Hits and Misses (August 17-23)

It has been a very busy week, so we'll have a little more to talk about this week. Here's a look back at the week that was.

HITS

• The new semester is under way! I'm actually having a lot of fun with some exciting opportunities. I'm developing an online section of music appreciation that has offered me some new challenges to think outside of the box in my approach to the course. I also got to begin another year of class piano with 13 new students at Union. I loved getting to see them make progress on the first day of class; I also enjoyed the student's realization that we are going to work in this class! I'm really looking forward to working with all of the students enrolled in my courses this term.
• It doesn't happen as often as I would like (mostly because of my own lack of initiative), but it was so good to get to talk with a few of my fraternity brothers this week. It always makes me feel so good to just catch up on their lives, hear that they are concerned about what's going on in my world, and share a few smiles. I can't wait to get to see them all in person very soon (if my bank account will permit it, that is).
• On Friday, I experienced my first visit to the chiropractor. Why did I not realize what a difference a chiropractor could make in my quality of life? I had always assumed that chiropractors were not "real" doctors, and therefore, quacks. I'm a believer now! After my initial visit, I have a valid explanation for the possible source of my recurring pain and immediately felt relief after a few adjustments. Since my chiropractor is willing to work out a payment plan with me, I am definitely planning to return in order to see if I can regain more mobility.
• On Saturday, the Freeman clan gathered in Crawfordsville for a work day at the Geriatric Ward. There's a lot of work to be done simply because things have been neglected for so long. Our first order of business was to get the front porch scraped and painted. We didn't finish, but we got a solid start on things. As much as I hate to admit it, I didn't mind doing the work (what little bit I was actually comfortable doing) since I had family around to make the process more entertaining.

MISSES

• Our summer of doctor's visits continued with another trip to the cardiologist with Dad. On Monday, he had a calcium scope and a stress test. We were soon notified that he had failed the stress test and that a heart cath needed to be scheduled. Before we could finalize the procedure, the doctor needed to check Dad's most recent lab reports from his GP to ensure that his kidney function was healthy. 
• When the cardiologist couldn't get the lab results, I got a call from Mom that I needed to take Dad to the cardiologist again that afternoon to have the blood work done. Normally this would not have been a big deal. On this day, however, my stress level was THROUGH THE ROOF and I simply was not dealing with the extra issues well at all.
• What was causing me so much stress? Combined with Dad's health issues and trying to organize the work day in Crawfordsville, I was fighting an uphill battle with technology for my online class. By this point, I had been working with the school's IT department to get files uploaded to the website. When they were put on the web, the audio files didn't convert. Now I had 20 students asking when they could get started on the class that was nearly a week into the semester. I didn't feel as though any attention was being given to my issues unless I sat there in the IT office (that whole issue about the squeaky wheel getting the oil), so I spent my Thursday morning on campus instead of attending to other responsibilities. I was livid! Thankfully, the files were (mostly) uploaded by Friday and I was finally able to get the semester rolling for these students. Honestly, the issue was not that there were technical problems; my biggest issue was that I never felt certain that anyone was taking my concerns seriously and admitting that the problem existed. Rant done!
• While visiting the chiropractor, I learned that my neck shows signs of injuries that I sustained during car accidents many years ago that were never properly diagnosed. The doctor proceeded to frighten me a little when he told me that if left untreated, the injuries would most likely result in a serious disability in the next 10-15 years. I was frustrated that no one had ever bothered to look at my neck during all of these complaints about pain and that I had doctors suggesting that I be treated with anti-depressants since they could not offer a "logical" physical reason for my pain. While I experienced a certain level of frustration, the "miss" quickly became a "hit" when I realized that I finally had an answer that might lead to some relief.
• Even though I enjoyed my time with family on Saturday, I still do not enjoy working outside. It was extremely hot, the mosquitoes were the size of beetles, and the work was slow-going. I'm glad we got started, but I'm ready to have everything on Mom's list done already. (By my current estimation, we might be finished with the list by October of 2028!)