Frustrations

So, the past few days have been spent stressing over what I should do about work. Ideally I would love to take off a semester or even a year and focus on nothing but getting better and resting, but it seems that we would have to make a HUGE lifestyle change in order for that to happen. Because I am a teacher and do not pay into Social Security, but rather TRS (Teacher Retirement System), and because my cancer is not work-related (or if it is, I can't prove it), I only am eligible for 40% of my salary. That won't be enough to pay the bills.

Of course, to make matters more frustrating, I am teaching a brand new Honors class which I had planned to prepare for when I got back from my California vacation in the middle of July. Well, needless to say, I have had more pressing issues on my mind since then and have been unable to concentrate on planning.

Many school districts, like Beni's, have what is called a Sick Day Bank. Naturally, my district does not. A sick bank allows employees to donate some of their sick days so that others who may need them can use them. For example, since Beni has never had to take maternity leave and stays home less often when the kids are sick, he has FAR MORE sick days accumulated than I do. He could donate 5 days to his district's sick bank and then a new mom or someone like me, could pick up those days to add to their own. My new mission is going to be to get our union to look into this! It will be too late for me, but might help someone else somewhere down the line.

Another frustration is that on Tuesday when we met with the oncologist, the nurse was supposed to schedule me for a CT scan, a MUGA scan, and a bone scan before the end of this week. This all needs to be done before I can start chemo. Wednesday went by without a word and today, when I called, she said she sent the order to the hospital and the hospital registration personnel would call me with the appointment information. I am still waiting. Why is it that the doctors all say that we want to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible, but there seems to be no rush to schedule appointments to get the ball rolling?!!!

Finally, how is it that I know of people on welfare, and people who are illegal immigrants, that have had operations and get all sorts of benefits for their care and recuperation, but as a tax-paying, hard-working, American citizen, I am going to have to struggle through my disease and work rather than recuperate in the way that a non-employed, welfare recipient would be able to do? I just don't get it! The system SUCKS!

I guess I'll stop complaining and get to work. It seems I have a lot of planning still to do.