Stressor removed!

So, this is my first official blog entry, yes, the mom. I teach 7th grade math in a title one school, which means, along with many wonderfully successful students, we have a lot of under-performing students of low SES (poverty - which can bring many different challenges). Besides my incredible family and the joys and stresses that come with that, both positive and negative, teaching these students is another love of my life. We just finished the first quarter at work, conferenced with a ton of parents, and finished the first big district test. I now feel like I can breathe.

In addition to the stress of trying to keep track of 168 students daily, we have had some items of stress in our family. Chelsea's accident last spring was traumatic enough. Her broken bones and cuts have long healed. When she came out of the fog of the trauma, we realized she had also sustained a traumatic brain injury. At first it seemed severe, as she was unable to follow conversations, movie plots, and could not comprehend the written word. We thought it was due to the pain medications she was on for a couple of months. By the time we realized we needed to get help for her regarding this matter, it was 2 1/2 months after the collision. Here comes a run-on sentence, for any English teachers out there: The process of getting a referral to a neurologist from the primary care physician, then getting an actual appointment with that neurologist, getting treatment for headaches under control, then a referral to a neuro-psychologist, actually getting into an appointment with him, getting more medications going and monitored for correct levels, then testing appointments, then referrals to the brain injury rehab center, fighting the insurance every step of the way, then actual treatments set up, only takes about five months. Including the 2 1/2 months from the injury date to start of this process, and you have lost over 7 months of the best rehab/recovery window.

So, Chelsea is now set up for 6 days per week for three months of rehab appointments, which will cost us about $9,000 if the insurance decides not to cover it. We will find that out when the first bills are sent to them. On top of that, we have been working on her enlarged heart issue since June. She had tests done in July at Stanford, and this month we finally got all the required reports together, along with the approval of the insurance to get an appointment at Stanford's pediatric cardiology center for a second opinion. (Children's Hosp of Central Cal wants to wait until her heart is 40-50% enlarged to try to figure out what to do to stop the enlargement problem!). So, we wait for the appointment date at Stanford.

In the midst of this, Brandon, home from the Marines for over a year and getting his civilian life going, gets re-activation orders. He was scheduled to fly out today (Oct 18) for initial processing. His girlfriend, Natalie, my daughter Brianne, and I were set to pick him up at 5:30 in the AM to take him to the airport. At 6:10 pm on Oct 17, the Department of Defense, Marines, called our home to inform Brandon his deployment orders were cancelled.

In the state of bewilderment and disbelief, the relief set in, as well as the amazingly comforting thought that the insurance was going to cover Chelsea's treatments. It all just got calm at that moment. The stress of the last 7 months just eased. We have a 504 status meeting for Chelsea at her school on October 28th, which will establish legally recognized learning accommodations due to her disability. These accommodations, established at this meeting, must legally be honored for the remainder of her senior year of high school, and will follow her as she attends college over the next few years. Peace of mind. She will do well. She has to work harder, but is a Watson! She will persevere.

So, as we head into the holiday season, life is going along, and we feel positive. Our kids are doing well. We are not poised to lose our jobs and home, as so many other hard working Americans are, and we feel very blessed. I may get time to blog again on the Thanksgiving holiday week! Ta-ta!