My New Scooter

     I've been walking around on a foot that has a crush injury, caused by an angry child, for over a year now.  I've been prescribed creams and patches, have custom orthotics, and must wear jogging shoes for their cushion and shock absorption.  Nothing works, even on the rare occasion when I can stick to the 15 minutes I'm allowed to be on my feet per hour.
     I find workers' compensation a mixed bag.  It's nice to know that if I get hurt at work, I'll be taken care of.  I was given prompt treatment and treated quite well on the phone, and have been given appointments, diagnostic tests, and treatments in a timely manner.  I appreciate getting paid for time off (not for writing sub plans, though!) to go to appointments and for my mileage. The reality is, though, that the patient still has to be her own advocate.
     After walking around on a foot that needed to be rested for over a year, being deprived of my active lifestyle, getting crabby by lunchtime, and becoming more and more resentful of my condition, a student of mine arrived at school with a broken foot and a scooter.
     Around the campus he zipped.  Around the campus I hobbled.  His foot healed, mine still has not.  Granted, they are not the same injury.  So at my next six week appointment, I asked/told the doctor that I wanted one.  So he ordered me one.  That's what I mean, I have to ASK for what I want and can't just trust that my own doctor is looking out for me.  I didn't even know such an apparatus existed!  Why didn't he suggest it?
     So it arrived the day before the last day before Thanksgiving break.  It needed to be assembled, which I tried to do myself (I'm a master at assembling Ikea stuff), but couldn't figure it out.  So my husband tackled the project.  He ended up having to get a hammer......a few grumbles later (this thing is definitely not of Swedish design and I'm glad I'm not an arthritic, little old lady living on her own!) it was ready for use.

     I was a little self-conscious, but not so much so that I was willing to put up with this foot any longer.  I used it whenever I needed to travel around campus, which on a Friday, is about five+ times.  It made a HUGE, HUGE difference!  So much so that I wonder how my foot would be doing if I'd had this thing from the very beginning.  Only time will tell.
     It needs some tweaking as it's a little hard on the knee I must stand on.  I would suggest bicycle-like tires and/or shock absorbers.  The breaks aren't that great either.  But overall, it's an improvement over walking up and down the corridors all day long.

    Take my advice and avoid this entire ordeal:  Don't make a child get out from under a table.  Ever.
     

Airborne, Anyone?

     I can now count on being sick at exactly the same times of year like the countdown of the space shuttle.  Last conference starts (3), last conference wraps up (2), parents leave the room (1), I don't know what to do next because there is so much that has been neglected (blastoff!).
     As if on cue, after a week of conferencing, my throat got scratchy and has progressed into extreme tiredness.  Hopefully, Airborne, which claims to have been created by a teacher, works.  I believe it does, and if it's ever scientifically proven that it doesn't is no guarantee I'll stop using it.  I've tried nearly all the cold and flu preventions I know of...Airborne, Zicam, vitamin C, echinacea tea in various brands, doses, and frequency, Super Antioxidant tea, getting 8 hours of sleep every night, eating healthy, washing my hands 20,000 times a day and not ever, EVER touching my face.  Yet, still.  I must touch my face here and there because there is no reason I should be sick.  I'm exposed to more germs than the average bear on a daily basis, my body forms antibodies that work on viruses like Wonder Woman blocks bullets with her wrist thingies, so shouldn't my immune system be that of Wonder Woman's?

     

    Look at her...all physically fit and healthy, hair and makeup done to perfection, outfit and accessories perfectly "going" together.  She is the vision of a strong immune system, strong intellect, and strong super powers, and she never comes in contact with even one child.  Well, maybe she saves one once in a while, I'll give her that.

     I thoroughly enjoyed conference week.  I always feel like I've accomplished the hardest part of the year, marked by the closing of that very last meeting.  NOW we can get down to business, all that wiggling around on the rug, the running (not walking) to go nearly everywhere, and the excessive, loud talking will stop now that my students' parents and I have spent 30 minutes talking about them.  l. o. l.

     But seriously, I always feel like meeting with the parents forms a better bond between us, that we create a  little team that has the same goal, and the lines of communication are more open now that we've had a face to face conversation.  We all know each other a little bit better and everyone (I hope) feels more comfortable approaching each other about this or that.

     As for me and my little illness, at least I have the means to get remedies, the time to rest, and live in a comfortable home that feels like a safe haven.  It can always be worse, and I'm never oblivious to that.  Come Monday morning, I bet I'll be walking around campus in an awesome outfit with stars shooting out my back, too.