Teacher Mode, Even When There’s Blood

Posted on January 22, 2019 by suzie81speaks

This. With more snot.

After teaching for nearly ten years and working with thousands of students it is inevitable that I run into them from time to time as I am going about my daily business. Generally, it’s a relatively painless experience- they either say hello and stop for a chat, look past me as if I’m not there and carry on walking, and the odd few will ignore me yet feel the need to shout my name out at me from a distance. The name-shouting is something that has always baffled me – I must give the impression that I regularly need reminding of what my name is – but I generally ignore it until I’m ready to leave, shoot them my nastiest teacher expression and walk away. I don’t teach anymore, therefore I don’t need to pretend to like any of the little cherubs who wish to cause trouble when they see me like I had to before. Continue reading →

Thank Goodness for the NHS

Posted on March 29, 2017 by suzie81speaks

On Tuesday I noticed a small lump and some pain behind my ear. Combined with the fact that I thought I had a urinary tract infection and I needed to get a mole checked, I thought it might be a good idea to go and book an appointment at the doctors yesterday to have a bit of an overhaul and deal with everything all at once.

An hour later I was sitting in A&E at the local hospital, with a strong antibiotic prescription for the UTI, an immediate referral for suspected mastoiditis (acute infection of the mastoid bone at the back of the ear) and I’ve been referred to a dermatologist in the next week as the mole ‘needed urgently looking at.’ Continue reading →

A Rubbish Few Days

Posted on February 13, 2014 by suzie81speaks

As I write I am lying in a hospital bed and it’s 3am. I was rushed in here 48 hours ago and this is the first time that I have been able to stare at some light longer than a minute or so due to the ridiculously intense headache that has accompanied me since I arrived.

It happened very suddenly – on Monday afternoon I started to feel a bit cold, when I tried to warm myself up in a hot bath my skin hurt, and by 3am I was lying under a duvet, shivering violently.

The doctors thought it was meningitis, then pneumonia, and now they think it’s a kidney infection combined with some sort of virus that has spread throughout my body. It must have been there for a while too, but I have ignored it with work being such a massive priority recently…

Luckily, after what seems like endless bags of saline solution and antibiotics through a drip in my arm, and some lovely food from my mum and sister (who drove 100 miles yesterday to see me) i’m beginning to feel better. The Bloke has been wonderful – helping me shower, making sure the cats are ok, messaging my mum – he must be absolutely shattered bless him! I’m also very lucky in that i’m in a private room with a fabulous view, which i hadn’t been able to appreciate until now!

I’m not going to be able to reply to your messages yet I’m afraid, but I’m looking forward to getting this bloody drip out of my arm, going home to The Bloke and the cats and catching up on your posts!

Hope you’re all doing well!