Exhaustion and Pain

My weekend was spent with my new friends, Exhaustion and Pain.  Maybe I shouldn't give them "names" as if they are people, but I truly feel they have been my constant companions this past week and more so this weekend.  

I may have mentioned that I was injured at work.  The injury occurred Thursday, February 20.  I helped to break up a fight, restrained one of the participants.  There have been mixed messages about this at school.  Some say we have been instructed to NEVER step in to stop a fight.  We are to say "Stop!".  This was news to me.  When I started teaching in this district, I was sent to a Nonviolence Intervention Training which included CPI restraint training.  I have been taught how to do this, but apparently I'm not supposed to use the training.  I have a hard time reconciling the fact I'm one (usually the only) adult supervising upwards of forty students at a time and I'm supposed to sit back if a fight breaks out.  Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying I like to be involved in situations like that.  But, I do feel it is partly my responsibility to provide a safe environments for the students I serve.  How am I doing that by not intervening?  This is all a moot point, really.  The doctor informed me in no uncertain terms that I am not allowed to "be a part of any more altercations."  I chuckled when he said this, and turned bright red, and clarified that I wasn't fighting anyone...just helping a colleague who was clearly struggling with this individual.

I have been diagnosed with a left cervical strain (my neck and shoulder) as well as a right lumbar strain (lower back).  I'm able to work, but have been put on restrictions.  This is where things get tricky.  I'm supposed to alternate between sitting and standing.  Have any of you ever tried to maintain order in a class with over 40 high schoolers while seated?  They respond so much better if I'm standing.  I'm also supposed to put heat on my shoulder and back -- 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off.  Quite difficult to do this when you're trying to walk around a classroom and are dragging an extension cord behind you. :) Finally, I'm not to raise my arms over my head.  Considering it is my left side that is injured, and I am right-handed, I didn't anticipate this being a problem.  I.  Was.  So.  Wrong.  You have no idea (and I am just learning) how many times I do that in a day.  I promise I'm not always throwing my hands up in exasperation either!  Reaching to get things, pulling down my projector screen, hanging things up, the list goes on and on.  

I also had a physical therapy evaluation last week Thursday (a week after the injury), and begin my scheduled therapies tomorrow.  I will be seeing them twice a week for an hour at a time. The doc didn't give me anything for the pain because he's aware we're trying to get pregnant.  At this point, I'm about to put that on hold until I'm feeling better because, the headaches I'm battling are excruciating.  I'm no stranger to headaches, but it is rare that they reduce me to tears.  It's happened three times in the last week.  The pain is also keeping me up at night, so that's where exhaustion comes in.  

If the pain doesn't get better tonight, I'll be scheduling another appointment with the doctor.  He thinks some of the pain is from muscle spasms.  So, I'm thinking I might heal more quickly if we can get those to stop so the muscle has a chance to heal in peace.  

Alright, time to go sit with some heat on my shoulder.  Wish me luck :)