February 23

Yo, yo, yo, friends!

I'm feeling a lot better about life than I did in my last post, so that's pretty dang awesome! Yesterday was rough. I took the day off of work because #1 I was just plum tuckered out (that's old folk speak for freaking exhausted) and #2 my mouth hurt like none other. I was nauseous too, but nausea doesn't really affect my ability to teach so it didn't factor into my decision to stay home.

What the MOUTH PAIN?!? Okay this is not my favorite thing! It started Sunday, got worse through Monday, and then got really bad Monday night and throughout Tuesday. It's like when you burn your tongue really bad on hot cocoa (or coffee for my caffeine-loving friends), and that spot hurts like crazy for a few seconds and then it just kind of stings. Only this is like you are constantly pouring that burning beverage onto your tongue and swishing it around so the rest of your mouth gets to enjoy it as well. No bueno.

My doctor gave me a recommendation for a specific mouthwash that works wonders. Seriously, it's like the only thing that helped yesterday, other than the half gallon of milk I drank. I might have cancer, but dang my bones will be strong! The mouthwash and the mouth spray are my favorite things right now. I don't know if they just work really well or if the actual pain is going away as I go longer after my treatment, but I'm not complaining.

My mouth still hurts today, but it's not as bad, so I came to school! I love being in my classroom. My students are legitimately the greatest. Even if they do ask things like, "Can we shave your head in class?!? It's be the best!" I learned that smiling hurts my sore mouth, which is the worst, but I still smile anyway because when a seventh grader says something ridiculous or an eighth grader asks to come to your birthday party, you just can't help it.

And sometimes your students who you didn't think were listening come up to you and ask, "Ms. Moore, how do I strengthen my rebuttal with facts to refute the counterargument," and that makes your whole day.