Whew!

Today I had an appointment with my neurologist and he came into the room just beaming!!! He then proceeded to tell us that my vertebral artery is completely clear and that I will have full use of it from now on! 

Prior to this we had been told that my artery would basically be blocked off as the blood clot in my neck would form tissue and scar at either end of the blockage. This was dismal and sad news, but we had accepted it as what must be, since this was a serious injury. Back in February the neurologist had explained that it is very rare, if not almost impossible, that an artery would clear again after such a blockage. I must admit that I cried when we heard this news.

In May I actually felt something give in my neck and tried to hold my excitement at the thought that it MAY, just may, have been the artery's flow returning once more. I will never know if it actually did give that day, but now it doesn't matter!

It was so neat to look at the before and after MRA pictures and see that the blockage is no longer there. How incredible!!! He said that he's only heard legends about such things happening before. Oh happy, happy day!

I am so humbled by the amount of support I have received over the last six months. Thank you for being by my side through it all and providing prayers, meals, hugs, and kind sentiments! We have truly felt each prayer.

Relief.

Rejoice!

Duty Calls

For my birthday this year my mom offered to get us a dog backpack for Leif. You may remember just how much he LOVED the neck-warmer she made him at Christmas, so this gave us hope that he may respond well to the backpack, too.

Well, let's just say that he turns into a completely different dog with his new pack! When we first put it on him he refused to walk or move unless he was heeling. As time has gone on, he is moving more on walks and is willing to walk ahead, though still never too far away.

It amazes me just how patient he is while we put it on his back. We like to interject what he may be thinking when we put the backpack on him: "No, I cannot fetch a ball, I am on duty" or "Stick close to me guys and we'll get where we need to go."

We've started weighting the pack a bit and right now it has one can of chicken broth on either side. Eventually we'd like him to be able to carry his own water and food on longer backpacking trips. For now we'll get him used to it by carrying cans of food or water for us.

Having a pack on definitely tires him out, so that's another plus! Double the exercise in one outing. If you have an energetic dog whom you can never truly wear out, the pack just might be the trick you're looking for :)

Thank you for the early birthday present, Mom & Dad!!! If you're interested, it's the Ruff Wear Approach Dog Pack.

We just returned from a very slow meander on the 2 mile loop-trail across the road. It felt so good to be back on the trail and in the woods!

________________________________________________________________

Health update: Monday my INR was at a 2.0, so it's just barely in the range. On Tuesday I went to the neurologist to discuss a horrible headache I'd had on Sunday. He said that it is normal to have a stress or a tension headache in the location where I was in pain and that he would be concerned if I had any numbness, loss of vision, loss of muscle control on one side, or shooting pain up my neck. So, it was good to find out just what I should be concerned about.

We also discussed the full recovery and he said that one in five people, if they got MRIs done, would find that they have a much smaller vertebral artery on one side, while the other side would be much bigger. He says that I can expect a full recovery in that I may not have flow through that artery, but I will be able to run, rock climb, and do everything I used it do. Woohoo!

When I asked about what kinds of exercise I can do, he said that it should still be minimal for the next three months. I asked about biking, hiking, kayaking & canoeing and he said something that made me laugh. He said, "You Americans, you're always go, go, go. Go and be like a Latino and relax in the hammock this summer!" Haha! Okay, okay.... I'll relax in a hammock ;)

The Call of the River

Oh joy of joys! I love mail. A friend from college just returned from her Peace Corps experience in Senegal and sent me a package. The first thing I pulled out was in the picture below. This quote is perfect for this blog and its blogger!

"The river has always appealed to the imagination. The sound of the brook has been music to the boy with the fishing rod. To follow a brook to its source has furnished enjoyment to many a lad. Following a river to its beginning has tempted many a man to perform a courageous deed. Hudson, LaSalle, and many others are historical testimonials of this lure.

The inventor, too, has heard the call. The stories of Fitch, Rumsey and Fulton are proofs of those who have answered it.

As civilization has progressed, the river has demanded that man harness its power, control its floods, and store its excess waters. The genius of many an engineer has been summoned to carry out its demands.

The river has been an inspiration to the religious man. The poet has sung of its beauty and the artist pictured its grandeur.

Adventurer, explorer, fir trader, pioneer, engineer, inventor, soldier, sailor, artist, and poet, one by one have answered its appeal. Each one will continue to respond in his own best way to the end of time."

In her note she says that she found this at her favorite used bookstore and it reminded her of me. I italicized that last paragraph because it really struck me to the core. The pictures are fantastic, too. This will soon have a place in a frame in our house.

And THEN I pulled out this beautiful apron!

This gorgeous apron was made by her tailor in Senegal out of one of her holiday outfits. How neat is that?! I am so touched by and grateful for these gifts. Thank you, Jennie!!!

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My INR was at a 2.2 on Tuesday! I'm staying on my current dose and will check back with the family doctor on 5/15. Next Tuesday (5/8) I have an appointment with Dr. Marrufo, the neurologist, and so we'll learn more then.

Belle Prater's Boy: Novel Turned Musical!

We've just returned from a great weekend in Paris, VA. A monumental weekend, really. My dad, John Krumich, has been working for the last 6-7 years to write a musical on the Newberry Honor novel Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White.

Yesterday we watched it staged as a reading of excerpts, with songs from the musical. Our hearts swelled as we listened to the beautiful music of SCORE (Strings Choral Orff & Recorder Ensemble - see previous post), and then heard, for the first time, the story and music of his musical.

It was an emotional day for everyone included, especially Dad, & Jim and I were thrilled to be a part of it! We are so proud of the work and sweat he's put into this project. It was yesterday that he finally got to see it come alive in front of an audience!

Jim, Dad, Mom, Willem, & Me

I sat with a steady (err... pretty steady) hand and flip-videoed the entire performance. I hope to show parts of it to my students because we read this novel earlier this year. They LOVED the book because they could relate to the rural, Appalachian town, and some could relate to the heartache and loss exhibited throughout the novel.

If you haven't read this novel, you should! It's beautifully written with solemn themes but it's livened-up by great story-telling and jokes, too. It's a classic.

We wish we could see the full reading this Saturday, but we'll look forward to hearing about it from afar. If you're in the Loudoun County area, check it out this weekend at Franklin Park Arts Center on Saturday!

________________________________________________________________________

Health update: I had a doctor's appointment last week and we discovered that my INR was too low. I have an increased dose and I will go back for some lab work on Tuesday. The headaches are fairly light, though ever-present in the evenings. It's fairly strong right now. My neck pain is still present, too. Jim chauffeured me this weekend because I am still not supposed to drive long distances. Knitting still proves to be my therapy in the evenings :)

Our road trip to Maine is officially happening!

Strength

So many metaphors about our current lives could be stated for this quote. That is all for today :)

Honduras Bound!

Leif and I just saw Jim off for his trip to Honduras! I'm so excited for him to have this opportunity again. He had such a rich experience last year and is even more excited about getting everything he can out of this trip.  You can bet that pictures will be posted upon his return!

As my mom always says, though, it's always hardest to be the one left behind...

But I must say, he certainly out-did himself during these last few days and I feel so surrounded by his warmth and love. The house has been cleaned, the carpets washed, the bed made, and the laundry and dishes done. He also gave me a list of friends to call from VCOM, if I needed help with Leif. Even the secretary there wanted him to give me her information, so she could help if I need anything. Not only that, but he made two pizzas (from scratch) for me to eat for meals this week. And, last but not least, he picked some flowers for me during his last few minutes at home! I'm humbled by his love & care.

Perhaps next time I'll be able to tag along! Until then, Leif and I will cuddle and chill.

Keep him in your thoughts this week.

______________________________________________________________________

Thank you to Aunt Carla, Uncle Sam, Alex, and Logan for their generosity and gift card to Olive Garden! That was our date on our last night together :)

Health update (sorry, some of you have been asking!): I'm doing pretty well. I still have soreness in my neck and I still have the headache. Some days my headache gets very light and I'm so grateful for that. My neck was more painful than usual on some days this week. I'm following the doctor's orders, taking my meds, and taking it very easy. It's a slow recovery, what can I say?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An Irish Prayer


May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends, A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

_________________________________________________________________________

I had another doctor's appointment today with my family doctor. My INR was at a 2.1! Yay, I'm still within the normal range! And we joked that this year I'm only allowed to wear green, not eat green (since most leafy greens contain Vitamin K, which counteracts the Coumadin/Warfarin).


Today we ran a few errands after the appointment and those completely exhausted me. I now have a killer headache. But one thing happened while we were shopping that brought me such joy! You see, there is this one guy at our local Walmart and he always works in the produce section. I love it when he's there because he has one of the most beautiful whistles I've ever heard. Not only that, but he whistles classical music with such accurate precision that he brings smiles to the faces of the most serious, frantic shoppers. 


Well, today he was whistling none other than "O' Danny Boy!" And if that doesn't put you in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, then I don't know what will! Even if we move and/or stop shopping at Walmart later in our lives, I will always remember this gentleman, his incredible whistling, and the soothing feeling of hearing his music in an unexpected location, whenever I am in a produce section.


And tomorrow'll be a great day because we are heading to Staunton to meet up with my parents for lunch and then to see "Much Ado About Nothing" at Blackfriar's Playhouse! Very excited!


Thank you to Wanda for the delicious spaghetti and apple pie! YUM. 


Thank you to Kim (Jim's mom) for the yummy cookies & gifts delivered by John (J's dad) yesterday, as he passed through our area!

Fantasy: an escape!

Last year I attended the annual conference sponsored by The Reading and Writing Project at the Teacher's College  of Columbia University. Every year it's held in New York City and I was so fortunate to have the support from my school and the chance to go with my mom and her coworkers. While at this conference I went to a presentation that inspired and moved me. It moved me so much that I made the next unit I taught fantasy.

Below you'll find the notes I made while in the presentation:

Presenter: Mary Ehrenworth

Session Title: Epic Books, Epic Readers: Coming of Age as a Reader of Fantasy

When you introduce a genre study it is important that you tell your students: what, why and what it will look like.

Why fantasy?

1. Unleashes imagination
2. Coming of age- How to be better? Events and issues that can be found in our everyday lives.
3. So beautiful (worlds, escape from reality, characters, discoveries, etc)
4. Preteens yearn to be extraordinary or more than they are. They yearn to transcend the ordinariness of their lives. We all yearn to do this. Fantasy allows this to happen through escaping into a story and its world.
5. Fantasy can be used to lure children into life-long readers
6. Vocabulary is advanced in fantasies (Tier III vocab) For example: hungry vs. ravenous (fantasy)
7. Realistic fiction can often be inappropriate, as far as the content, but the reading level may match that of the student. Fantasy does not get inappropriate.
8. Fantasies have complicated plots with cause and effect. People may die, but they are not inappropriate (Golden Compass- people die)

Fantasy Unit: Three components: volume, density, and complex comprehension

What’s been discovered is when kids WANT to read --------> they READ!!! (Example: Harry Potter series)

That was just a very small section of my notes, but the list has stuck with me for almost a year now. And the novel that we started? Yup, it's a fantasy novel; we're reading A Wrinkle in Time. What a classic, brilliant children's novel!

As I've been reading the novel during the past two days, I've realized that I've begun a journey with my students. Each day we are traveling into this story, into this world, and we are escaping from reality, as it says in number three above. No matter what's been going in in our lives, we get to escape for at least 30, sometimes 50 minutes of our day. It's not just the kids who really need to escape this year, it's me too. In those minutes, I finally get to forget my pain and recovery period and become active again.

And just as preteens yearn to be extraordinary and more than they are, this year I want it more than ever, too. In reading we can transcend the ordinariness and become magically cured for a time.

Fortunately, I teach three classes for 90 minutes each and so I get to escape during all of my class periods. There's no place I'd rather be than in the Murry family kitchen and watching/listening to Charles Wallace, a five year old, be the mother or father figural archetype! (I was so excited when some of the students pointed that out today!)

A Wrinkle in Time take me away! 

________________________________________________

The headache continues to run strong, even though I sit in a swivel chair in the front of the room. The students are amazing and so are the teachers and aids who swoop in to take care of all of the walking and prompting tasks!

Much Better + Mere & Sean!

Today was a much better day. I sat for almost all of the classes, other than a few instructional times, and I had the support of an instructional assistant who predicted my every move before I even knew what I wanted to do. My headache is running strong right now, but it's not because we didn't take every precaution. This'll be how I feel in the afternoons for a while, I suppose.

The students have still been AMAZING! It helps that we started a novel...

And it's hump day, so I only have two more days to go!

But there's something much more important to share... my lovely friend, Meredith got married this weekend! They eloped on Friday by Lake Anna! Our friend, Lucy, was the photographer and caught this beautiful moment. Our wedding was her first one ever and she did such a wonderful job. Since then her business has really taken off. Here is a sneak peek from Lucy O Photography! :)

Such joy! - Lucy O Photo

Check out that smile! She's so beautiful and such an awesome person, musician, and friend. We're just so thrilled for Sean and Meredith and look forward to many adventures with them during years to come!

Thank you to Jen for the yummy spinach & bacon quiche dinner!

Tougher Day, Wonderful Students

Even before I started back I knew that the first two days were going to be the toughest. The students had started a biography project last week and it was continuing into the beginning of this week. I decided that the projects needed to have a cut-off date and today was the day.

I found myself moving around a lot more throughout the day, when I really should have been staying put and letting the students come to me. I already broke one of my goals. The students were really well behaved, got their work done, and kept busy. I have been so proud of them since I've been back.

One of my students came up to me at the end of class and said, "Mrs. ____, are you feeling okay? You were walking around a lot today."

"I know, I really shouldn't have been. My headache is pounding right now. You need to remind me to sit down, if you see me walking around too much. Please, I do need your help!"

"Well I didn't feel comfortable commanding you to SIT DOWN, but I did notice that you were moving and walking more today" (Too cute!)

"Yes, well you have my permission to tell me tomorrow. I do need the reminders."

"Okay, I will!"

Love it.

This morning was rough, with some uncomfortable stomach stuff and then a strong headache to start off the day, but I made it. My head is pounding right now and I'm exhausted, but the project is over and I'm hoping for a calmer day tomorrow. You have to have endurance to make it through the school day and right now my body's just trying to keep up with what's inside. Fortunately the kids are responding well to me being back in the room and my school, even though in SOL testing, has worked and pulled in order to make sure I have back-up in the room.

And the best thing about tomorrow is that we are starting a new novel! I love reading novels with my students. We get into such a great rhythm of word studies, projects in their Reader's Journals, discussions, and reading, that the days fly by. I think that sitting and reading a novel will definitely cut-down on my movement around the classroom. That's what I'm hoping, at least!

I was prepared to be exhausted and tired at the end of each day. I am basically having my first days of school all over again, except this time the students know my expectations and routines. It's nice to have a first day of school, when a look is all you need to get a student back on track. My students never cease to amaze me and I hope they keep up this GREAT work!

First Day Back!

My first class came in and got to work with me hardly opening my mouth. Students from that class and others approached to give me a hug and other than saying, "Gentle, gentle" before they hugged me, I was surprised to turn around and see a classroom at work without my prompting. The next two classes were similar, but they are always a little noisier after lunch anyway.

In each class I showed them the diagrams below and talked about what happened and where I was during the last 2.5 weeks. I joked that I wished I could have shown them a nice tan from a tropical vacation, but that's definitely not where I'd been.

Next, we talked about the modifications we'd have to make within the classroom. One routine I've worked hard to employ all year had to be completely reversed today and it killed me. I ask the students to raise their hand and I will come to them, rather than have a stampede of students coming toward me all day long. Well, now they have to come to me in a seat somewhere in the classroom.... it's already proven to be a hard adjustment for them, but even more so for me!

Even though we didn't get the snow day, we still had a good day. Tomorrow may be completely different, but today's behind us.

The doctor's appointment went well, too! My INR is at a 2.6 and my hemoglobin level is good. The doctor was thrilled with my INR. He also showed me some light exercises I can do to keep my muscles in my neck from atrophying during this sore and stiff time. I'll go back again on March 17th at 9 AM.

It's now 5:39 PM and I am ready to crash. Time to put up my feet :)

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Thank yous!!!

A HUGE thank you to Wanda and Vicki for your help in planning and teaching for the last few weeks! What would I have done without your help and friendship? I can't even imagine. Thank you for the hospital and home visits AND meals, too! You both are such wonderful people and have certainly blessed us with your calm, can-do attitudes! 

Thank you to Liz, Kristin, and Faith for stepping up to the plate, too. You guys rock!

Thank you to Judy for her taxi services to the doctor today and for the many times this year and last year! We appreciate your help in the afternoons!!!!

Thank you to Lynn for dinner tonight! We're excited!

Thank you to everyone who's been praying and thinking about the two of us! We're so fortunate to have so many loving people in our lives. We look forward to giving you big hugs the next time we see each of you! 

Hi Ho Hi Ho...

It's off to work I go!



I have to admit that I'm a bit nervous about heading back to school. It's been a full 2.5 weeks and a lot can happen in that amount of time! While I was gone, three students left and I never got to say goodbye. Also in that time they went over my favorite unit! I had been waiting all year to get to poetry and then I got to be there for two days and that's it.

But I know that as soon as I walk in the door the butterflies will dissipate and I'll be back in the swing of things. Honestly, I'm excited to see the students again and I hope they'll forgive me for being gone so long and understand the slight modifications I'll have to make.

Here are some of my goals:

• I'll try to sit more. Even sitting for a couple minutes will be more than I ever did, so I will try.
• I'll attempt to delegate passing out papers to the students.
• I'll be honest and open about how I'm feeling with the students and my coworkers.
• I'll ask for help when I need it.
• I'll modify the lesson plans, if need be.

Each of these will be a challenge for me, so wish me luck!

Unless the following amounts to something...

Winter Weather Advisory
Hazardous Weather Outlook

Tonight: Snow likely, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of around an inch possible. 

Monday: Snow, mainly before 1pm. High near 37. Calm wind becoming northwest between 14 and 17 mph. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. 

www.weather.gov

Thank you to Wanda for the delicious baked potato soup for dinner yesterday!

Lab Work: Tomorrow @ 3:45 PM (Checking INR and hemoglobin- based on the results we'll schedule a follow-up appt)

GP Appt.: 3/17 @ 9 AM

This is Where

I just cannot resist a good, soothing song. As someone who gets songs caught in her head all-the-flippin'-time, this is one song that just won't let me go.

At school I have a time allotted in each class for writing, it's called "Day Book Time." The students have prompts that they can choose to use, or not, and we spend the first minutes of class writing. When I'm done checking in with each student then I, too, get to write. Some days more than others, but I still try to jot something down.

One day this song was in my head and I didn't know the lyrics, so I made my own. If I had my Day Book at home then I would write them for you, but I don't. When this song came on the Pandora station again today I finally took the chance to look up the lyrics. Lo and behold, this song is about winter, a river and, metaphorically, about life. Perfect for this blog and for me.

This is Where, Wailin' Jennys

The wind howls 'cross the ice floes
Send the frozen snow skimming
A river on a river hardened over
It doesn't know the way it's going
Is it north or south or westward
It just glides across the shoreline 'til it's over

You came for me in fast forward
On a claim for something ordered
A way through and past the history that held you
I'd tell my own story through you
Tell it loud to never lose you
A moth caught be the flame it cannot measure

And there we go again, wishing something bolder
Trying to push and pull inside this moment
Trying to mold this life within our hands

This is where the whole world keeps on turning
This is where we come undone...undone

Live Oak- Louisiana

Will they measure me by branches
Count the rings and take my ashes
Mark the ground where I fell and carry on
Or will we bite against the silence
Fill our days with noise and violence
Not recognize our hearts when we are done

There we'll go again wishing something bolder
Trying to push and pull inside this moment
Trying to mold this life within our hands

This is where the whole world keeps on turning
This is where we come undone

We don't know where it's going
Is it north or south or westward
It just glides across the shoreline 'til it's over

Russian River Trail, Alaska

This whole health situation is where I've come completely undone.

This is the first time I've been abruptly and scarily halted, but with it's been such beautiful times of reflection and humility. So as the song says, I'll glide along the shoreline and I probably won't recognize my heart when it's all over.

I'm thankful I've been given this chance.

Dreary Day: A Chance to Sit

The rainy, chilly day was almost a friendly reminder that it's alright for me to stay inside, even though I'm feeling a little better. I wouldn't be missing anything by spending just a little more time on our new chair and reading a magazine. Yes, I am feeling like reading again! That must be a sign that my headache is, in fact, lighter. Four weeks of the horrible headache are behind me! I loved just sitting and actually being comfortable.

While I sat inside, Jim headed out for a walk with the boys. It hadn't rained until after he got far out on the trail. Each time the rain lightened I thought, "Oh good!" And then the next wave of hard rain would come again. He came back in high spirits and even went right back out for a workout in the little pavilion next to us.

Two o'clock struck and it was time for me to get out of the house. We swung by Jim's school to drop off one of his assignments, and then we were off to my school to see what the coming week will hold. I got to see the wonderful teachers who have been covering and planning for me and a few other colleagues and my principal. I even saw some students, since it was after school, and they were excited to see me. I heard one of them say, "Oh man, she looks like she's still in pain," as I was walking down the hall and yards away from them.

The truth is that I do still have a headache and I do still have a sore neck. And I twist with my torso, not my neck. They're used to me hopping around the classroom and leaping from place to place to make a point, but I just can't do that for a long while now. We'll make do with what we have.

Jim and I have decided that the best thing for me to do will be to tell them about what happened. And tell them why I was gone and how I'll need to heal for a full recovery. I hope that the relationship I've built with them over the year will help us to smoothly transition to an adapted/modified type of instruction within the classroom. It'll be an adjustment period for all of us.

After a few errands, we've settled down to watch Hugo.

Thank you to Regina for a new supply of DVDs and popcorn and thank you to Donna for some homemade baked goods, jam, and apple butter, and a jar of honey!

Doctor's Visits:
3/5 Lab Work Appt. @ 3:45 PM
Probably another lab visit between these two
3/17 GP Appt. @ 9 AM

Happy Friday, everyone!

Slow and Steady

First off, Happy Leap Day to you all! I just love that there's a day that only comes around every four years. How neat is that?

I wish I could say that I celebrated this special day, but it was actually a bit lousy. My sleep was very poor last night and I awoke to a phone call from HR telling me that my "return to work" form had too many restrictions and that I cannot return to work on Monday. So, needless to say, I've spent much of this day on the phone with HR and with my doctor's office. As of right now, a new set of forms sit and wait for my family doctor. He may be able to change some of the restrictions, but I'm not sure he'll be able to change all of them. There is something to be said for this long, slow recovery... there are some things I just cannot do.

One of the cards I've received. Slow and steady...

The toughest thing for me will be the months to come. I know this already. And while I do not wear a bandage like the turtle in this picture, it's going to be even harder because my pain and injury are not visible from the outside. I've never had an injury like this before.

And for the past two weeks I have been quietly and passively blaming myself for my condition. If I had just handled my stress better, or if I had just stood up for myself during a peak of stressful time, or if I had just exercised more, or if I had just let certain things go, then perhaps this wouldn't have happened to me. While I've said over and over that hindsight is hindsight, I haven't really let myself hand over this burden. I've kept it within and it was really wearing on me.

We can reach for explanations, but they can only go so far. We can research and plan and organize and consult, but at some point we have to realize that there are some things we cannot control. Because, believe me, I've done each of those things.

Wisdom came to me from our neighbor and friend on the Clarion River. She said, "I am sending my prayers for you and ask that you forgive yourself and your body for creating this mess...  Take care of yourself, be your own best friend, and when you forget to do this, forgive yourself and begin again!!!"

These words came almost as a blanket to comfort me and tuck me in during one of my lowest moments. It's okay to forgive myself and allow myself to forget, and then be reminded again. It's really alright. And in my response to her, I said that I will need to read these words many times over the next 6 months. Those 6 months have now been extended to 9 months, but with the likelihood of a full recovery.

And while I'm an introvert, I also just love being around people (Right, Krumichs?). Just when I started missing interactions with people, I got a card from Jim's parents saying, 'If there's one thing you can be sure of, it's this: whatever comes, you won't be alone. You'll have thoughts and prayers surrounding and protecting you every step of the way. So just picture yourself right there in the middle of a big circle of caring... because that's where you are. And there's no safer place to be.'

Between the doctors, my family, coworkers, and friends, I really do feel surrounded by warmth, peace, and friendship. The number of people reading my meager blog is amazing to me. Thanks for being with me every step of the way.

Last night was actually my worst night of sleep yet. My headache feels a bit lighter and my neck continues to ache. But the good news from the past two days still has my heart leaping for joy! Get it? LEAP-ing? Leap day... leaping... :)

Next Up:

- When will I return to work?

- Lab Work, Monday 3/5 @ 3:45

- GP Appt., Friday 3/9 @ 4

Thank you to Susan for dinner and dessert tonight!

Good, good news!

Well, two doctor's appointments later, I am feeling quite optimistic and happy!

Yesterday we met with the neurologist and he is expecting a full recovery for me! Woohoo! Never have those words been more beautiful. I put them in the same category as summer, dark chocolate, vacation, music, singing, outdoors, and adventure :)

Hiking up Mt. Aspiring in Alaska, 2011
Full recovery means I may do this again!?

He drew me a few pictures to really diagram what happened and what he expects to happen. He also changed my pain medications and muscle relaxers, in hopes that they will help and to take me off of one narcotic, which could lead to other problems. He guessed that we are out-of-the-woods, so to speak, as far as a stroke, with a 5% possibility of stroke. He says I'll need to stay on coumadin for 9 months, so that puts us to Novemeber, folks. It will be a very happy Thanksgiving, indeed. I'll go back to him in three months, but will communicate with him prior to then.

When we walked out of his office Jim immediately said, "He is a beast." Jim doesn't give out those compliments lightly. So, you can be that he really is :)

This morning I went to the family doctor, who Jim also thinks is incredible. Side note: Jim went to Honduras with my family doctor and his family last year. He got to see him in many different settings and is just so impressed with how he interacts with patients, other colleagues, medical students, and his own family. Jim basically wants to BE this doctor. And I think he's pretty great, too.

Okay, back to the update.... they checked my INR and it was 2.0!!!!! Yay! This means that I am barely within the range I should be in, but I'm there! And this also means that I don't need to prepare myself for horrible, painful shots of Lovenox every 12 hours! Good, good news.

He also checked my hemoglobin levels to make sure that I am not at risk for anemia and I'm not, yet. We'll continue checking those levels whenever I go in for a visit.

So, those are the wonderful updates. Yup, I'm thrilled. I still have a headache and neck pain, but hopefully the new medications will work their magic. It's still going to be a slow, low-key recovery, but there's an end in sight and a healthy, good prediction comes with it.

We filled out my paperwork for the school system today and he says I can return for full-day work starting on Monday (3/5). By then perhaps the pain will be "under control." The fact is that I may have to live with some for a while. I think I'll tiptoe into work and do some planning and some visiting and prep before then, but that's the deal.

Thank you for your continued support and love! It's time to go lie down now :)

It all started when...

News of this incident has spread and there are people who are reading my blog and wondering "How in the world did this happen?" and "How the heck did you know you had this condition?" And, in thinking back, I never did answer these questions on the blog. I just said, "long story short" and moved on to the diagnosis. Here I hope to answer those questions...


I was teaching (Feb 6th) and I felt a stabbing pain in my shoulder.  When I reached up, I felt a huge lump and then I felt it travel up my neck and into my head. It was then I lost my vision in both eyes, partially, for about 20-25 minutes. Silly, naive me thought, "I must be dehydrated." It was the end of the day, I was wearing a bulky, warm sweater and I just assumed that I had not had enough to drink that day (Heat stroke from my XC days was on my mind). I wasn't confused or disoriented, so I kept teaching through it. When my vision cleared 20-25 minutes later, it was the end of the day. 


I lay down in the nurse's office and a coworker drove me home. I had a headache from the moment it traveled into my head on. I took one sick day and then taught that whole week with a headache. The headache still didn't go away, so I went to the doctor one week after it started (Feb 13). They referred me for an MRI and MRA and to a neurologist. Insurance wouldn't cover me for the tests (As they were "not medically necessary"...still so absurd to recall!) and the neurologist called and asked me to come in 4 days early during his lunch break (Feb 15). Even with the neurologist's scripts sent to my insurance, they refused to accept that I needed an MRA and an MRI.


After much discussion and conversation, the neurologist told me he was either going to admit me to a hospital or we'd have to go through the ER. Since he thought the ER would be the cheapest route for me, he sent me directly there and that's where my blog picks up.


The suspicion as to how this happened has been traced back to treatment I have been receiving for TMJ. In these treatments I have had manipulations done to my neck. That is what the doctors are crediting as the "trauma" that occurred. I will not be receiving any more treatments like this for the rest of my life. Nor will I be allowed to have massages, etc. This is a very rare case and there is a very small percentage of people who are predisposed to this possibility.


We're grateful that this was caught when it was. There are a great many things which could have happened and didn't.


As always, we really appreciate your thoughts, prayers and well-wishes! Today, at 5 PM, we have an appointment with the neurologist credited with saving my life. I may just give him a BIG OL' HUG!!!! I'm told that he may do the same, but he seemed far too reserved and calm to do that :)

Found on Pinterest.com

Advice from a River

It took me a long time to even become willing to write a blog. My cousins kept trying to convince me to join the blogging world and I just kept saying, "What do I have to write about?" and "Why would anyone want to read it?"And I often still feel this way. But I decided to, at first, write it as just a journal for myself. I didn't share anything vastly personal, but I did try to document the small and big things that were going on in our lives. I think, and hope, that this is still what I do one year later.

But in the very beginning you have to decide on a name, and that, I found, was a lot of pressure. After deliberating for a while, I finally decided on RiverandShore because it's from one of my favorite songs and I feel most at home on a river. I know how to read the rapids and how to find the eddies, and I know the going can be slow, and that the outside of a curve will always be deeper, and there can be times when you have to get out and walk because it's just too shallow all of the way across. I've gained this knowledge from a lifetime of canoeing, kayaking, and swimming in different rivers.

Well, there's one river I know better than any other. It's the Clarion River in Pennsylvania. As a matter of fact, Jim's Aunt Sherri, a traveling ER nurse specializing in cardiac patients, told me that a great and calming technique is to imagine you are in a place you know very well. A place where you know the smells and the sounds, and you can feel the things around you. She said that I should try walking myself through a place like this and it can be quite relaxing and take your mind away from the pain. You can guess where I chose to take myself.... I went to the Clarion.

And, boy did it work!? It was incredible. I put myself on a bike and went for a ride down River Road. I biked and, all the while, looked at the road and the trees around me, and I waved at the neighbors at the familiar houses, and I nodded my head at each of the familiar boulders in the river, and the rapids, and the herons, kingfishers, and the bald eagle, since he was in his usual perch in the tall, dead tree.

I smelled the pines, and heard the eager canoers pass by, and at the end of the ride I even stopped and had an ice cream at the Pale Whale, before peddling back home. But I surprised myself by actually knowing each bend in the road and turn of the river. Never have I sat and actually taken myself on a prolonged journey in my memory. It's amazing what your mind can do and where it can take you, and how it can relax and comfort your body to do so.

My Aunt Beth sent me a shirt the day after I went to "visit" The Pinery and the Clarion River. This shirt could not be any better. She said, "I just saw that shirt and thought it was absolutely perfect for you...at any time, but especially right now." She's hit the nail on the head!

The shirt says "Advice from a River:"

Go with the flow           Immerse yourself in nature                     Slow down and meander

             Go around the obstacles                    Be thoughtful of those downstream

                                                                                                                                Stay current                   

The beauty is in the journey!

Yes, it's backwards... that's what happens when
you are lazy and use Photo Booth!

Health Update: Yesterday I took it very slow and Jim built a fire. We had our friend, Maria, over late in the afternoon and it was really nice. She's amazing and positive and the hours flew by. By the end of our visit my neck was quite painful, so I had to lie down for the evening. Today my neck and head are hurting. We went on a short walk on the Huckleberry Trail, which my body was grateful for. I felt my pace quicken a few times and had to remind myself to be an "old lady." I'll have to get used to everyone passing me for a while. It was nice to have a change of setting, though.

Timeline:

Monday- Neuro Appt. @ 5 PM

Tuesday- GP Appt. @ 9:30 AM

We'll see what they say about my progress and going back to work. Let's hope my INR is between 2-3.

Thank you to Randy and family for meatloaf tonight! :)

Now I lie here on the couch deciding what next to do. I hope to find a way to stream the Academy Awards online tonight. Let me know if you have any leads or tips :)

A Sunny, Warm, February (?) Day

As I type, every window, that isn't insulated with plastic wrap, and door is open in our cottage. The dogs are free to go on the porch or come in as they please and that's my kind of a day! But didn't we just have snow four days ago? And why am I wearing a tank top with a scarf in February? Sheesh.

So, you're probably waiting for me to give a health update... enough about the weather, eh?

Last night, right after I took ALL of my medicines and vitamins that I take in the evening, and had prepped for bed, I started to feel some chest pains on my left side. In the beginning they came and went with my deep breaths, but then they stayed. I called my doctor's office and spoke to the doctor on call and she recommended that, given my condition, we head straight to the ER. You can imagine how thrilled we were to go through this again.

We went and they ran an EKG, some blood tests, and did a CT scan of my chest. They did the CT scan to rule out the possibility that another blood clot was causing my chest pain. Fortunately, nothing was found and so at 3:30 AM we finally headed home! And my INR went up to 1.3. Chugging along...

Today I still went to my appointment and my doctor checked my INR again. Now it's at a 1.5... we're eeking slowly toward the 2-3 point goal. He upped my coumadin dose to 12 mg each day, compared to 10 mg. I'll go back to him on Tuesday for another visit and during that time we'll discuss going back to work. I also have my appointment with Dr. Marrufo (neurologist) on Monday at 5 PM, so after both of those appointments we'll know more. I, at least, won't be back at school until Wednesday.

I'm still very grateful to the faculty at school for their support! They've been incredible.

Back to the weather.... when Jim got home from yet another make-up test we went on a short walk outside and in the woods. It was really nice to get out of the house on this gorgeous day. While still very present, I might even venture to say that my headache eased up a bit today. But perhaps that's my positive, sunny day thinking :)

But I'm wiped from the busy night and day. It's time for a nap.



P.S. Scroll down to see the cute llama font message I got earlier today!

Modes of Support

Today I wrote about how much I love communicating with those from throughout my life in many different ways over the last few days. Well, this evening Vicki came from school with a WHOLE BUNCH of mail from my students...

Their letters wish me to get well soon, and tell me they miss me, and that it's really not the same without me there. There aren't too many jobs where you can receive 80+ letters in one day and I'm thankful for my students for taking the time to drop me a line. Thank you to the teachers who facilitated the writing of these cards, too! I'll be back before they know it.

In the left corner of the picture you will see a black, U-shaped neck pillow. Thanks to Dave G. for sending two with Vicki tonight! I'll get better sleep and relax more completely with this accessory. I heard more people at school brought pillows in, as well. Thanks for your support!

Again, I spent the day lying on a mat on my back listening to Pandora. It's the most comfortable thing for me to do. My neck was quite painful today, as well as my back and, of course, my headache. Leif, our pup, enjoys cuddling with me when I'm lying on the floor. He's been quite calm these days, when he would normally be begging for a walk or a hike. He must know...

I had two visitors today: Jessica (a teacher friend and wife of a 4th year at VCOM) and Vicki (Gifted Resource Teacher). It was nice to have some social interaction today! I'm so grateful to you both for stopping by.

Thank you to Vicki for dinner tonight! We have enough leftovers for tomorrow's dinner, as well. We're going to need that recipe!

At 9 AM tomorrow morning I have my next doctor's appointment. Hopefully the coumadin has kicked in and the shots can stop- a girl can dream, right?

One week ago we were still waiting to be checked into our hospital room... crazy. There are so many ways that we've seen, heard, and felt your support over the last week and we are truly overwhelmed and humbled by it all. We sincerely thank you. Good night, everyone!