Wearying Week

Well, it's been quite a week. I've functioned through it only half alive. I haven't been able to take any of my vitamins at all (the reason later) which is definitely slowing me down and my allergies have been awful, so I've been alternately drugging myself and burning out my nostrils with capsaicin pepper spray. And, Ben started school on Monday, which means Mama is up well before 7 am to get him fed and ready. Ugh, ugh, ugh!

I also started homeschool with the other boys this week. Normally, I don't start with them until after Labor Day because I have a philosophical problem with school starting before then. But, considering it was August before Will finished up the 9th grade, I thought there might be some wisdom in starting a few weeks earlier this year!

It's been nice - really nice. The house is quiet and there's not nearly so much squabbling and ruckus. Ben was an utter pill a week ago Friday, so I yearned intensely all weekend long for Monday to arrive. I haven't been disappointed!

He is loving school. He came home the first day and informed me that "School is so much better than home, Mom!" Um - thanks? Actually, I could retort and tell him that Home is so much better when he's at school, but I haven't. His teacher and one-on-one seem to be bending over backwards to make things go well. I've gotten several phone calls from this week about various things, which I appreciate. They started a home/school notebook where they write notes about his day and then I can respond with any questions or comments I have. They're going to regret that. Today I sent back 3 pages of questions! That was because they sent home his schedule yesterday and it didn't look quite right to me so I had tons of things to ask about that. I felt kind of bad doing that, but I am the mom and I have to be convinced that Ben is being well cared for in my absence.

Ben told me today that he was given a job at school. He's delivering newspapers to all the classrooms. I think that's terrific! He is totally loving art class. It sounds to me like they are doing pottery or something with clay right now. Ben commented, "You never did anything like that at home, Mom." I've never done anything artsy with Ben. Some of it is just "me." I don't like messes. I'm not one to pull out the glue and glitter and construction paper and tell the kids to go at it. I'd rather they rot their brain on tv, because I don't have to sweep that up. But the other reason is just as much because of his cerebral palsy. Ben has only just mastered (and not quite the right way) scissors. He doesn't have fine motor control. So turning him into a Picasso has never been one of my goals for him. But mostly, I just don't want the mess! So, school is good!

I had an ultrasound and biopsy of my thyroid today. That's why I couldn't have any vitamins this week, as I talked about it earlier - or aspirin or probably allergy pills (but I took those anyway). I might have cancer. But I probably don't. And if I do, it's very unlikely I'll die from it, anyway, so don't get too worried. A week ago I went in for my annual hearing exam with Dr. Greiman. The next thing I knew, he had his hands on my throat, palpitating my neck. I hate having my neck touched, so I was not amused. He explained that he has recently started giving thyroid checks to all his female patients. He said that thyroid cancer is one of those things that sneaks up unannounced (don't all cancers? I mean do we get a note saying, "Hello, I'm breast cancer and I'm about to invade your previously unbothered bosom."??)

The short story is that he found something so today I had to check myself into the hospital and have it looked at. I really don't think there is anything to worry about. In my thinking, if I have cancer, I'll know it. But I feel just fine. So, I had the ultrasound, which is just like a baby ultrasound, only a lot higher up and with no happy news. I was completely confident that would be the last of it. The tech. would show the results to the dr. and I'd be on my merry way. But she came back and said, "Uh, you have to have the biopsy - now." Drat. Apparently, Dr. Greiman did feel what he thought he felt and I have a growth on the left side of my thyroid. But the dr. who did the biopsy told me that, more than likely, it's just a benign growth. Apparently, they're not uncommon. If it isn't cancerous, they will just leave it in there.

So, I had the biopsy. They had to take blood first. Then, about 20 min. later, with me sitting doing absolutely nothing and being totally bored, the staff finally came in to work on me. Ok, I learned something new today. Getting a thyroid biopsy is not pleasant. Oh, it was awful! They numbed up my neck, but that didn't stop the pain from when the needle would brush against nerves inside my neck. The dr. said that I have absolutely no fat on my neck and that's probably why it hurt so much. He said my windpipe is right underneath the skin and it was impossible to avoid nicking it with the needle. And he had a hard time, too, getting the 3 cells needed for the evaluation. But eventually it was over and I was never more thankful!

My neck is swollen and battered and it feels like I swallowed a wad of gum that won't go down. The dr. said it will look like I have a hickey for a few days...nice... Afterwards, I met Paul for lunch. He couldn't come right away, so I cheered myself up by going out to Victoria's Secret. I needed a new bra and I just got one of their $10 coupons, so it seemed like the right time! I had thought to go out there next Mon. while Will is at class, but I'll have David with me and he's bothered by nearly naked women (may it always be so) so it probably was best for me to go alone.

Since this was all in the interest of keeping me alive, I guess it was a good thing that I went.

Oh, I found a birthday present for Ben this week. He wants an mp3 player. But Will advised me that there was no way Ben's clumsy fingers would be able to manage the dials on the ones that he and David have. So I did some internet research and I found a place in Canada that sells 2G players. They're marketed to children and to disabled adults. They're larger than typical players, which is good, since Ben loses everything. Rather than dials, they have just 3 large buttons. The best feature, I think, is this: parent controlled volumes. In a way that the consumer cannot see, the parents set the volume. We have had such a problem with Ben using his cd player too loudly and now we're hearing reports of children losing their hearing because of the continual too-loud use of ear buds and their mp3s. Will looked over the product and thought it would be good for Ben, so that's what we'll order.

We may be pouring concrete this weekend. Maybe. There's still the problem of not all the dirt being yet dug out of the basement. Poor Paul. He's so frustrated. We were to go camping this weekend, but are delaying that by a week, which is a relief to me. Instead, we're going to go next weekend with Paul's sister and her family. Plus, they have boat, water skis, and tubes, so we'll be able to have some fun on the water.

Tomorrow night we'll be the first football game of the season. This is new. I had not planned on going to any games until this Mon. night when the JV team plays for the first time. The first Varsity game every year is against the Carlisle Wildcats. They're not in our division, but it's a Hwy 5 rivalry game that everyone enjoys. Will got asked to play in it! He's so excited and so am I! Go Trojans!

That's all my news. Time to open the fridge and see what leftovers (for supper) fall out...