Another busy week has passed in Wemindji and I survived my first week back after Christmas holidays and postponement of school from the flood! It was great to get back to the classroom and to see the kids again and they had lots of questions about when I was gone. Who took care of me? What happened? How far away was I? I answered each with a response designed to elicit good behavior and essentially to put the fear back into their little hearts. Juuuuust kidding. Sorta. I did tell them that my finger got hurt and infected because kids weren't washing their hands after using the toilets. They were simply APPALLED by this and now each child diligently uses the "hanitizer" in a suction-cupped basket on my classroom door before entering. Anything can be a teachable moment!!!
Anyways we got right into things in the classroom. I'm about a month behind in the subject areas since being absent for so long so I've had to prioritize my lessons and save other activities for later. I'm trying to catch up and get to the bare basics of the curriculum for practicality and essentials. The kids have been very good sports about the whole thing. Routine wasn't as hard to reestablish as I thought it would be but I did have to remind the kids that I saw and know EVERYTHING that went down while I was away (thanks to a hidden secret camera I said I had placed somewhere in the room hehe). When they heard this a few usual suspects looked mortified. They were quiet and cautious after that. We spent the morning of Monday reorganizing and cleaning up kid mess left from Christmas. I received a beautiful belated Christmas gift from a student and was welcomed back by dozens of handmade cards and trinkets. We hosted a special Grade 2 Girls Club (an extracurricular club the two Meghans and I run) where we made our own pizzas, watched a movie, danced and sang! It was so much fun and the girls loved it! Generally speaking it turned out to be a regular week so that was nice!
Another great surprise was that Monika came up to visit on Tuesday!!! I actually didn't even notice she was standing next to Marsha when I was doing bus duty at lunch, that's how unexpected it was!! I reacted with near tears and of course huge hugs and we've had some great opportunities to hang out and catch up over the last week. Like no time has passed at all! I'm trying my best to convince her to stay somehow with subtle suggestions such as: be my permanent on-call substitute since I clearly need one on standby at all times!!!
Anyways this week is going to be a busy one, jam-packed with new units, more writing, a new behavior modification program run by the justice department and a great lady and sliding on Friday afternoon!!
Here's a quiz I took :)
36 ODD things about you!
1. Do you like blue cheese??
Barf.
2. Have you ever smoked cigarettes??
When I was a teenager under a bridge like a troll. Then I threw up everywhere.
3. Do you own a gun?
No.
4. What flavor Kool-Aid??
Blue raspberry? Does that exist?
5. Do you get nervous before a Dr Appt??
Always. There is never a good reason for me to be at the doctor's nowadays.
6. What do you think of dogs?
If they look like cats or are Bobo they are lovely. Otherwise I am a cat lady at heart.
7. Favorite movie?
Magic Mike XXL DUHHHH
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning??
Cold water.
9. Can you do a push up??
Absolutely not.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?
My ring my dad got me before he died.
11. Do you have a favorite hobby?
Complaining and sleeping.
12. Do you have A.D.D.??
No.
13. Do you wear glasses??
I wish! The ultimate accessory.
14. Who was your childhood idol?
Rosie O'Donnell for real.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this moment:
1. My butt hurts.
2. I'm tired.
3. I have to pee
**see #11
16. Name three drinks you regularly:
Water, water, water.
17. Current worries:
That my body won't heal and I'll be in pain forever.
18. Current hates:
Seriously don't get me started!
19. Favorite place to be?
Right now? In bed. Outside on my mom's deck is pretty peaceful too.
20. How did you bring in the New Year?
At good friends Ryan and Kelly's house with all my old crew from Oakville!!
21. Where would you like to go?
Ireland
22. Name 5 people whom will do this questionnaire:
No one?
23. Do you own slippers??
Yes! Lots. Indoor/outdoors, beautiful moccasins, you name it. Slippers are a must in cold Wemindji.
24. What color shirt are you in??
Green
25. Do you like sleeping in satin sheets?
I have never because I am poor.
26. Can you whistle?
Yes but not very well.
27. Where are you now?
...in bed....
28. Would you be a pirate?
I'd be a saucy wench.
29. What song do you sing in the shower?
Nothing. I'm very focused on not slipping.
30. What is your favorite sports team?
What are sports?
31. Favorite foods?
Pad Thai, sushi, burritos.
32. What's in your pocket??
Nothing
33. The last thing that made you laugh?
Talking about colostomy bags and farts with Meghan and Meredith!
34. What's your favorite animal? Very small dogs and cats.
35. Worst injury??
My finger.
36. How many TV's in your house??
1
Peace out!!
Monday 23 January 2017
Sunday 15 January 2017
Long Lost Blog
Heya!
I bet you thought I forgot about this old thing!! Well, I didn't, but until recently, typing was a real chore so I neglected my blogging duties in favor of sitting and watching Netflix for the past 6 weeks.
JK. I'll give you a little update on what has happened in my life since my last post. The last we spoke I had developed an infection under the dead skin on my zombie finger. Thinking that was cleared up and getting the all clear to travel and be away from nursing supervision for a week, I was getting ready to return to Wemindji, although not to work but to gather my things, my van and my dog and return home to Oakville for Christmas break. This would be taking my medical leave of absence to a full 4 weeks not including Christmas break. I was so so sad to be missing all the fun Christmas festivities at school and really truly bummed to be still slowly healing and not at the top of my game.
So on December 14th I began the long trip back to Wemindji via Cree Patient Services (the fine people who got me down to Montreal for surgery). I flew to Montreal and stayed overnight there and then caught the CPS air shuttle back to Wemindji the next morning. That trip, of course, was not without drama. We landed in Chisasibi (one stop north of Wemindji) as a layover. It was there that we encountered issues with booking and my flight was cancelled!! I was able to get on another flight that was detoured to include a stop in Wemindji about 3 hours later. I was tired, hungry and my back was really acting up so I wasn't the happiest of campers. I just wanted to be in my home with Bobo! Eventually I got on the flight and after asking literally every employee in the airport if my luggage was on the plane, I found out upon landing in Wemindji that indeed it was not. Quelle surprise!! I had packed my medication and antibiotics, as well as all my home-care medical supplies in my luggage and needed them stat!!! These contained lots of liquids and sharps so I couldn't pack them in my carry on for those of you thinking I packing foolishly. Luckily the angels of Air Creebec looked sympathetically upon me and decided to deliver my luggage via the next flight into Wemindji later that evening. Small miracles.
I spent the next week at home piddling around, cleaning up my house after a month of being away and spending lots of cuddle time with Bobo to make up for abandoning him. I don't even think I said goodbye on that fateful night in November!! I was so indebted to my kind and generous friends for taking such good care of him and selflessly spending hours upon hours at my home making sure he was well taken care of, and he was!! We have been inseparable ever since!
Anyways, nothing good can stay I have found. On the last day before take off I noticed my finger was looking funky. I went straight to the clinic in a panic and showed a doctor there what I was convinced was another (or perhaps the same one that had never really healed) infection. At this point I still had this huge nasty black scab on my finger which everyone was too scared to remove. I knew something sinister lay beneath this chunk and slowly it was proving itself to be toxic. The doctor, however was convinced I was fine (much to the attending nurse's displeasure) and I thanked him for his time and assured him I would be driving myself straight to the ER in Oakville for a second opinion upon arrival on Friday evening.
So Meghan, Angela and I took off at first light on Thursday December 22nd headed for Amos. It was a beautiful and uneventful drive on the best winter roads I have ever driven on up north!! I could see the yellow line the entire way down the James Bay Highway which is incredible this time of year. Bobo and I had some good tunes and podcasts to listen to and we spent a nice night in Amos where Bobo took up most of the king sized bed as usual.
True to my word, I arrived in Oakville on Friday evening just before 5, dropped off Bobo and drove myself right to the walk-in clinic where I met the kindest and most attentive doctor who immediately agreed I had an infection in the wound, prescribed me more antibiotics and wrote me a "fast pass" to the ER should I feel I need to see a plastic surgeon on-call. They changed my dressing and I went to see the nurses at CCAC in Oakville first thing the next morning. There they agreed there looked to be infection under the nasty scab and called in a wound specialist to have a look the following day. She was awesome. Immediately removed the scab which was painless but caused me to have a small panic attack anyways and beneath was my greatest fear. A huge gaping wound full of infection. A new treatment was prescribed and I have actually been healing very well ever since!!
The next 2 weeks back in Oakville were really relaxed and pleasant and I got to spend a lot of time with family and friends. I have really used this time off work to focus on my health and recuperating and putting things in perspective. It sounds corny but 2017 is a year that I really need to take care of myself. I am no use to anyone else if I am dead. So I have made some lifestyle changes and I am really looking forward to slowly making others so that I can be the best me possible!!
Anyways, last week was our first week back at school and that was not without drama as well!! On the weekend before we were due to be back, a pipe burst in a bathroom at the school and for a couple days it seems the water was running rampant over our new building. Surprisingly the damage was minimal and mostly cosmetic but it still set us back a number of days due to cleanup, testing air quality and getting things in order. I sustained very little damage to my classroom despite being directly across from the offending bathroom and only had to toss some paper items which became quite waterlogged. Everything else I owned was in plastic containers on the floor or high enough off the ground that they didn't sit in the fairly shallow water that pooled in my entire classroom. I was able to use the time we had without students in the classroom very wisely and got prepped for the next few weeks of classes! I was also able to assess the damage of being out of the classroom for a month and let me tell you, there will be a reckoning when we return full swing tomorrow morning. Let's just say the kids will never have free time again.
This weekend I took it easy as my back is acting up again and I'm not having much luck with relief. That didn't stop me however from hosting a small, intimate birthday dinner for my incredible, kind, generous and caring friend Marsha. We had the 1 of 3 things I can cook, Pad Thai, lots of laughs and and all around nice evening.
I am very anxious and excited to get back into the classroom tomorrow and get back into a good routine with the kids. I missed them and I know they missed me and I have a lot of things planned for when we get back. It'll be a lot of catch up but they can handle it and I am ready for the challenge!!! Wish me luck though haha.
I bet you thought I forgot about this old thing!! Well, I didn't, but until recently, typing was a real chore so I neglected my blogging duties in favor of sitting and watching Netflix for the past 6 weeks.
JK. I'll give you a little update on what has happened in my life since my last post. The last we spoke I had developed an infection under the dead skin on my zombie finger. Thinking that was cleared up and getting the all clear to travel and be away from nursing supervision for a week, I was getting ready to return to Wemindji, although not to work but to gather my things, my van and my dog and return home to Oakville for Christmas break. This would be taking my medical leave of absence to a full 4 weeks not including Christmas break. I was so so sad to be missing all the fun Christmas festivities at school and really truly bummed to be still slowly healing and not at the top of my game.
So on December 14th I began the long trip back to Wemindji via Cree Patient Services (the fine people who got me down to Montreal for surgery). I flew to Montreal and stayed overnight there and then caught the CPS air shuttle back to Wemindji the next morning. That trip, of course, was not without drama. We landed in Chisasibi (one stop north of Wemindji) as a layover. It was there that we encountered issues with booking and my flight was cancelled!! I was able to get on another flight that was detoured to include a stop in Wemindji about 3 hours later. I was tired, hungry and my back was really acting up so I wasn't the happiest of campers. I just wanted to be in my home with Bobo! Eventually I got on the flight and after asking literally every employee in the airport if my luggage was on the plane, I found out upon landing in Wemindji that indeed it was not. Quelle surprise!! I had packed my medication and antibiotics, as well as all my home-care medical supplies in my luggage and needed them stat!!! These contained lots of liquids and sharps so I couldn't pack them in my carry on for those of you thinking I packing foolishly. Luckily the angels of Air Creebec looked sympathetically upon me and decided to deliver my luggage via the next flight into Wemindji later that evening. Small miracles.
I spent the next week at home piddling around, cleaning up my house after a month of being away and spending lots of cuddle time with Bobo to make up for abandoning him. I don't even think I said goodbye on that fateful night in November!! I was so indebted to my kind and generous friends for taking such good care of him and selflessly spending hours upon hours at my home making sure he was well taken care of, and he was!! We have been inseparable ever since!
Anyways, nothing good can stay I have found. On the last day before take off I noticed my finger was looking funky. I went straight to the clinic in a panic and showed a doctor there what I was convinced was another (or perhaps the same one that had never really healed) infection. At this point I still had this huge nasty black scab on my finger which everyone was too scared to remove. I knew something sinister lay beneath this chunk and slowly it was proving itself to be toxic. The doctor, however was convinced I was fine (much to the attending nurse's displeasure) and I thanked him for his time and assured him I would be driving myself straight to the ER in Oakville for a second opinion upon arrival on Friday evening.
So Meghan, Angela and I took off at first light on Thursday December 22nd headed for Amos. It was a beautiful and uneventful drive on the best winter roads I have ever driven on up north!! I could see the yellow line the entire way down the James Bay Highway which is incredible this time of year. Bobo and I had some good tunes and podcasts to listen to and we spent a nice night in Amos where Bobo took up most of the king sized bed as usual.
True to my word, I arrived in Oakville on Friday evening just before 5, dropped off Bobo and drove myself right to the walk-in clinic where I met the kindest and most attentive doctor who immediately agreed I had an infection in the wound, prescribed me more antibiotics and wrote me a "fast pass" to the ER should I feel I need to see a plastic surgeon on-call. They changed my dressing and I went to see the nurses at CCAC in Oakville first thing the next morning. There they agreed there looked to be infection under the nasty scab and called in a wound specialist to have a look the following day. She was awesome. Immediately removed the scab which was painless but caused me to have a small panic attack anyways and beneath was my greatest fear. A huge gaping wound full of infection. A new treatment was prescribed and I have actually been healing very well ever since!!
The next 2 weeks back in Oakville were really relaxed and pleasant and I got to spend a lot of time with family and friends. I have really used this time off work to focus on my health and recuperating and putting things in perspective. It sounds corny but 2017 is a year that I really need to take care of myself. I am no use to anyone else if I am dead. So I have made some lifestyle changes and I am really looking forward to slowly making others so that I can be the best me possible!!
Anyways, last week was our first week back at school and that was not without drama as well!! On the weekend before we were due to be back, a pipe burst in a bathroom at the school and for a couple days it seems the water was running rampant over our new building. Surprisingly the damage was minimal and mostly cosmetic but it still set us back a number of days due to cleanup, testing air quality and getting things in order. I sustained very little damage to my classroom despite being directly across from the offending bathroom and only had to toss some paper items which became quite waterlogged. Everything else I owned was in plastic containers on the floor or high enough off the ground that they didn't sit in the fairly shallow water that pooled in my entire classroom. I was able to use the time we had without students in the classroom very wisely and got prepped for the next few weeks of classes! I was also able to assess the damage of being out of the classroom for a month and let me tell you, there will be a reckoning when we return full swing tomorrow morning. Let's just say the kids will never have free time again.
This weekend I took it easy as my back is acting up again and I'm not having much luck with relief. That didn't stop me however from hosting a small, intimate birthday dinner for my incredible, kind, generous and caring friend Marsha. We had the 1 of 3 things I can cook, Pad Thai, lots of laughs and and all around nice evening.
I am very anxious and excited to get back into the classroom tomorrow and get back into a good routine with the kids. I missed them and I know they missed me and I have a lot of things planned for when we get back. It'll be a lot of catch up but they can handle it and I am ready for the challenge!!! Wish me luck though haha.
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| My name in Cree! |
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