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Week 30

Posted on June 12, 2017 by auburnchick

Wow!  The first week of summer vacation was so busy, and that extended even into my recovery from the trimalleolar fracture I suffered way back in November.

I changed up my schedule and went to physical therapy in the mornings instead of the afternoons.

During Monday’s visit, my ankle wasn’t nearly as sore as it had been the previous week.  Then, I went home and completed a slew of chores, which I posted about here.

On Tuesday, I got up pretty early and worked out.

Leg Day

My physical therapist had advised me to go lightly with the weights when doing lower body work.  I still managed to burn a ton of calories!

Then, I hopped in the car and headed over to Bigger City, Florida, where my surgeon is located, for the appointment I’d scheduled the week before.

Y’all, it rained ALL THE WAY there . . . from the moment I left my garage.  I was so nervous as semis passed me on the interstate and flooded my windshield with extra water.

I grabbed a sandwich from an eatery that we don’t have in Podunk, FL, and then drove to the doctor’s large office center.  There are a bajillion doctors in this practice; they are quite popular with people like me driving there from hours away to get treated by their wonderful staff.

First up was an x-ray . . .

It still boggles my mind to see all of the hardware that is surrounding my ankle.

The doctor came in and began pushing and pulling on my ankle while he listened to me describe the symptoms that had led me there.  You see, we had both thought that I was done visiting him for this injury.

He asked a few questions, squeezed a few places up and down my ankle, and then explained that I have Achilles’ Tendonosis.

Yeah, you read that right.  It’s not tendonitis.  I later googled to be able to adequately understand the difference . . .

Here’s what’s going on.  When I injured my ankle, I was bound up for nine total weeks.  During that time, I wasn’t able to use that tendon.  Once I began using it again, it had to recover from the trauma.  It’s very weak and becomes irritated very easily because it’s not flexible either.

Then, the doctor told me about the treatment . . . “heavy eccentric loading.”  This is a different physical therapy protocol from what I’ve been doing up to this point.  Whereas, we’ve focused on flexibility, mobility, and strength, now my exercises will center around working the tendon to the point of tearing it down.  I already have microfiber damage as it is.  When it repairs itself, it will be stronger.  It’s akin to what your muscles do when you work out with weights and are sore for the next few days.  They are rebuilding themselves.

Did you just cringe?

I wish I could have taken a picture of my face when the doctor described it to me.

“Sounds painful,” I told him.

He smiled and nodded.

Perspective kicked in immediately, though, and I told him that considering what I’ve already been through, I could take it.  Nothing beats the pain of breaking three bones, having your ankle immobilized in a temporary cast with no room for swelling, and not getting strong enough pain medicine those first two days.  Thank heavens for THIS doctor, who quickly remedied my early woes.

He went on to explain that my new exercises would stress the negative movements . . . i.e. the going down motion when doing calf raises or seated leg presses.

I asked him to explain how I would know if I was getting better, and he told me to ask myself the question, “Do I feel better today than I did a month ago?”

But, I told him, I can only focus on a week (and sometimes a day) at a time.

He repeated the question, “Do I feel better today than I did a month ago?”

But, but, but . . .

“Do I feel better today than I did a month ago?”

Yes, he actually said it three times.

I am slow that way.

He told me that I have an 80% chance of making a full recovery from the tendonosis if I follow the protocol.  I should be able to tell a difference in six to eight weeks.

I walked out of there with a new PT prescription and a mandate to call his nurse if I needed anything.

On Wednesday, I went back to physical therapy with the RX in hand along with the notes I’d typed into my phone.  My therapist and I had a chat; he had basically started the new protocol that Monday when he’d added a standing calf raise and an extra set of stretches to my list of exercises.  On Wednesday, he added a couple more.

That right there is me going down a step . . . over and over again.

I have had a LOT of trouble going down sets of steps.  I haven’t been doing impact things with the ankle, but it’s time.  My therapist wants to help me become fully functional; this is part of that process.

It felt wonderful, although I need to, upon reflection, practice stepping down more than one step.  As it is, I can only step down one at a time (putting my left foot down on the same step before going to the next one).  I need to learn how to walk down multiple steps in a more fluid motion.  That will come.

Now, I need to take a second to talk about that new RX.

My insurance plan allows me to have a certain number of visits every six months.  Once I use them up, they don’t cover.  I’d mentioned this a couple of months ago when I ran out.  Fortunately, my PT’s office has a special program that they allowed me to use that didn’t break the bank.  I’m on my third session of it; however, they won’t allow me to sign up for another one.  I will finish on June 19th with the session I’ve already paid for.

On Wednesday, I learned that my insurance company won’t start doling out my new visits until the end of July . . . six months after the first time I went to physical therapy (January 23).

So, there will a gap in my physical therapy.

My physical therapist went ahead and printed out home exercises, even though I still had three more visits.  He wants me to start working on them from home.

Just the front page . . . the packet is at least three pages long. Be jealous.

My home now looks like a physical therapy site . . .

I was not a happy camper that day; having all of my ducks on a row is important to me, and having a fluid treatment program is integral to my healing.

BUT . . . I prayed that God would work it out, and I believe that He has.

Honestly, the break in therapy is probably a good thing.  The Mr. will be having a big surgery the end of this month, and I was going to miss a week of therapy anyway.  I’ll also need to be home with the Mr. at least a week after we get him home from the hospital; we just don’t know how he’s going to do with it being such a major surgery.

I’m going to plan on starting therapy again on July 24th, which is only about a month from when I will have stopped.  I’ll do my exercises from home, and then I’ll finish up the last six weeks at my PT’s office with my ultimate goal set at being able to jog/run again.

I had to email the nurse to find out if the doctor would write me a new script for the therapy because I’d heard that scripts are only good for thirty days.  She quickly replied to my email and assured me that it wouldn’t be a problem, so we’re good there.  I also called my insurance company to verify when my new visits would be dropped back into my account, and it looks like I’ll be ahead by one visit after that first week since I went to therapy three times the first week I started in January and I’ll only need to go twice a week once I start back.  So, I’m good there.

God took care of the details.

I guess you can see why my week was so nuts!  It was emotionally draining.

All I want to do is make a full recovery; kinks in my progress frustrate me as much as not being able to physically do the things I was doing before I broke my ankle.

I still trust God and praise Him for the way He is taking care of me.

There is still so much #joyinthejourney.  I am grateful for the people I am meeting, the things I am learning about how the body works, and the inner strength that God is cultivating inside of my heart as He heals the physical brokenness of my ankle.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Test Stress

Posted on June 9, 2017 by auburnchick

It’s Thursday night as I’m composing this post, and I am stressed.

Why am I stressed, you might wonder?  After all, it is summer vacation, so I shouldn’t be.

I should be happily enjoying a book . . . by the pool . . .

I won’t let the answer float around for long.

Florida teachers who, about a week ago, bade adieu to our precious students, are starting to receive test scores for the recent administration of the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA).

It is my sincerest belief that his event trumps all others as the most stressful time of the year.  The state, after all, has trained us that all of our value is derived from the magical numbers associated with such scores.

It is extremely nerve wracking to pull up rosters of children we spent ten months with and go through each name to see how they fared on a test that is “supposedly” designed to showcase their knowledge.

Ahem.

I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating because the Powers that Be never seem to listen:  What the heck are the people in office thinking?

We teachers see our students as kids with faces . . . stories that differ as much as their individual DNA patterns.  The state thinks that they are all molded from the same clay and should, therefore, fit easily into cleverly designed categories.

We teachers know that our students arrive on test day with a lot of baggage . . . homelessness, frequent absenteeism, behavior issues, hunger, single or no-parent homes . . . the list goes on and on.

The state thinks that students can turn on a switch and perform on command . . . forget about the emotional stuff weighing them down.  They are, essentially, expected to be robots.

I’d love to see open-ended questions that ask students to describe books they read during the school year, because if we teachers have done our jobs properly, we will have fostered some sort of love for reading (or at least started the process).

I bet our kids would be shocked to see a question that asked them to draw a picture of the plot of a story they read.  My kids would ace this type of question . . . one that would allow them to express their knowledge in a creative manner that goes beyond A, B, C, or D.

Yeah, I’m sure those questions would get scrapped pretty quickly if they were ever mentioned during test question discussion forums.

After all, you can’t exactly quantify such answers, now can you, and the state is all about its numbers.

Looking through scores and comparing them to the previous year’s to determine learning gains produces much anxiety.  Take a look at this chart, published in the FSA manual . . .

That right there is how the state decides if a child improved or not and is part of the equation that determines if a teacher is worth his or her salt.

Seems rather fair, doesn’t it.

Ahem.

There are so many things you cannot assign a number to.

I’d like to see the state award extra points to the kids who come to school on the rainiest of days despite living on dirt roads where their buses won’t drive.

Points should be given to the kids who stayed up all night babysitting younger siblings because parents had to work double shifts to make ends meet.

We should double the amount of bonus points every time a student finishes a book and loudly exclaims how much he/she enjoyed it.  All of my students would get these points if that were the case because not a single one leaves my classroom without being able to talk about at least one book that touched their heart (or a series of them, in many cases).

What about the kids who walk or skateboard to school because the bus won’t drive out that far to get them and they have parents who are sleeping off the night shift when it’s time for their children to get to school?  They should be awarded a few points too.

But the state doesn’t care.  Nowhere in their magical formula is there a place for such seemingly “anomalies.”  Isn’t an anomaly something that is rare?  In many schools around Florida, this stuff is the norm.  Dare I say that those who make the rules are completely out of touch with the everyday “minutia” that truly is the education system.

Before I became a teacher, I was one of those “out of touch” people who had no clue what a real school looked like.

Now, I understand.

A real school is one that accepts every child, regardless of ethnicity, learning ability, or gender.  A real school accepts teachers who are just learning the ropes . . . who might have the “with-it-ness” but need time to learn a few of the basics without being completely punished for lack of experience.  A real school is one where the staff builds relationships with the kids with the knowledge that sometimes it takes a few years for the kids to grow up but, in the end, they will, and they will be celebrated as they walk across the stage to accept their diplomas.  Why punish them in the meantime if they don’t make the cut score?

To be sure, test scores can and should be used as a jumping point for reflection, both on the part of teachers, administrators and students; however, the numbers should not be the end-all, be-all.  I wish with all of my heart that the public wasn’t so hung up by the numbers and could see past them to the faces that the numbers represent.  Each face has a story; each story will tug at the sternest of hearts.

The state should place a higher priority on the business of raising children.  Doing so would naturally result in high achievement scores as students would finally believe that others are there supporting them, lifting them up when they can’t stand on their own, and eventually releasing them to fly unassisted.

As it is, the kids know that at the end of the day, it all boils down to The Test.

Which stresses them out.

Which takes us full circle.

I vote for E . . . sleep all summer until it’s time to do it all again.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Thankful Thursday

Posted on June 8, 2017 by auburnchick

You may have noticed that I’m writing more lately.  Well, cue in summer break and a promise to myself to let my heart speak through my favorite medium . . . the written word.

I struggled, though, with an idea for today’s post . . . until I saw Rebecca’s, and then I knew I just had to join in on the fun.  So, I’m linking up with her for my first Thankful Thursday post!  I’m not going to number my items, though.

  • Summer Break – This week, I am so very thankful for summer break.  I don’t really think it’s hit me that I don’t have to go back for a couple of months; it feels more like a long weekend.  I will say, though, that I’m deriving a delicious sense of joy that I can do such things as read a book at leisure, while enjoying a glass of wine, on a Wednesday night.  Yes, that was me last night.  The glass?  I got it from BoredTeachers.com.

  • The Furminator – Y’all, I have dogs who shed.  Like seriously bad.  I’d washed the dogs on Monday, but because it took forever for them to dry, I never got them brushed out.  Molly looked horrible; her fur was sticking out in all directions.  She was also shedding all over the place.  I was vacuuming AFTER the Roomba had run.  I decided she needed a good brushing, and WOW, what a difference!  Not only does she look better now, but my house doesn’t look like it’s been snowed in.


  • Rare Impulse Buys – On Tuesday, I had an appointment with my surgeon.  His office is two hours away, because when you need a good surgeon, you don’t mind traveling.  As I was leaving the city, I passed by a fun little boutique that I knew sells Ginger Snaps.  I don’t know if you remember, but Super Sis bought me a necklace with a charm for Christmas, and I’d since purchased a few more.  You can change out the snaps according to what you’re wearing or your mood.  I absolutely love this piece of jewelry.  It’s so fun and versatile.  So, because the store is located right next to the interstate, it was convenient to run in real quick.  Oh my word, but I saw an adorable little purse, and it just called out to me, as did the Buy 4, Get 1 Free sale.  Ahem.  So, I splurged, while I talked to Super Sis on the phone (she totally agreed that I’d earned it since I survived the school year with all of my various challenges).

The two snaps in the middle are only placed there so you can see them . . . they don’t really snap in place there. That would look weird.

  • Vegan Recipes – Boy, am I thankful for people who know how to write recipes that cater to my dietary needs.  On Sunday, I whipped up a batch of Vegan Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies and Vegan Peanut Butter Date-Sweetened Cookies.  I did take a few of each to share with the physical therapy gals.  They adore baked goods.


  • Long Phone Conversations with Wonderful Friends – On the way home from my doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, I rang up my sweet friend, Jane.  She and I taught our first year together and have enjoyed a sweet friendship since that year.  She recently retired, sort-of, moved to south Florida, and continues to stay rather busy.  I miss her so much.  She’s both a friend and a mother figure.  So, we spent one hour and 47 minutes catching up . . . nearly my entire drive home.  She’s coming to town this week, so we are hoping to meet up for lunch one day.  That will definitely be an afternoon of many laughs.  I love her so.

  • New Friendships – Yesterday, I told you about a new friend I recently made.  I am extremely shy, which is kind of surprising to some people given my presence on social media and this blog; however, I don’t do the public social scene very well.  Thus, it can be hard for me to make new friends.  It’s not that I don’t want to; it’s just hard because I have so many insecurities.  I’ve been rejected a few times, hurt in ways that left lasting impressions.  Plus, it takes a lot of time to invest in a good friendship . . . time that a lot of people aren’t willing to spend or are already spending on other friendships.  I guess there’s a difference between acquaintances and deeper-level friends.  Maybe I just expect all of my acquaintances to be those deep-level friends.  Dang, but see how I overthink things?  Cue in the social awkwardness.  Anyhow, I am thankful for common bonds that bring new friendships together.

There are so many more things I am thankful for, but it’s 12:30, the sun is shining after two solid days of rain, so I’m going to head to the pool (remember the first item on this list?).

I am thankful for soooooo much, but this has been fun . . . purposely listing a few of them.  Thanks, Rebecca (I’m thankful for YOU too!!!).

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

God’s Timing

Posted on June 7, 2017 by auburnchick

I am constantly in awe of God’s timing and the way He weaves the details of our lives to form an ever-expanding and beautifully complete picture.

Take, for instance, a young lady I just became friends with.  My friend, Barb, gave me her name and number after sharing with me that this gal had been offered a teaching position at the same school that I worked at my first year.

I called the gal, and her situation was eerily similar to my own . . . Christian . . . first year upper level English teacher . . . soon-to-be alternative certification student.

She wanted to know about my experiences that first year because the school is small, private, and has some things specific to it that are different from the public schools in our District.

I was able to share the story of my first year . . . the highs and lows . . . things I’d learned since then . . . mistakes I’d made that I would do over if I could.

She, too, was in awe of how God had answered her prayer for guidance regarding her decision to either accept or turn down the position.

She had been looking for a teaching position for awhile; however, as anyone who has ever looked for a job can attest to, unless you have experience in whatever field you’re looking for work in, you will not get hired.  You can’t get experience if you’re not hired.  It’s a frustrating cycle with no easy answer . . . unless someone is willing to take a chance on you.  Given the high stakes in education these days (student test scores, teacher VAM scores, budget matters, etc.), it can be extremely difficult to secure a job despite the supposed “teacher shortages” loudly trumpeted about all over the news.

We talked for a long time, and we texted the next day after she’d accepted the position.

I’m going to be sharing some of my resources with her to, hopefully, help make her first year a little easier than mine was.  At the time, I really didn’t have a mentor, except for Barb, and she was extremely busy teaching her own classroom of kiddos, so I didn’t want to monopolize her time too much.  I did have my friend, Jane, who was also a first-year teacher in a classroom down the hall.  We leaned on each other heavily that first year.  Everyone needs a Jane in her life, especially with such unique circumstances.

This time, it will be my turn to encourage, advise, praise, and console.

This experience is reminding me, yet again, what an incredible God I serve.  He loves each person and knows our needs even before we do.  His plans are perfect; He never leaves anything to chance, nor does He waste anything.

I needed this reminder as some of the details of my own life . . . healing from my ankle . . . the Mr.’s upcoming surgery . . . and everything in-between is getting muddied up a bit.

God is in the details, working behind the scenes to allow things to come to fruition . . . in the proper time.

Filed under: This-n-That | 1 Comment »

Monday #1 of Summer Break

Posted on June 6, 2017 by auburnchick

Can I just say how marvelous it was to wake up yesterday and know that I didn’t have to go into work?

Hold up, lest you think that I didn’t get up until late in the morning.  I had actually set my alarm for 6am because I wanted to get a couple of things done before I headed out the door.

First up was a 2.5 mile walk to finish out my Sirius Half Marathon, a virtual race hosted by the Hogwarts Running Club.

It only took me four days to cover the distance, but who cares!  What matters is that I did it!

Next up on my agenda was physical therapy.  I’ll talk more about that when I post my weekly update.

I had a few errands to run after that before returning home to work out.

Since I had finished a round of Piyo on Sunday, I’d been debating if I was going to do another eight weeks of it.  I discussed it with my physical therapist, and he said that I could lift weights if I was careful not to go too heavy for lower body workouts.

Hence my second try at Body Beast, a Beach Body workout program.  I’d tried it the beginning of March but had one of the worst weeks ever with my ankle, so I had to stop.  I’m going to try to ease into it this time.

After working out, I looked around and wasn’t really sure what to do next.

When ten months of each year are dictated by a 45-minute bell schedule, you aren’t used to having “free time.”

I had so many things on my to-do list that I had a difficult time choosing.  I felt like I had ADHD, not to make light of this, but seriously!  There were so many things I wanted to do!

I decided to tackle a small project that really needed doing . . . replacing the door handle for my laundry room door.  The thing had been coming off every time we shut the door lately.  I’ve got a few new handles in a closet, so I grabbed one and went to work.

This is a chore I’ve done quite a few times, so it didn’t take me long to finish.

Next up was a much-needed task . . . bathing all three dogs.  Gambit had been stinking to high heaven!  This was not something I was looking forward to, though, because I didn’t know how much my ankle would be able to take.

I started with Gambit because he’s always been the hardest to wash.  He surprised me by walking up to me willingly and, for the most part, standing still while I scrubbed him down.  Truth be told, I think he realized that he was getting the best scratch of his life!

Molly was next, and she was definitely the hardest to do.  Her fur is THICK, and she did not want to stay put.  It made me nauseous to feel clumps of her hair on my fingers as I worked.  I need to remember to use gloves next time.

I saved Pele for last.  He LOVES his baths . . . always has!  In fact, he’d stood near me the entire time I was washing the other dogs, even allowing me to spray him with the hose.  What a strange dog!  He sat down and did not move while I scrubbed him.  He looks kind of pitiful in the picture below, but he was smiling a few moments before I snapped it.

By the time I got Pele toweled off and got in the house, where the other dogs had been waiting, I found a huge mess of hair.

I think Molly and Gambit had streaked through the house trying to dry off.  Molly had also rubbed up against the couch, as she’s wont to do.  Sigh.

My last order of business was cooking.  I wanted to make another batch of  Vegan Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies.  These are seriously easy to make, and the texture is PERFECT!  You’d never know that they’re vegan.

I knew I’d be in trouble if I didn’t bake something for the Mr., so I put together a Peanut Butter Cake for him.  I frosted it later, after the cake had cooled.

I had one more recipe I wanted to make before calling it quits for the day . . . Vegan Peanut Butter Date-Sweetened Cookies.  I’d seen this posted on Detoxinista’s blog earlier in the morning and knew I’d be making it.  They turned out pretty good and are tasty!

In between the baking, I managed to cook up some chicken thighs for the Mr., because I can, occasionally, be a good wife.

By the time I was finished cooking and cleaning the kitchen, I was beat.  My ankle had been hurting for awhile, so I knew that I needed to get into my recliner, put the STEM electrodes on my ankle, and ice it down.

I don’t normally like my days packed with so much activity during my vacation, but I think I felt some kind of pressure at having to do “stuff.”

I’m going to try my best to slow down a little bit more and not try to complete as many tasks in one day.

Still, I think it was a good start to my summer break!

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

A Weekend of Movies

Posted on June 5, 2017 by auburnchick

Happy Summer Break, y’all!!

I kicked off my vacation in style by taking in a movie on Saturday.

I had read the book way back in November and was thrilled when I learned that it was coming to the big screen.

The Mr., however, was not exactly chomping at the bit at the idea of seeing a “girlie” movie, so I had to make a decision:  wait for it to come out as a rental or go by myself.

Y’all, I have NEVER gone to the movie theater by myself.  Ever.

I am an introvert, but I’m also so socially awkward that I like to have one friend with me when I’m out like this.  I checked with one gal, but she had to work, so I was on my own.  I decided to go on Saturday because the Mr. had to work.

When I got to the theater, the auditorium was empty, except for two teenagers (you can’t see them because they are sitting in the top row).

Everyone was seeing other movies such as Wonder Woman and Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was nice to be able to put up my ankle without bothering anyone . . .

For the record, I put my phone away after taking this quick photo.

The movie was cute.  It’s not a movie I would typically pay to watch, but I had a vested interest after reading the book.  It stayed pretty true to the plot in the book, which was a relief to me.  I’m a purist and have high expectations for books that are made into movies.

On Sunday, the Mr. and I went to church and then, after a short break at home, went out to see Wonder Woman.

We had seen previews a couple of weeks ago, so I was looking forward to its release in theaters.

Oh.

My.

Golly.

What an AMAZINGLY FANTASTIC movie!

The entire story line flows.  The characters are perfectly cast.  The action is powerful.

There’s humor, there’s love, and it’s pretty clean . . . no cursing or nudity.

This is a movie that I’ll have to buy when it comes out on DVD; I’ll actually be able to show it in my classroom as a reward at the end of a tough semester.

I highly recommend this movie!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Week 29

Posted on June 4, 2017 by auburnchick

Ok, so that’s not my foot, but isn’t that tattoo awesome?  I found this image when I was searching for a “Finding Joy in the Journey” graphic.  I need this tattoo in my life.  Seriously, though.

So, can you believe that today marks 29 weeks (seven months and one week) since I broke my ankle?

I’ve had a lot of ups and downs along the way; this week wasn’t much different.

Monday was a holiday, so I switched up my PT days a bit by going in on Tuesday and Thursday instead.

I’d been in some pain last weekend.  I suspect that this was due to working out and going on two four-mile walks.  The Mr. keeps trying to get me to slow down, but I insist on living my life.

When I went in on Tuesday, I gradually began experiencing more discomfort as I went through my exercises.  It became almost unbearable, so I mentioned it to my physical therapist.

He felt my Achilles’ tendon and was immediately surprised at the knot that I had.  I knew it was going to be a “tool” day.

He also mentioned that I should get in touch with my surgeon . . . that I might need a shot of cortisone since the tendon keeps getting inflamed.

In between the time I finished my exercises and got on the table to be worked on, I googled “cortisone” and “Achilles’ tendon.”  The results did not look promising; some sites mentioned that getting such shots was often discouraged because they could lead to ruptured tendons.

Whoa!

Meanwhile, my therapist got to work, even calling over a student who works at the office to feel my tendon.

I knew it wasn’t good.

He got her to compare my left tendon, which was “loosy goosy” with the right one, which was tight and unyielding.

Then, he got out the “tool” and began the process of rubbing out the knot.

The pain, y’all.  It was a real thing.

Meanwhile, he talked and told me that this would be something I’d probably be dealing with for awhile . . . a side effect of my injury.

I maintained my sense of humor by joking that I already had scars to remind me of the trauma . . . I didn’t need extra pain to boot.

He chuckled.

When he got done, he gave me the terminology to use when contacting my surgeon.  Apparently, I have “myofascial restrictions” and a thickening of my tendon.  I found some interesting information here.

My PT suggested that I walk after my session, which I did because I had to go to Walmart anyhow.  He wanted me to move so that blood flow would increase to my ankle and tendon.  I was also told to ice it after I got home.  The ice, STEM therapy, and the “Prison Break” finale combination set me up for a comfortable evening.

Later that night, I sent an email, with the above notes, to my surgeon’s nurse.  She had been a gem when I had follow-up questions after my surgery and had always responded quickly to my messages.

She answered early the next day, suggesting that I might have Achilles’ tendinitis and that it would more than likely require a specific physical therapy protocol.  She also said that she’d be talking to my doctor the next day since he was in surgery all of Wednesday.  When she got back to me Thursday night, she said that the doctor wanted to see me for a re-evaluation before he prescribed further treatment.  I’m going in on Tuesday for that.

Meanwhile, Wednesday proved to be a very painful day for me.  That’s usually the case after I’ve had my ankle worked on.

By Thursday afternoon, the pain had subsided a lot, and physical therapy wasn’t nearly as painful.

Yes, I’m aware that I mixed Under Armour and Nike. Don’t judge.

Friday wasn’t as bad either.

To be sure, I am still having nearly constant pain . . . usually in my heel and the back of my ankle and tendon, but since the heel and tendon are directly linked, it’s not a surprise.

The Mr. keeps reminding me that I am only a quarter of the way through my recovery and to be patient, but it’s hard, y’all.  I sound like a broken record each week, but it’s the truth.

I am praying that my doctor doesn’t tell me to stop working out.  I just don’t know if I’d take that well.

Ok, I know I wouldn’t and would still find a way to exercise.  I am hoping that being on summer break and doing different exercises at physical therapy will be “just what the doctor ordered.”

I sure would appreciate it if you would continue to lift me up in prayer.  I desperately want to be pain free.  Chronic pain is for the birds.  I also want to regain full use of my ankle.  I am sooooooo not there yet, and it sometimes stresses me and always frustrates me.

Sigh.

Meanwhile, I am still #findingjoyinthejourney despite the challenges that continue to plague me.

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Humbled – Reflections from Year 7 of Teaching

Posted on June 3, 2017 by auburnchick

Seems like only a short time ago that I donned my blue dress and headed out for the first day of school.

Then, BAM!  Here I am at the beginning of my summer break.

Ok, so it really didn’t seem that quick, if I can be honest with you.  If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know that I have had quite the year with some difficult personal challenges strewn along my way.

I think that’s why it’s especially important that I sit down and reflect, as I’m wont to do, while the feelings are fresh.

I’ve been looking back at my end-of-the-year teaching posts to help me identify themes throughout my time in the classroom.

Year 1 was overwhelming.  I would have been accused of lying if I’d written about everything being flowers and butterflies.  By the way, I REALLY love the post I wrote that year.  Like really, really, really love it.  So much.

Year 2 was stressful with a move to the public school system and a completely new prep to learn how to teach.

Year 3 was magical as I began to gain confidence in myself.

Year 4 was impactful.  This was the first year I really felt like I’d made a difference.

Year 5 taught me all about adapting to change, empowering myself to speak up, and balancing work and home.

Year 6 was about transformation.  I definitely left that school year on a high note.

And so I find myself at the end of Year 7.

If I had to sum up this year in one word, it would be humbling.

Never, ever think too long on something when it’s going well because there’s always a flip side.

I feel as though I started a bit behind the eight ball by having two preps, which I’ll admit that I did agree to last summer.  I went into the year of planning in a bit of a nervous state, and that came through in the early weeks of school.

I lacked confidence when it came to teaching my two, 45-minute Freshmen Honors English classes.  The time was shorter, the kids were new to high school, and these students were really good readers.  Heck, they even found a few typos in some of the stuff I projected on the Smartboard.

By November, I was hitting my stride pretty good, though, just as I injured myself in my freak fall over my dog.  Recovering from surgery and being out for almost two weeks took every bit of energy out of me, and it took me awhile to get back into the groove.

Then, the Mr. got admitted to the hospital, thus beginning our still-continuing roller coaster ride with his health, in addition to my ongoing physical therapy to rehab my ankle.

Through all of the challenges . . . multiple lesson preps, teenagers who either wanted to be taught hard-core or didn’t show up for class at all, and some ongoing behavioral issues . . . I learned how to lean on God more fully.

Heck, I kind of had to since I only had one good foot.

Ha!

I think that it was good for the kids to see me dust myself off after being knocked on my butt.  I hope it showed them that a person can get stronger even when brought low.  I’d like to think that my students saw my determination to be a consistent presence despite a few setbacks.  I pray that they saw me finish strong at the end.

During the last couple of weeks of school, when my students were working on their final projects, the vibe in my classroom was very chill, and the kids were able to converse more freely with one another.  During one conversation, a student told me that I was a really good teacher . . . that I worked hard to make sure that everyone understood what we were doing in class.  Other students echoed her sentiment.

Y’all have no idea how much this touched my heart because these students were in a class that had been especially challenging, behavior-wise, all year.  I had suffered from doubts about how effective I’d been.  I was humbled to see that God had come through once again and shined through my efforts.

God had been my strength when I struggled both physically and emotionally.  When I was drained of energy and didn’t know how I was going to put one foot (or boot . . . or crutch) in front of another, He supported me.

Something else that humbled me occurred after I passed back the cap and gown photos I’d taken the first day of school.  My students always love getting to take these home.  Several students in one of my 9th grade classes asked me to sign their pictures . . . like a celebrity would do.

I’m not kidding!

Wow.  I was, again, humbled.  I so much adored these children all year; they were reciprocating with their love at the end.

Yesterday morning, as I left for school on what was the last day, I turned on the radio and heard the song, “I am Redeemed.”

Oh my, but the words about shaking off the heavy chains and not being who I used to be made me cry.

My chains this year have been physical . . . my cast, my boot, my still-recovering ankle . . . in addition to hospital rooms and doctor’s offices.

My chains have been emotional . . . self-doubt and frustration.

That’s what makes this journey especially sweet this year.  God allowed every challenge into my life to reveal to me just how much I need Him.  He was with me on the mountaintop last year; He never left my side when I was in the valley.

That knowledge helped me make it through the second half of the school year with joy still in my heart and a new thankfulness for the blessings He has poured upon me.

The lessons from this year define who I am at the end of this seventh year of teaching, and they are what I carried with me as I closed the door to my classroom and headed home for the summer.

This is the face of a teacher in the parking lot leaving school for summer. Please note the bright eyes and happy smile.

I called the Mr. on my way home and quoted the following . . .

That Muggle hubby of mine had no clue what I was talking about.  Sheesh.  You’d think he could put the pieces together.  Ha!

As I put my lunchbox away and hung up my classroom keys, I felt relieved that I’d have a couple of months to rest and recharge.

Each year, I want to be a better teacher than I was the year before.  I don’t know that I accomplished that this year, but I do know that I definitely taught differently, quit sweating some of the small stuff, and kept my eyes focused on the big picture . . . forming relationships with my students, fostering a love for reading, and maintaining a high set of standards.

One of my students made this crane for me on the last day of school.

So, if you need me between now and August, you’ll be able to find me playing on my phone, having fun with Snapchat filters, and just generally taking things as they come without a whole lot of formal planning.

Did my eyes really look like that, or was it the filter? Can I be vain a moment (because I’m loving the look).

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Catching Up – Part 2 – Virtual “Walks”

Posted on June 2, 2017 by auburnchick

I am continuing to catch y’all up on what’s been happening at Chez Auburnchick when I haven’t been writing.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve participated in a few virtual races.

In April, I completed the Unmasked 10 Mile Run for Your Life, hosted by the Hogwarts Running Club.  All proceeds benefited the charity, To Write Love on her Arms.

I had to do the race in three segments because that distance was way too far for me to cover in one stretch.

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Leg 1

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Leg 2

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Leg 3

I was thrilled when the medal came in.  Isn’t it fantastic????

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Look at the back!  The HRC always designs the loveliest touches to its medals.

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In May, Rebecca and I did the Best Friends Forever 5k.

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She had contacted me about doing it quite a few months ago, but my ankle wasn’t nearly ready to undertake that distance, so true to her nature, she waited for me.

We designated May 13th as THE day.

I got out early and wound up with a decent pace time . . .

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I was so excited to add the medal to my bling rack . . .

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We’d done a Halloween run last fall and had a ton of fun sending each other selfies, which we’d put together into a collage.  She created one for the BFF run.

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This gal continues to inspire me.  She NEVER gives up.  She constantly challenges herself and is always willing to try new things.  I am so grateful that God brought us together through this blogging world.

Upcoming Races

I am currently registered for three . . . yes, I said 3 . . . races.

Oy vey!

I’ve got the HRC Sirius Half Marathon.  Look at the artwork for the t-shirt . . .

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Borrowed this image from Booster.com

Proceeds will be donated to Mission K9 Rescue.

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I’ve already started covering the distance and have about 2/3 of it done.  Yay me!

I recently signed up for a local 5k.  I’ll be doing that race in a couple of weeks.  Wait until you see my outfit for it.  Bahahaha!

On Wednesday, I registered for the We Run Free Because of the Brave 4 Miler, sponsored by Gone for a Run.  This race will benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

So, despite my ankle recovery, which seems to be especially tough right now, I am trying to keep doing my thing.  It’s not easy, let me tell you.  The pain I go through after each walk is bad.  I don’t really know how much of it is normal or if I’m pushing myself too hard.  That’s a conversation I frequently have with my physical therapist.

It feels great to be out and about again, and I absolutely love that my registrations are going to worthwhile causes.  This is definitely a win-win for everyone involved (except maybe my ankle).

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Catching Up – Mother’s Day Weekend

Posted on June 1, 2017 by auburnchick

Well, now that the school year is just about over, I’m finding myself with a wee bit more time to partake in activities that I’ve neglected.

Blog writing is one of them.

I have sooooooo many things to catch up on, so let’s start with Mother’s Day weekend, which I alluded to a few posts ago.

The weekend started off in a super-sweet way when the Mr. and I went out to dinner.

Randomly, in the middle of a story I was telling, he pulled out a card for me.

The card took me by surprise, and the words made me shed a few tears.

We have been through SO MUCH the past seven months, beginning with me breaking my ankle and followed by his illness.  These events have brought us closer as nothing else in our marriage has.

The next day, he and I headed out to see the newest installment of Guardians of the Galaxy.  It was so funny and a bit sad too.

Near the end of the movie, I received a text from Chicky along with a photo of Gambit.

She had tried to surprise us by coming home for the weekend.  When she’d gotten to the house and found it empty, then had seen my Instagram photo of the Mr. and me headed to the movie, she knew she needed to act fast.  She didn’t want to be left out of dinner plans.  Ha!

We drove home, picked her up, and headed out, back to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants.

First thing Sunday morning (Mother’s Day), I opened the package I had received from Rooster and his girl . . .

Rooster had picked up the beautiful, 100% cashmere Pashmina scarf in Thailand.  The card was adorable.  These kiddos know me well.

The Mr. had to work that day, so Chicky and I played Hooky from church and headed to the beach.

Along the way, we had to stop and let this family of ducks cross the street  . . .

We stopped at Walmart to pick up snacks, and I bought a new hat . . .

We got to the beach around 10, which was great because we got a really good parking spot and found the perfect place to spread out our stuff on the beach.

Chicky immediately went down to the water to check it out.

We could not have asked for better weather.

I was loving my hat, let me tell you.

Chicky isn’t a big talker, so we just relaxed, each with our own books . . . our own thoughts.

We asked the couple sitting beside us if they would watch our stuff so we could grab lunch.  They kindly agreed.

There’s a small place that overlooks the beach, so we headed there.  I absolutely love this restaurant.  It has outside seating, and you can request a beach-side view.  The food is tasty and not very expensive.

When we finished, we headed back to the beach but stopped and asked someone to take our photo.

We wound up staying at the beach a total of four and a half hours, so we were beat when we left.  Chicky rested when we got home; the dogs were so happy to have her there.

Chicky wound up leaving late that day, just as Rooster and his girl were Facetiming me.  She was able to stick her head in front of the camera so they could chat a moment before she headed out for her drive home.

Mother’s Day is always hard for me.  I don’t like the obligation of the holiday . . . especially because I no longer have a relationship with my mom.  Being remembered in such sweet ways by my hubby and children touched my heart so much.  I never feel worthy; they made me feel loved.

It was a weekend I won’t soon forget.

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