The Fruits of My First Year of Teaching

After a two month hiatus, I am resolved to be better at writing more often.  Things have been going pretty well for Ty and I lately.  We are loving being married (who knew it would be this good!?) and even though we weren't with family for Thanksgiving, we still had a lot of fun with friends in our ward.  Other than that, we have been pretty consumed with school and work.

Work...let's talk about that one.  It's my first year of teaching, and I knew it was going to be hard--everyone says so.  It's hard. It' stressful. And it's basically taken over my life.  It's a good thing I love those little kiddos (most of the time...and most of them).  However, it's starting to take a toll.  I remember my mom telling me in high school and college that I need to learn how to deal with my stress better or it can start to affect my body.  I would try to stop and not get so stressed about everything, but then I would get stressed about how I wasn't supposed to be getting stressed and then I would remember everything on my to do list...and that was pretty much out the window.  Well, I would like to take this moment now to proclaim that my mom is a freaking genius (Tage, that one was for you).

Earlier this year I was told (after one of those invasive colonoscopies....) that I "probably" have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).  Basically whenever I get stressed I get diarrhea   My mom's prophecy was beginning to come true.  Now I know whenever I get stressed because WWIII ensues in my intestines.  But that wasn't all...oh no it was not.

Last Wednesday I noticed a little cluster of zits (or so I thought) on my back.  Thoroughly grossed out at this new appearance of "back-ne" (like acne only on my back), I just tried not to think about it.  But then it started to get all red and really itchy the next day.  So, I thought it was just a weird rash and put hydrocortizone cream on it.  But then it started to REALLY itch and REALLY hurt!  So after consulting with my two nurse moms, I went to the doctor and was informed that I have shingles.  Wait, what is shingles?  I will let these people do the talking:

Okay, it's a little dramatic, but when I ironically saw this commercial while I was home all day yesterday, I thought, "Amen brother, Amen."  What are the odds that I would see this the day I was home with shingles?!  I laughed pretty hard for a while.  Also, notice that these are old people (no offense, Grandma) who are talking about it.  Apparently you usually get it when you are in your 60s or so.  I guess we can draw from this fact that my first year of teaching has officially aged me 40 years.  According to the doctor, it probably flared up due to extreme stress.  That's an understatement! So glad I have a fifty-hour-a-week-causes-my-bowels-to-throw-a-tantrum-and-my-nerves-in-my-back-to-rage-with-pain part-time job.