Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Change of Plans

Right now I should be in the Philippines, getting my classroom ready, about to head out to a conference in Manila on curriculum review.  Instead I'm sitting on the couch at my mom's watching Saving Hope (don't judge it's summer time and there's nothing good on tv). This is because tomorrow I'm headed to Kingston tomorrow to have a super normal, no big deal surgery.

I've struggled with writing this for several reason: how much information should I disclose, I hate having to deal with freaking out relatives and friends, and I've been panicking to try and get together lesson plans for the supply teacher (substitute for you Americans). Let's just say trying to put together lessons for someone to teach art who has never taught art, and is possibly not an actual teacher is hell, what makes it worse is my giant pile of resources is scattered in the Philippines.

So I have pre-cancer on my cervix. Which is not as bad as cancer, no where near as bad as cancer. But definitely worst than no pre-cancer. My non-science brain can't really answer anymore than that, seeing as that I stopped taking science after grade 10. But regardless of my level of understanding, tomorrow to fix this pre-cancer, they will take a laser to my cervix and remove the two pre-cancerous layers that exist. Of course during this whole procedure I will be put out in an OR, because otherwise I just see this whole thing as torture, but apparently people do have this done awake (masochists?).  And after this procedure, which I hope is not that painful but I can't see how it won't be, I'll be pre-cancer free.

So understandably I've been a little nervous, a little stressed. Logically I know this is a super common, uncomplicated surgery. In and out in thirty minutes, go home that day, happens all the time. But still the emotional part of me, the one I like to pretend doesn't exist, has been not sleeping well, mostly because they're taking a laser to my downstairs. Also because I'm planning the beginning of the school year from half way around the world. But I'll be fine.

I'll be here a couple more weeks, until it's safe for me to fly out. Until then there'll be rest, movies and maybe an attempt at early packing.... who are we kidding, that's gonna happen the night before.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Canada Day Weekend

On the Canada Day long weekend I went to Niagara to celebrate and catch up with some great friends. We looked at art, went shopping, ate a lot, went on wine tour and danced up a storm.