How could so much change in 2 weeks?
I found out last Friday that I will not be returning to my school next year. I have been surplussed due to a teacher being reassigned to our school. I'm the "last one in", so I'm the first one out. I feel like I'm reliving my nightmare from last summer. I have positive thoughts for this year though. At least this time around I have one year of teaching experience that I did not have last year. It's still hard though. I completed my student teaching at my current school, so it's really like my second year there. I've made so many wonderful connections with fellow teachers and the parents in the community. If the miracle of more kids registering to attend our school were to occur, I'd have a job for next year. Here's hoping.
I'm finally getting used to my husband's new job. He's been offered a different job, which he's been trying to get for a few months now. He's going to accept. The only downfall to this new job is he will have to go to the East coast for training for 4 weeks this summer. I may go crazy over this time. Any ideas for how I could fill my free time? He won't be going anywhere until I'm out of school, so I won't have anything to do.
I have hypothyroidism (a.k.a. a slow thyroid). If anyone else out there is dealing with this and has found the secret to more energy and any suggestions for losing weight with this, please share. I'm on the right dosage of medication, so that is not a concern. I really feel like it hinders my weight loss as well. I had trouble losing weight last year and know that a slow thyroid makes your metabolism slower. Any tips would be more than welcome.
I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago and have an issue where my liver still drips bile into my intestines, causing it to burn my insides. It's such an excruciating pain. I was put on cholestyramine to make the pain go away. I've been on this medication for 2 years now. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this from a gallbladder removal, and if so, how it's being treated. I can't imagine being on this medication forever, but maybe I will be.
On another note...I just ordered Mother's Day gifts over the weekend and a graduation gift. I am SO excited about these! I will share next week, once they're given. =]
Thank you for your amazing support and advice. You help me through the darkest hours with your caring comments like you wouldn't believe. 19 (school) days left...
Hi Tiffany, I am hypo-thyroid too...coconut oil (to cook in, bake with etc) and eating a lot of greens (amazing grass is a good one) helps with my energy. Running and completing the Insanity workout also helped me lose weight and tone up (thus increasing my energy quite a bit). Perhaps you can try these out when your husband is away training. My husband and I are both in the military so we were away from each other a lot in the beginning and working out with a structured plan helped me to pass the time.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the job search!
Hoo boy - take a deep breath, life is taking you for a ride!
ReplyDeleteI discovered last fall that I have low thyroid. Same symptom as you - couldn't shift the weight with methods that had previously been successful, and lack of energy during and slow recovery from exertion. It has taken 6 months since start of medicine for the gradual ramp up of energy and metabolism improvement to really take effect. How long have you been diagnosed?
woow, you've got a lot going right now I see!
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I can't help you with any of it :(
Maybe you can bake/cook/meet people in the time your husband is gone? That's what I would do :) Just meet up with all the people that I don't have time for during school times and than just bake all day!
Read some books you've been wanting to read!
Stay in bed longer and watch some movies you still want to see!
My husband is in the military, so I know all about time away from him (and it sucks every time!)
ReplyDeleteYOU CAN DO IT! Keep as busy as you can. Spend that time working on your resume, or applying for jobs, or doing the best you can to keep your head in your blog / organizing.
Pain is pain, don't let anyone give you that "my husband was deployed for 12 months, 4 weeks is nothing!" junk that people sometimes do. If you're not used to him being away it's horrible, and you have every right to be sad at first. Give yourself a stay in bed and cry day, then do everything you can to stay busy!
Who knows, maybe it will fly by! <3 Good luck!
There's several books out that have convinced me that a lot of our modern-day diseases (celiac, various autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes) are associated with what we eat, specifically wheat and grains. Check out Wheat Belly, Primal Blueprint and the Paleo Diet (rob wolff). I'm not a doctor or nutritionist but these books helped connect a lot of dots for me. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI've got Hypo too and it sucks. As far as weight loss and feeling better, look into the Fit Yummy Mummy program - it looks gimmicky when you first enter it but it is not, it has lots of fantastic information and simple concepts plus you only work out 15 minutes a day but it is a very productive 15 minutes. It has been suggested to me to completely cut out sugar and to go gluten free. I have been trying - that is a hard one for me. Don't know yet if it is helping but i know it can't hurt.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your job, I hope another opportunity will present itself for you. Great teachers are a blessing.
my husband has done a lot of research on gallbladder removal, and at the beginning he was on the same medication that you are on, but still had side effects. He is now on Colestid which has been a lot better. Had to add a vitamin D supplement to normal out his levels (this medication block the absorption of vitamin D naturally in your body). Also had to change his diet drastically, kept a food journal to see what foods he would react to and not. Some days are better than others, but I really do see a change for the better and so does he.
ReplyDeleteBeing a railroader's wife (with a toddler and one on the way), I feel your pain about your hubby being gone. Mine has been back and forth from home for the past year and a half. We just make it work. When I'm not busy with my daughter, I read, craft, get addicted to new shows on Netflix, write, do WHATEVER to stay busy - otherwise you'll go crazy! I hope everything works out for you, but for the meantime, keep thinking positive and try and see the light at the end of the tunnel ;)
ReplyDeleteHang in there things will get better, sometimes I think we have to go through different trials in our lives to help shape us for something better in the future.
ReplyDeleteI know some amazing job is waiting for you, enjoy your time off. I was hired two days before football began( sci teacher/Athletic trainer) and I fretted all summer instead of enjoying my break between college and a real job.
ReplyDeleteI was dx with Hypothyroid, adrenal insufficiency, and low cortisol over the last two years. I am balanced now but the weight is not coming off. I use D-Ribose to help with the energy. Believe it or not exercise also helped with increasing my metabolism. Jillian Micheals has a book out that gave good info "master your metabolism" Look at HIIT workouts and increase your protein(Not sure how that might impact your gall bladder problem). You might find a boot camp to participate in while your husband is absent; Easier to make dietary changes for yourself.Having a workout buddie was crucial for my success.Linda and Julie are right about the Coconut oil and no sugar. I hope to encourage you as much as you have helped me with your forms and teaching tips. Best to you.
You are doing a great job! Keep your chin up! I am a teacher who taught for one year, then moved and could not find a job for the next three. I am finally going back to the classroom this year, so I understand what you're going through! You seem like such a fabulous, organized, and energetic teacher. They will be sure to find a place for you soon. Keep substitute teaching and getting noticed by other principals. Keep up the blog and make sure you have a good online portfolio/website that documents what you have been doing in the classroom. Principals will see this before they meet you (which is why online portfolios might be better than physical ones). You can do it! Meanwhile, thank you for all your inspiration, ideas, and pins about teaching. You have helped me a lot!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update. I've been wondering how you've been. I am a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason and when one door closes another opens. I know it is hard to think positive right now, but everything will have a way of working out. Thanks for all you do. I love your blog and check it daily! :)
ReplyDeleteI do not know much about your illnesses but I do know about the teaching. I have been lurking around your website for a little bit of time but I commented.
ReplyDeleteI have been in that situation - being a permanent sub and actually enjoying the position, sad when it ended. I have been in schools where I developed many friendships, but overall it was a blessing that I am no longer with those schools.
I do not know your financial situation, but when I worked in the traditional 10-month school year, I had to get a job (I was low man on the summer school totem too) to supplement the income of $0 that teacher's make in the summer. IT keeps you busy and clears your head of school clutter. I missed that chance when I went to work for a 12-month school for a couple of years. Get a PT job even if it is in a craft retailer ;-)
It will be helpful to fill your time. I'd be happy sharing any other hints I learned over the last decade too.
I am a math teacher.
Hypo here too.
ReplyDeleteCheck your vitamin D levels. My vitamin D level was so low. Once the dr gave me rx for vitamin D, I feel much better - way more energy, not so sluggish during the day... the mornings used to be the worse for me, it was hard to get out of bed. next time you you get your thyroid level checked - get the vitamin d checked also, it's a simple blood test
Hi Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteMy first visit to your blog via Pinterest. Loving your blog & so sorry to hear about all the stresses you're going thru!
I have hypothyroidism, too. STOP THE THYROID MADNESS is a really good book; it goes into physical as well as psychological & emotional symptoms, as well. Check out Mary Shomon, a thyroid educator, as well. I'm on Armour thyroid & my doctor upped my dosage based on my symptoms, not blood work, because I still had no energy & was gaining weight. It made a HUGE difference! Also, there's often a connection between gluten & hypo, so you may want to consider going off it. When I went GF, I dropped from a size 16 to a size 12.
Hope things get better for you soon! :-) Hali
My boyfriend has to work wild shifts sometimes and to distract myself I've spent time scheduling several posts in advance, making "phone dates" with girl friends I haven't talked to in awhile, and caught up on all the girly shows I like that he can't stand. It definitely sucks, but finding ways to stay busy helps. Feel free to email me any time about it :).
ReplyDeleteHi...just found your blog via pinterest and I thought I would weigh in on your hypothyroid issue...although I do not have this issue I havea few friends that do. They are finding that there is a lot of study going on right now between carbohydrates and thyroid. One of my girlfriends has been low carb for 5 years now, is totally off thyroid meds. They test her every year still and her levels are always normal. The doctors can't believe it! It would be worth a shot. It took about a year before she decided to go off of her medication. I was so shocked. She was 5'7" and 250lbs...now she is 135lbs and has been for about 4 years. Way impressive!
ReplyDeleteAs to the 4 weeks where your husband will be gone. My husband works a job where he is home 3 weeks and gone 3 weeks. When it first started it was really tough. What I did was make a list of things to accomplish. I created my list of categories and then decided what to fill it in with. Then create a loose schedule to follow each day he is gone, as well as when he comes back. Good luck, its tough but it could also be a great time to focus on who you are without the influence of your husband. I find that when my other half is gone and I have to focus on making decisions alone I end up a stronger person when he comes home. Although after 3 years and the addition twins it's a bit different now than it was at first :)
ReplyDeleteExercise: Find a type of exercise you are interested in and focus on it for the 4 weeks. Yoga is a great one, checkout "gaiam tv" for an affordable place to see many different home videos.
Food: Use this time to try to tweak a new diet that will help with your thyroid and gallbladder issues.
Spirituality: A bit of focused time thinking/reading/learning what ever your beliefs are will do wonders.
Relationships/Friends/Family: Use this time to connect with people you haven't seen in a while.
Crafts/Creative: Tackle a large project you have always wanted to do. I personally would make a Quilt.
Career/blog advancement: This is the tough one since I am in a different industry than you. But I would choose something you have always wanted to learn about and take an online/work at your own pace type class. "tutsplus.com" has some interesting web tutorials that you can work through.