Doctoring

Last week Hubby and I did the optometrist. Both of us have cataracts but neither of us requires surgery -- yet. We did, however, need to get new prescriptions filled for new frames / lens so we could continue to see through our non-surgery-yet-eyeballs.

This week I've done both the physician and the dentist. Yesterday I met with my internist and got ALL the meds refilled. I'm now up to seven daily -- and honestly, I like all seven. My high blood pressure continues to be handled by the beta blocker -- but just barely. Stress has made both the wellness clinic and the internist look at me askance after taking the pressure reading. Celebrex is heavenly. You only need take it when the arthritis is really hurting -- and it doesn't affect the thinking or make you want to sleep. The gout medicine does make one want to sleep -- and I just learned I can't take it with the Celebrex -- but one only needs take it when the gout is flaring. The minute the gout stops, so do the pills. The other meds are just stuff to keep the body functioning and but nothing makes me feel bad or sad or loopy -- so it's all good.

Today, in the 109 degree heat, I ventured out to the new dentist. I finally decided it was time to move from the dental school -- and so I picked a dentist on the list for my insurance that was only a mile from my house. From his name I expected a middle aged white guy -- and white guy I got, but a young one with a sweet demeanor and a good dental assistant. All in all I was pleased with his technique -- especially since he didn't suggest any radical procedures, took the insurance without complaint -- and didn't charge me for the initial visit. Also he has really good office hours.

One of my goals this summer was to handle all my own medical issues and now that's been done. Guess I'm really for school for start on -- Thursday. Good grief! Thursday. Actually on Thursday I only have to attend a mentor luncheon. My principal assigned me the new SPED teacher on my floor -- she's new to the district but I googled her name and she looks to be pretty well grounded in all things educational, so I don't think I'll have to do much to mentor her. I get a small stipend for doing the mentoring -- about a thousand bucks but for that I have to attend a monthly meeting with the mentee and at least three dinners at the ed building. I'm not thrilled at the prospect but accepting the principal's appointment seemed politic so I reluctantly agree. Now all I've got to do is work up a positive attitude, something that, frankly, I really don't feel. Maybe if the weather will just cool down a little.

My Life on Febuary 1, 2011

This is where I'm spending my time for the next 16 weeks (not blogging, not creating exciting lesson plans) while attempting to finish up six of the nine hours I still need for SPED certification:


Nikita is the only one enjoying the current blizzard going on outside my window right this very moment (he is a young polar bear just moved to the KC Zoo):

This is my favorite movie of the year which Hubby and I actually took the time to see over the weekend (and I only felt extremely guilty that I wasn't home writing one paper or another for the first 30 minutes of the film and then I was totally engrossed):

This is the new technological love of my life -- a gift from my favorite sister-in-law for Christmas (if you don't have one, honestly, you SHOULD):

P.S. The Kindle is the 9.7 inch one -- and so easy to use!

This is the novel I slogged through on the Kindle (among several others) before I started the final to last semester at Pitt State:

P.S. I didn't much like the plot -- it was depressing mostly -- but I read the whole thing which is a grand testimont to Franzen's writing ability because I couldn't put the book down. He does capture 40 something white middle class people very nicely. And if your considering the book, it does have a happy ending.

P.P.S. I also read the newspaper on the Kindle daily. And it has several really nice games.

This is why Hubby is feeling sick and tired nearly all the time:

And this is the medication that we think is causing him the worst of the problems. The good news is that if we ever get the clotting factor right, then this disappears for ever:

Finally, this is the biggest problem right now at my high school (though repeated snow days will make me very unhappy come June when we're still in school making up days):

It's very frightening to see how enraptured our teenagers are with the gang culture -- and how little they value life, theirs or others. And it's very frightening how often this culture is now invading our hallways and clasrooms. We knew it was in the community, but until this year, we had not had to confront it so directly on a daily basis.