New Year (a little late) & Update
Happy New Year! ...Hard to believe that January is just about 1/3 done already!
Here is an update where I am at currently with work:
Just before Christmas, I increased my time at work... and at that: aggressively. I doubled my hours! My new doctor at Courage Kenny has high hopes that I can get to full time again before the end of the school year. Both my doctor and I agreed to have me increase a little bit every few weeks until I get to 40 hours. But man, it is hard work. Since the increase, I easily sleep 12 hours a night. Sorry to anyone who is really needing the zzz's but my brain is soaking them up. Literally. And, with all this extra sleep, I am having some wild dreams. For as long as I can remember, since I was a little kid, I would wake up remembering what I dreamt. This still happens today, but I am in REM sleep so much longer now that the dreams are so wild. Crazy brain! WOWZA. I can share these another time. But seriously, crazy dreams.
The high school where I work has a block schedule: 4 class periods a day, roughly 85 minutes each. I am currently working 3 of these 4 class periods.
Period 1 -- I am not working
Period 2 -- Prep period to get everything ready for class
Period 3 -- Co-teach in Algebra & Trigonometry
Period 4 -- Period where I get to help other teachers
Right now I am able to teach half of the class period with my co-teacher. We do a pretty decent job of splitting that up. This is a huge change from earlier in the year where I was only able to pull a few kids out of class to teach small groups. My brain wasn't ready to handle the chaotic classroom of 32 seniors, but currently I am able to be in the classroom for the entire length of the period. Good changes happening here. This is all great and stuff... But, to be honest, I am loving period 4. Yeah, yeah, yeah...teaching is great. I am happy my brain is able to be doing this. Truly, it is great. I haven't been about to teach for about a year and a half since the car accident. BUT to finally be at the point where I can give back to help my coworkers makes coming to work so much more meaningful.
These coworkers, they are awesome.
They drove me to the doctor, sat with me during appointments, sat at home with me when I could barely move, brought me meals, checked in on me when I was at my lowest to make sure I was ok.
These coworkers dedicated time to help me on some of the worst days of my life, and I am truly grateful to be able to give back.
It has been a long journey to get here, but damn, it is beautiful to be here.
This update has me feeling unbelievable lucky. To be honest, there were days, MANY days, after the accident where I believed that I was never going to be able to work again. I could barely hold a conversation in those early days. Embarrassingly, I could barely wipe my own behind! Literally! To say it was difficult is an understatement. Every conversation was like a listening to a movie on fast forward and my brain just couldn't keep up. Plus, my PTSD kept me from getting in the car and it caused so many breakdowns even after I could manage to let others drive me where I needed to go. My brain was just so rattled that I struggled with vertigo for months. I would never wish what I went through on anyone. Sucky.
YET... by the sweet grace of God here I am. God is so good. I have prayed and prayed, I mean seriously, prayed tons for healing. Without a doubt, I know many prayed for me too. God has answered those prayers that have been prayed over the last year and 8 months and healing has been happening. I could not be more grateful. My journey is not over yet, but I cannot deny the fact that I have come so far from where I started. My God has heard and answered my prayer.
I will end this post with an old hymn:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
Amen
