Still out of student teaching....

Crap. My leg and nerves have not healed so I am still limping. Tomorrow is my 10th day I am missing for student teaching. I think it's ridiculous I still can't walk properly but I guess my injury was more serious than I thought. I will be going in for my second physical therapy session tomorrow. Hope the therapist notices some improvement in my condition. Cross fingers!

Health Update

I went to my first session of physical therapy today. My therapist, A is a very fit and handsome gentlemen who was very thorough and helpful (well, I did pay over a hundred bucks out of my own pocket for it...). He diagnosed where the problem area was and broke down what was going on with my back and leg. Basically, I have a herniated disk (L4 and L5?) in my spine and that has affected my nerves on my left side of my lower body that stems from my buttocks (yes my bum) all the way down to my left leg. Basically, my left leg is a heavy log I lug around. I have a major muscle spasm on the lower left side of my back (a 4 out of a 5 scale) and so I couldn't do much of the exercises needed to aid in a speedy recovery. He did teach me some exercises to help strengthen my core (stomach area) so I can protect my spine. He does not recommend me to go back to teaching yet, but I asked if next week would be doable and he said it should be ok. I made an appointment next Monday afternoon so if I do student teach I will leave right after to go to my appointment.


Earlier on in the summer I had saw a postcard from a site a friend recommended me (Postsecret.com) where people anonymously send in secrets written on postcards. There was one from a teacher and it made me scared and nervous about my future profession as a teacher. But after experiencing this medical situation, I think its even scarier for me to think what would I be doing if I could no longer teach. Yes, I am extremely nervous about graduating and anxious about finding a job and having my own classroom. But from my own experience being idle and bored, I love working with children even if there are some unpleasant situation/remarks that sometimes happens. I'm sure there will be bad/slow/hell/exhausting days, but everyone one of those negative ones, I will have many more positive ones to "overwrite" them. Sure there might be some traces of the negative ones, but I will never forget the nice ones. I will never forget the moment the third graders from last semester who piled around me to hug me and say farewell. And the little kinders from this semester who come up to me randomly to give me a hug. Those moments and memories and priceless. Even the kid who asked me why am the size that I am, he randomly threw out another remark how he loved I was his teacher. Teaching is one of those professions where you give a lot, but you also get back a lot. It's not gonna be the big bucks (HAHAHAHAHAHAHA) that reel people into teaching as a lifelong career. But it's definitely one of those jobs where you will make a difference in many peoples' lives forever that will trickle down like water down a neverending drain. My own experience with teachers, good and bad have shaped what I am today. I was fortunate enough to have many wonderful folks who cared enough to care about what they were doing and take an extra step to help me out when I needed a little push or encouragement.

Withdrawls from teaching...

Today is exactly one week from my first painful episode to the ER. I had gone to school to student teach earlier that day but was sent home by my master teacher. I was also able to skip out on the CPR training that I was suppose to attend later in the day after school. I am grateful I was home instead of school when my shooting pain started because that would have been embarrassing and terrifying for the teachers and students that would see me going ballistic crying and screaming for dear life. I have never done that in my life due to physical or mentally.

Today is also the 6th day of student teaching I missed. Most of the time when I'm home I'm lying on my right side of my body and watching videos to distract myself from the pain. Or I would be sleeping because the meds I take to control the pain have side effects of dizziness and nausea. Right now I am feeling alright, taking less meds than before. I even finished a novel for a class that's due way later in the semester (The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez).

I wanted to post some photos earlier but didn't have the opportunity since I was so out of it and none of the photos were uploaded yet. I have photos from my last semester and current semester of teaching.

Last Semester

 Some of the math measuring units kids had to learn last semester (I had a hard time memorizing them myself!)

White Alligator from Academy of Science field trip I chaperoned

A literacy game I made with my partner (she did most of the work really)

Vocab words kids used for their journal after the field trip

Awesome play my classmates made for "The Giving Tree"

Another play my classmates did for another storybook

One of the students drew me and other teachers in their yearbook (^_^)

This Semester

View of new classroom I am working in before school year started

Another view of classroom with teacher's work table

Another view with kids cubbies

Another view where kids come in from door on left

Kids cubbies during first week of school (I have one too from photo above with flag)

Homework I have for student teaching-this will be made into a book with students drawings :)

First few weeks of last semester..

It's been awhile since I last updated. School started a few weeks ago and I had been doing well student teaching. I'm now in a kindergarten Cantonese immersion classroom with 22 cute little ones, and 24 for during English time. I feel very tired after each day of teaching, but I always come home with new experiences and memories for the day. Some days are better than others, but I don't ever regret going into student teach. My master teacher is a wonderful woman with a caring heart-she always makes sure I am doing well and communicates with me. She is also very accommodating and makes sure I am comfortable and doing what I need to do.

Then the nightmare started. Last week, I woke up with a sore back. Then it escalated to a stiff back. I went to see a nurse at school clinic and they wrote me some pain meds. I went to student teach on Friday morning but was sent back home after my teacher saw the condition I was in. I was also very torn because I had signed up for a first aid training session but I had gotten my money back. That night, I was in extreme pain and had to go to the emergency room. I called my friend who then quickly drove to my home and drove my mom and I there. I was crying and in immense pain, pain I had never felt in my life before. I was seen in the ER pretty much immediately after two paramedics helped me hop inside since there were no wheelchairs available at the moment. A nurse saw me soon after I did registration and given an IV and later pain meds. My mom and friend came in afterwards and a doctor also came into look at my condition. I was diagnosed with muscle spasm although it could possibly be Sciatica. My doctor was pretty young and I got the feeling he was trying to lighten the situation but it just made him seem a little unprofessional. I was asked to give a urine sample-that took a long time because I had trouble maneuvering in the restroom. Afterwards when I came out I was extremely nauseous and passed out. My friend said I turned green while my mom said I turned white. I woke up an hour or two later with a oxygen mask and more IVs hooked p to my body. While I was in and out of consciousness I could hear my mom crying. My friend had left earlier so my mom and I caught a cab home around 3am. By the time I got home I was very out of it, and I was pretty much spoon fed some food before passing out on my bed.

Saturday passed by and I was still in a lot of pain.... Sunday afternoon I could no longer hold it in anymore and another friend drove and picked me up to go to ER again. I was seen almost right away but I had a med student attend to me. I knew she was like me, a student doctor and I did not want to give her any pressure but she really did not know what she was doing. I was poked a few times to insert and IV and that was unsuccessful so I was given a shot instead. I had a real doctor come in and she confirmed I had Sciatica and it could take a few days to weeks to get better.  It has been about 5 days since my first ER visit but I am slowly losing track of time. I am home all day, often laying down or just watching some random video online to kill time because I am in great pain, and often sleepy and/or nauseous most of the time.

I have missed 4 days of student teaching now, and I really miss the kids I work with. I wonder what they are learning for the day? I wonder if they are getting along with each other?  I wonder if they miss me? I wonder if they remember me? I know I will get back into the classroom soon enough, but I am miserable at home doing practically nothing. I miss the freedom of going outside, the sound of kids speaking Chinese, drinking coffee, even riding the Muni bus. I just hope all this pass soon enough so I can get back to finishing my teaching credential.

I can kind of walk and stand but the pain in my leg is still unbelievably painful. I've been through other things and I know I will get through this, but I just hope it will be sooner than later.