Part One, Being a Teacher Almost Killed Me, Literally
My Teacher Hat......My Doing The Most Hat......My Me, Myself & I Hat
The week leading up to May 22, 2017 was gearing up to be one of the biggest challenges in my life as an educator, wife and mother.
I had been having pain on the right side of my stomach. It started out small, and slowly but surely increased on the pain meter as time passed. By the morning of May 22, 2017 I could barely walk, and let's just say the pain meter had a sad face! If you have ever been hospitalized you know what the pain meter is. I have always had a high tolerance for pain, so I pushed through, self-diagnosing myself with gas and stress. Thank you Dr. Morgan, NOT! I got my girls ready for daycare, got myself ready for work, and started my one hour drive towards my campus. (Hubby was already at work, he leaves the house at 5am!)
As the day continued I ignored my needs, smiled and took care of my kiddos, like most educators I know. Finally it was my planning time. I limped to my team leaders room, sat down and tried to look normal. I felt like something was stabbing me over and over again. Clearly, I did not look well and my team leader, Dawn took one look at me and said, “Eva you need to go to the doctor, or you need to go to the hospital!” “Who has time to go to the doctor or the hospital?” Not any educator I know. I was out of days and was being docked for every day I had to take off.
Why didn’t I have any days? Am I some irresponsible party animal that took mini-vacays?
No.......So stop being so judgy! (Yes, I know that's not a word, What did I just say?)
I gave birth to two beautiful girls back to back, and regret nothing, they are my heartbeats. Lilly Avanell was born in July of 2015 and Eden Juliet surprised us in September of 2016, she was later hospitalized in October of 2016 which gave me the scare of a lifetime. We also recently purchased our new home in January of 2017.
To add to that long list of major life events the stabbing pain presented itself the second to last week of school in May of 2017 with zero days left.
Wow!
Thank goodness Facebook has my life story! #timestamps
So......... just in case you wanted proof!
Remember, a teachers year starts in August and Ends in May. I had four major life events in one school year! And my students still did "The Bomb" on STAAR that year, because I don't play that!!!
Back to Dawn kicking me out of planning. (Thanks Dawn, you saved my life!)
My husband took me to the doctor, and they prescribed some antibiotics. They said if I develop a fever I need to head to the emergency room. Guess What.........?
I developed a fever. My husband took me to the emergency room and they told me had I waited any longer I could have died or needed a new kidney!
Do you think I learned my lesson? (Pausing to put on my "Teacher" hat.)
During my week in the hospital, I taught my kids virtually through google hangouts, had students submit assignments through seesaw, while providing feedback on their google slide presentations. No, COVID-19 did not exist yet. I also maintained communication with my parents, the seesaw messages are posted below, they are not well written now that I have read them again lol! Like where were my capital letters?
I had my husband bring me my cumulative folders from the trunk of my car because I said to myself as I was literally dying, "If I have to stay home then I will use this time to clean my student documentation folders!" I cleaned out my cumulative folders for the 2016-2017 school year while sitting on a hospital bed. Let that sink in for a second.
I remember one day in the hospital when I was all alone and restless, I asked the doctor what did I have to do to get out of the hospital.... She sat me down, looked me in my eyeballs and said, "Mrs. Morgan, you have a life threatening infection, you need to slow down and rest." I still begged her, and honestly I got out because they put in a pic line. This is a tube that goes through your body to your heart so antibiotics go directly where they need to go. I wore the pic line for the last week of school and all of June. I had to inject antibiotics this way three times a day.
Ultimately, I was docked for being in the hospital for 4 days and racked up thousands of dollars in medical care. I had already been docked earlier in the school year for Eden's birth and later hospitalization, and was still paying those hospital bills as well. I don't think our family has fully recovered, this was just two and a half years ago.
(Now it's time for my "Doing The Most" hat!)
You would think I learned my lesson when I became an Assistant Principal for the 2018-2019 school year. Are you kidding? They gave me the key and the alarm code! I was there till 10pm at night! (Shhhhhhhh)
I legit used to have dreams as a teacher of not going home and staying at the school overnight just so that I could get ahead for the next week! I had a futon in my classroom, I could have done it...... (For the record, I did NOT do this!)
After a decade in education I began to reflect on the fact that I had almost lost my life because I ignored my health and focused on work. My personal life was hanging by a thread, and I wanted to spend more time with my girls. I knew I had to make a change.
In the Spring of the 2018-2019 school year I was invited to a two day professional development. I know what you're thinking....really Morgan, a PD? My personal belief about professional development is to leave with ONE thing you can focus on and implement. Sometimes PD is too much, and many coordinators don't realize that people can't do it all!
However, this specific PD changed my life! I have increased my ability to invest in my me time, my mom time, my husband time and my spiritual time.....Below is actual footage of me intentionally spending time....by myself.....at the beach......
My Me Myself & I hat shall be worn in Part 2 which is Under Construction.
I am so happy you slowed down to enjoy the view!