Tuesday, May 22, 2012

How We Learn

I thought it was time to introduce you to one of my favourite speakers - Sir Ken Robinson, a writer I have long considered almost a mentor as I navigate these waters of parenting and alternative education. I know most of you won't click on an embedded video...I usually don't, myself. But this one is so very worth your time. I haven't quite figured out why, but I cry every time I listen to it...usually right around "Somebody else might have put her on medication and told her to calm down." Please comment and tell me what you think.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Who's better? I'M better!

And by "better" I mean "cured".  Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments! You were very comforting.

Here's what I learned from this experience, dear readers:
do not self-diagnose using the internet.

Due to all the weird symptoms, and with the help of Google, I had decided I had trigeminal nerve damage and that the rest of my life was ruined. I would be doomed to swallow prescription pain killers for the next fifty years and, if I was lucky, I could save up enough money from bake sales and contract knitting, that I could go to a special clinic in the US and have ground-breaking laser surgery that would of course go horribly wrong, leaving me with bi-lateral paralysis and probably a hunchback.

But in the end, the dentist turned out to be right (who knew that 30 years of doing a job would make you good at it, eh?) and it was an abscessed tooth. Even though that tooth never hurt me even once.

So rejoice with me, for I can do all of this without pain:

* eat fruit out of the fridge
* go for a walk in the freezing night (six months from now, I mean)
* go swimming in glacier-fed rivers (I do that in August)
* drink water at room temperature or cooler
* talk while I am smiling!

And I'm doing that last thing right.....now!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Trigemin-oh-no

It's a sign of how anxious and upset I am, not to mention how much pain I am in, that I am even mentioning this to you at all.

I had some dental work done in November, and ever since then my face has been hurting.

Yes, for six months.

Displaced pain that covered all bases from my front tooth to my back, and from my eyelid to my ear, made me suspect that my nerve, never pleased with dental work, had finally frapped out. I delusionally hoped it would get better...for SIX MONTHS.

Went to the dentist last week and was told I had an abscess forming for the last SIX MONTHS, and that I must be awfully strong to have fought it off.

I AM strong, so I thought, "Good! that's what it is."

Ten days on antiobiotics prior to a root canal, and there is no change in the pain.

Root canal is in one hour.

What if it only makes things worse?

What if the poking and prodding around with the needle ONLY MAKES IT WORSE?

And I can't NOT pursue a solution, because the pain happens mostly when inhaling cold air (so, six months of the year) or when talking while smiling.

TALKING WHILE SMILING, people.

If you know me, you know that non-treatment is not an option.

BECAUSE I TALK WHILE SMILING. Like, constantly. I am friendly and happy.

Imagine me without smiley-talking. Unthinkable, right?

I'm worried.

Please do not tell me "Oh Shannon DON'T get the root canal! My BF did that and she has been in pain ever since!" or whatever horror stories you have. Because it will be TOO LATE because I am leaving for the dentist in THIRTY-EIGHT MINUTES and in the intervening time I would like to lie in bed sobbing with the duvet up over my head.


Thursday, May 10, 2012

My Yesterday

The last few days we have enjoyed intermittent - very intermittent - sunshine. It's not enough to really warm things up, and the hailstorms punctuating the afternoon kept the air downright chilly, but it's enough to make me think there's hope yet.


I bought this pulsatilla plant several years ago - five, maybe? - and would love to find more one day. I haven't seen any for sale since, though I haven't looked too hard. I kept thinking it might spread, or self-seed, or something. (It hasn't.)

School is nearly finished for the year. We have two weeks or so left. The lightning-swift passage of time never ceases to amaze and unnerve me.