. He had a play date last night and was so happy.

He has been a sweet heart. He loves taking care of a sick Mama. Today he peeked back in as he was headed out the door and said "I love you sooo much Mama, don't ever leave the world."

No Fever!!!

I still don't feel great. Weak, dizzy, tired, but I'm on the up-swing. I took today off, working yesterday was a mistake.

It's been nice to have a slow morning with Declan. He has been gone the last two weekends so it has been a while since we haven't woken up to an alarm clock. I'm so tired, I think I need a nap already. Additional good news is that I've dropped 5 lbs. My stomach has felt fine I just haven't had the energy to eat much. Maybe this is the start I needed to my new diet :)

101

That's still my temp, but I feel better, does that count.? My temperature didn't spike last night and so far things are holding steady. I must have some very stubborn virus.

I am planning to work tomorrow, just don't want to take another day off. On the good side- I will have dental insurance in 12 DAYS! I've been without it for 3 years now, I'm sure I'll be getting at least one crown in the near future.

I'm off to watch The Flintstones with Declan. I just love my XBOX 360. I've downloaded Huckleberry Hound and The Flintstones. I also downloaded the movie Popeye for us to watch this weekend. This is definitely the way of the future....no more blockbuster video.

Gurrr

Fever of 103 last night. I didn't work today. I hate missing work. I'm still having a fever today so I should probably stay home tomorrow. 24 hours on antibiotics so hopefully this is bacterial and I'll be feeling better. This just sucks!!

Still sick...

A fever of 103 Friday. Low fever continues. Feels like the flu...but I guess it's some "virus" Isn't the FLU a virus? Back to the Dr. today he gave me an inhaler and antibiotics. It is a pretty odd sickness. Serious lung issues and sore throat. My sinus' / nose is fine ??? my back is super sensitive...like the flu.

Anyway I haven't tried the inhaler yet, I've never had one before. I guess you can have a racing heart and feel shaky for about 10 minutes after. Hummmm not the ideal side effect for a person who is on the anxious side....

Declan is coming home soon. I guess he is getting much better.

School is going REALLY well. I LOVE my kids. I believe they mostly love me. Well, I'm sure it helps that I let them into my room at lunch one day a week to play the Wii and blast their music. They had a great time on Friday. I was feeling like crap, but it was good to see them having so much fun.

Lots of phone calls to parents this weekend. All the kids who haven't been turning in assignments. The nice thing is that those phone calls tend to be very short. I also made a few "your kid is so wonderful to have in my classroom" calls - those are much more fun and seem to last longer.

There are two other new teachers on my team and it is very interesting to hear how things are going. They have both talked about not having plans ready the day they teach. That is soo weird to me. I Spend 90% of my time planning and only 10 percent grading. I really am an efficiency expert; I knew I'd pull off this teaching thing with less "outside" hours than most. Except for the extra hours I'm spending calling parents and doing project "stuff" that really isn't necessary.

I use to manage a movie theatre and if the last movie dropped at 12:30. I was out the door at 12:31, well okay 12:40 (I had to wait for the guests to leave). Other managers would be in the building until 1:30 or 2 (not you Robert) that was so weird to me. I am always looking for ways to streamline the system. BUT I'm always very, very prepared (just don't want to give the impression I'm a slacker).

Anyway...just kind of interesting to talk with my teaching partner today who talked about grading for 5 hours. WHAT? 5 hours...can't imagine. Maybe someday, who knows.

Quick Update

Much better week this week. Well in real life, but my dreams have been crazy and I mean crazy!

On Monday a student brought me a present :) What a way to start my week. Did I tell you that on Friday another student asked for a hug? What a great age.

My son has had a cough for SIX weeks. At first it was allergy related (gotta take the good with the bad, right James? :) Then when I became sick I realized it had morphed into a nasty virus. I've felt pretty bad physically the last two days (burning lungs with a cough). I figured it was time to get Declan to the Dr again (he went two weeks ago re "the cough") Now he has major ear infections in both ears. This morning he woke up sicker still.

His Dr. said that once he finishes his antibiotics we need to get his allergies under control or he'll get every bug in his classroom. Wonderful news as his insurance will be pretty crappy starting in January (that's another story, my X's insurance not mine)

I'd love to take a sick day today, but won't because I want to save them for when my parents are gone and can't help with Declan. He's going to be home with them today. Soon they'll be leaving for 4 months and that won't be an option.

Hope everyone else is feeling better than us :)

Well Now...

...that was in interesting week.

The kids are AWESOME. I love this age. My co-workers (well my immediate grade level team) are incredibly supportive. My Principal is an amazing advocate for BOTH the kids and the staff. However, it was a VERY, VERY tough week due to the fact my student with medical issues wasn't being cared for properly. It was insane how poorly it was handled. After several emails to the nurse and several conversations with our building nurse and district nurse and vice-principal I had enough and went to the Principal with the whole ordeal.

Actually at about 9 am Friday morning I was in the counselors office crying (the school counselor has become somewhat of a friend) I said I needed to speak to the Principal and gave her a run down of the fiasco. She was shocked, irritated, and very supportive. Those of you who know me IRL, know I'm NOT a crier. It was so stressful I can't even go into it on the blog. It also doesn't help that I'm a brand new teacher and I was desperately trying to work it out without going over anyone's head (four days later I realized that wasn't working).

Finally, the issue is being dealt with and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Now I can really enjoy my kids :)

Oh...and I received this email today (which was copied to my vice-principal):

Teacher,

I wanted to thank you for the extra effort you took to communicate to us on the Advanced Math class. You called us 3 times, to let us know the process this past week, to let us know how our son scored on the first class test this week, and finally to let us know that he was accepted. All 3 times you called were well outside of normal school hours. The Advanced Math process and communication has been a point of frustration for us, and your follow up has been sincerely appreciated.

Thanks again,
Janet

I think it's going to be a VERY good week!

2nd Day

My first day actually went really well. It was pretty positive all around.

However ---today just about put me over the edge. All and all my day was pretty stressful. I wanted to cry at one point...just lack of organization that effects my students and I have no control. Overall I think the stress is just extreme right now. Cut to...I go to pick up Declan and when I ask where he is, his teacher looks confused. She is in the office with two other kids. Her assistant says "Maybe he's in the classroom." NO. I just checked there. Hummm he must be on the bus. Not a bus home, but the bus that takes the kids to another elementary school to get on another bus to go home. It was all I could do to hold it together. If I wasn't an employee of this district...I would not have been so composed. Although at one point I finally marched into the office and got right in the secretaries face and said you need to call X elementary school RIGHT NOW and pull my son off the bus and be sure he doesn't get on another bus.

More details later. I'm exhausted from the experience. Gurrrrrrr


(Casey I know this just about puts you over the edge just reading about it...sorry.)