Of Course

Yup! It was strep throat.

Seriously?

Sorry Bonnie for taking your word. Where have I been this week, you may ask? Not at work! This short, four day week I managed to make it to work half a day. You heard me right! .5 of one work week. How sad.

Picture this...
Patty wakes up Saturday morning refreshed and happy. It's a 3 day weekend. Also, the night before she was out with her friends at a bar having a great time. She even karaoked!!! After getting the laundry started and cleaning up a bit it happens...that tired feeling out of nowhere. Patty tries ignore it continuing her weekend chores. But then it becomes too much and she MUST.TAKE.A.NAP. After her lovely siesta Patty wakes up achy and with the chills (and not the cool Grease kind). And sadly, two hours or so later her throat begins to feel bad.
Naturally, Patty knows that every September she gets sick so she is prepared and takes her usual doses of medicine and continues her chores. BUT...later that night her body is so hot but she is so cold. She showers and calls it a night, taking a last dose of her meds. Somewhere in the middle of the night her fever breaks and she starts sweating up a storm. YUCK!!! Sunday comes and she wakes early to get ready for church. The only thought in Patty's mind is to get ready so she can drive 30 minutes to her mom's house for coffee before church. Why? Patty's throat hurts more than it ever has in her life.
Fast forward to Tuesday...
Patty does not go in to work. She goes to see the school district's nurse practitioner. Ms. Nurse doesn't want to call it strep throat but gives Patty antibiotics to treat strep throat. Patty misses school on Wednesday too. Fever and throat are still bad and Patty is a good teacher so she doesn't want to get her kids sick. Patty goes to work on Thursday morning but can't make it through the day. A visit to Ms. Nurse again and Patty has better pain meds for her throat.
Prepared to brave work on Friday, Patty heads to sleep at about 9. She thinks, "One day of work isn't so bad. I have a training in the morning so it's just really the afternoon." Or so she thought. At about 10 Patty wakes up to go potty and feels that her left eye is wet and sticky. "HUH!?! Oh %#@*!!! NOT PINK EYE!!!!!!" Indeed it is pink eye. So for the third time in 4 days Patty goes to Ms. Nurse for medicine. Needless to say that Patty was ordered to go home. No training today.

And that is the story of my .5 day work week. What my principal must be thinking...Luckily, I have an amazing grade level, literacy coach (Jen) and had a great sub.

What Did You Say?

Everyone at school has heard me go on and on for the past 3 weeks about how I couldn't hear them out of my left ear. It was so embarrassing because I kept asking my students to repeat themselves over and over. It didn't get too bad until today. I woke up this morning and couldn't hear at all. Needless to say that my condition didn't improve by lunchtime. During my prep time I made it to our school nurse. I had perfect timing because she was screening students' hearing so she checked mine. I think that the kids there (who happened to be second graders) were laughing because she put the headphones on my ears. I have to say that I was confused and slightly alarmed when I couldn't hear out of my right ear when she tested it and I could hear out of my left ear. I can't really explain what happened there. She went on to say that I didn't have great hearing. She asked me to go back after I visited the doctor just to make sure.

At lunch I called a doctor's office to see if I could get an appointment. I had to see the nurse practitioner if I wanted to see someone today. I had heard great things about this doctor and her practice from many co-workers. However, I must say that it exceeded my expectations more than possible. The nurse practitioner was knowledgeable and excellent. She paid attention to what I said and asked some great questions. I can tell that she sincerely cares about her patients' health. I will definitely be back to see her or any doctor there. Oh yeah...um...while at the doctor's they sort of removed the earwax from my left ear. I kinda thought that's what it was. I was worried (and embarrassed) because I'd heard horror stories about people's wax. To my relief it wasn't that bad but it was still really gross. I would've taken a picture but...well I didn't want to gross anyone out. Now I can hear from my "new" ear so much better.

I must also mention that me visiting the doctor was possible because of a few people. First, my fellow second grade teacher referred me to this office and offered to take my class. In the end it was Jen that came to the rescue. She also offered to take my class during her prep time. Since Jen has done a few lessons for my class (and they are a wonderful bunch) I let Jen take them. My class also loves Jen. Oh and I can't forget my co-teacher. She took them for about 30 minutes.