I like to think I can be a remarkable woman whose life embodies resilience and compassion, but these last few days has definitely tested this one! By day, I am a dedicated special education teacher, nurturing the minds of her students with patience and love. By night, she’s a devoted family women caring for my significant other who’s battling a the dreaded man cold and four legged children who think they need to eat random things to just throw up in the middle of the night. And amidst it all, I grapple with my own struggle—living with autoimmune conditions that often leaves me exhausted, in pain, and sick.
Morning Routine: Finding Strength in the Everyday
The alarm rings at 5:30 AM, signaling the start of another demanding day. I slowly rise, my joints stiff and aching. I takes a deep breath, reminding myself that I am stronger than my pain. After a morning routine of stretching and medication, I quietly checks on T who’s finally asleep after I night of keep awake the house due to his own discomfort of a sick stomach, chills, diarrhea and vomiting.
With a gentle kiss on his forehead, I tell him good bye. I head to the kitchen to prepare my coffee and snacks for the day. I have learned to balance my nutritional needs with small snack throughout the day that are easy for me to digest. Let me tell you gastroparesis is a ball, 0/10, would not recommend. What little bit of help I can get I will take!
At School:
I walked into my classroom, I always seem to feel a renewed sense of purpose. My students, each with their unique challenges, inspire me to give her all each day but especially today. Today’s lesson involved talking with my older students about elections and voting to allow them to create informed options on their own, and know how to vote when they get the opportunity to vote. It can always be challenging to field some of the questions they come up with but I take a lot of efforts and pride in never persuading any one ideas to my students. They always get all of the information regardless of my opinions.
Today my big task was to finish paperwork from the wildfires of last week that the local police department needed for their side of the investigation. Being a teacher is not what it once was. We are their babysitters, their coping tools, their resource for academic knowledge, life lessons, social and emotional learning, and so much more.
Being a professional and having autoimmune issues is always a challenge. Some days it is hard to hide how much pain I am from my students seeing it. Despite my own pain, my smile never falters. I have found that giving my students the attention and support they need helps distract me from my discomfort. Each child’s progress, no matter how small, is a victory that fuels my spirit.
During student lunchs, I always make sure to take a moment to rest no matter how busy or how much I have to get done that day. I often use this time to do something that brings be joy, sometimes it is just sitting for a couple of minutes in silence, taking a walk outside, or mindlessly scrolling through my phone for a few. The fatigue from my autoimmune conditions can be overwhelming, but I learned to manage it with mindfulness and self-care.
Afternoon: Balancing Work and Home
The school day ends, but my responsibilities don’t. I gather my bag and teaching materials, and make sure my desk, classroom, and everything is ready to tackle the day for tomorrow. Before heading home, I had to stop by the pharmacy to pick up medication refills for the month. I always hate this stop it feels like it always takes so much out of me. I am not sure if it is the chore itself or if it is the social interaction but I always hate picking up my prescriptions.
At home, I go to check on T he seems to be on the mend but in his mind the world is still crumbling down. Together, we shared a simple dinner of ramen noodles. Yes ramen noodles with T being sick that is the only thing his diet will consist of and after the complete lack of sleep over the weekend I am spent and all out of spoons. I have no want or will to cook anything for dinner. My exhaustion was to a point that we even ate out of paper bowls tonight. Sometimes dishes are just not worth creating.
Evening Reflection: Embracing the Journey
As the night draws to a close, and the binge watching Netflix closes for the night. I start shutting down the house and prepare for bed. I take a moment to reflect on the day, acknowledging the challenges she’s faced and the strength I found within. My journal is filled with entries of gratitude, struggles, and small victories.
“I am resilient,” followed by scribbles stating “Today, I taught, I cared, I loved. I faced my pain and didn’t let it define me. Tomorrow is another day, and I will face it with the same strength and compassion.”
Thank you for joining me in this chapter of Life Chronicles. Let’s continue to embrace the messy, beautiful journey of life together.
Stay strong, stay compassionate, and share your stories.
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