A week in the life of Joey…

OK, I know it's been awhile since I've posted, well it's been just over two years to be exact, but whose counting? I can't say when I'll post again, but here is a glimpse of my past week. Enjoy!

Monday – President’s Day, a no school day, a day I planned for R and R. (I should be allowed that once and awhile right? So I begin the day with preparing to take Katie to the psychiatrist for a med check-up, when Kristen calls from the optometrist.  During this yearly checkup the doctor notices that she has optic nerve swelling and needs to have an MRI immediately. I try to calm her troubled nerves, and then continue to work on finishing filling out the necessary paperwork for Katie’s appointment. Katie decided to look up this diagnosis on the internet and begins reading to me all of the possible reasons for Kristen’s optic nerve problem. “Mom it says she could have a brain tumor, MS, or ….” “Yikes Katie you’re killing me!!” I yell. “

I take Katie to her new psychiatrist – it’s rather uneventful – after a blood test we’ll be upping her medication. I’m home for a couple of minutes and take Kristen for her MRI. As we walk in the door the phone rings – it’s the optometrist (that’s never a good sign) – no she doesn’t have a brain tumor, rather a pseudo brain tumor. She has too much fluid on her brain and we need to see a neurologist right away. After many phone calls Kristen gets an appointment for next week.

I take Kate for her physical therapy appointment. (I can’t tell you how many hours I spend in doctor/therapy waiting rooms. I’ve gotten very creative on how to spend my time there!)

Tuesday – I’m back at school, it’s good to be back with my students. Last week I taught 1 day out of 5 due to meetings, and to think I thought I would actually teach with my degree. Geeze, go figure! I check my email and Kristen sends me a message that the neurologist’s office want to see her tomorrow morning. She doesn’t ask any questions as to why, but is understandably frightened. Just as I finish reading and replying to her email, Katie calls. (She doesn’t have school but I do.) She tells me that her guinea pig Miss Daisy is sick. I ask her what is wrong, she replies, that she has pus coming from her bottom.  Katie is very concerned. How do I tell her that on the scale of problem’s right now her beloved Miss Daisy is low on my list? Lee makes arrangements for a vet visit on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, I try to teach and make arrangements for a sub on Wednesday. This will mark the 5^th sub I have had in my room in the past 7 days, although this is the first one not school mandated.

Wednesday – It’s 7:30 am and I’m sitting in the neurologist office with Kristen. As she discusses her symptoms with the doctor and he reviews her MRI from Monday. Now I know Kristen has migraines, she’s had them since middle school, but as he questions her on her headaches, he determines that her headaches aren’t just headaches but migraines and she has been having about 5 a week!! But actually the news from the neurologist was calming. It appears that because of several variables, medication she has been on, her thyroid that is off, her poly cystic ovarian syndrome and Graves ’ disease she is overproducing fluid and under producing fluid absorption. He prescribed new medication to help with the fluid problem, changed her migraine medication, and told her never to take any medication with cycline in it. She needs an MRV to monitor her fluid which is scheduled next week. Good news though if we hadn’t caught this, her condition could cause blindness.

The afternoon I work on school work… and when Katie comes home we take Miss Daisy to the vet. Soooo… Miss Daisy could have a UTI, kidney stone or cancer. We needed to decide if we wanted to have an x-ray that might show a stone or cancer. (Cost $200). If she does have a stone, she will not be able to pass it, and of course if it is cancer the only recourse is surgery. (Cost $1.000) I don’t think so! We went the antibiotic route ($15) and Katie is praying that she has a UTI. We’ll see – for now she’s doing better.

Thursday – I’m back at work, but its meeting day for me – soooo,  6^th sub in 8 days. Yikes!!! My poor kids, I really miss teaching them. I arrive at work at 6:45 to prepare for another sub in my room, by 7:15 my colleague calls and asks if I could come to her room for a minute. Our Director of Special Education Services has dropped in and we have an impromptu meeting. While still meeting with her we get an announcement that at 8:01 we will be having a quick impromptu faculty meeting, where upon our principal announces that he has put in his resignation at the end of the school year. Oh my, I think, another new principal to get to know and their expectations. This will mark the 4^th principal in 4 years. UCH! To unwind Lee and I played a game of Qwirkle, and I won!! Booyah!

Friday – I was hoping for a snow day, I could have used a little R and R but was I was glad to be able to teach again yippee! Since I’ve been gone so much lately I needed to re-establish my expectations and while I was reprimanding a group one on my sweet students, Cathy raises her hand.  In frustration I call on her and she says “Mrs. Hartman, I like your jeans.” So much for the life of a special education teacher – it’s kinda “like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.”  Needless to say I enjoyed being home that evening. Jake and Lauren made yummy banana pancakes with buttermilk syrup and I enjoyed watching “Undercover Boss” with the girls. We all went to bed by 9:30 – wow we were tired! I wonder why#?