Welcome!

This blog has been created so others can follow my adventures of returning to a music classroom! I spent my first year out of college as a Middle School Band Director, then as the Music Associate at my church for five years. During that time I decided to make a change and began pursuing my Master's in Library Science. I spent five years as the Media Specialist at a primary school and deeply desired to return to my true calling. I've been given that chance in two elementary schools and I am really excited!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Music Classroom Wish List

There are some things that we need for our music classroom.  I will be sending this list home with students at the beginning of the year with a newsletter, but I wanted to also post it here.


If you could supply just ONE item from this list that would greatly benefit our music classrooms!!

Friday, June 21, 2013

How I Ended the Year...

Some of you may remember that I developed a blood clot in my left leg behind my knee back in November. After almost 6 months of treatment and being what my doctor considered therapeutic, I began having problems with more swelling and trouble walking.  After an additional ultrasound, we found that the clot had grown and went from my hip down to my ankle.  I was three weeks from coming off the meds.  This occurred May 1.  By May 30, I was still having severe issues with swelling and not feeling good.  Friday, May 31, I got up not feeling well, but I went to work anyway because it was the last day I would see students and could start cleaning my classroom.  However, shortly after getting to work, I realized that my tummy was not going to allow me to stay at school.

I drove myself home that day feeling very nauseous and groggy.  After I got home, I stayed on the couch and rested.   Saturday I spent the day throwing up and feeling awful.  Sunday was worse...by late Sunday afternoon, I had not had solid food since Friday and I began having severe pain in my right side.  At 9:00 p.m. Sunday I drove myself to the ER.

I was very worried that the clot had broken off some and gone into my lung.  Which ended up being the case.  Initial blood work showed that I'd had a heart attack, thankfully, was not the case.  The clot did break off and a small piece went through my heart into my lung.  A CT-scan showed that my pancreas was inflamed, which was what caused the weekend of nausea.  My pancreas was inflamed because my body was resisting the Warfarin (blood thinner) that I had been on since November.

After being admitted to the hospital, I had a liquid diet for a few days and then was released to go home on new blood thinners.  Thankfully, I am on the mend and have learned a lot about my health, the medicine I am on and how I will now really talk to my doctor when I feel like something isn't right.

Looking back, I had spent MONTHS in allergy agony.  I think that was my body telling me it didn't like the medicine, but I nor my doctor really payed attention to some of the warning signs.

I'm sharing all of this so each of you will push your doctor to do something or look for a new doctor if you don't feel you are being treated.  I trusted my doctor WAY too much and didn't ask that many questions.  Please don't make the same mistake that I did!!!

I am super thankful to my art teacher buddy who closed up both of my classrooms and both of hers!!  I wouldn't have made it through the year without her!!!!

Now, I am ready to enjoy my summer and get to work on some items for my classroom!