Omg I was not prepared for the craziness that is the JCPenny portrait studio. They are running an hour behind. There are mobs of families, no room in the waiting area. Oy

I'm sitting with Sparky and Sarameg. I don't think I have enough info to really make a judgment about the law or the people. I do know, as a middle school and high school teacher, that I have seen how hard it is to parent some kids and how little help there is to make sure a parent knows what to do. I cannot tell you how many parent-conferences I have had where people say, "I don't know what to do with _____. What should I do?"

And, as a person who uses state-funded programs for both of my kids, I cannot begin to express the sheer frustration, difficult and heartbreak there is in getting the system to respond to your kid's needs. The amount of paper I work I do, the phone calls I have to make, the millions of visits, previsits, insurance papers I have to file is almost a full time job.

Anyhow. Clearly a hot button issue for me. Even without enough info.

We took Noah to Kidspace today (burrell, I got your message after. It would have been a terrible day for you to come because of the smoke, which is headache inducing) because K's class had to go there. He had so much fun. So much that he even melted down in a way that I had never seen before because the sensory stimulation was too much, too much, too much. Poor noodle.

oh no msbelle!

I need buffistas medical advice. I did something to my hip getting on the bus with my cart. I think it might be sciatic nerve related because it radiates down my leg. But now I can't really move or bend-- heat or ice?

I do know, as a middle school and high school teacher, that I have seen how hard it is to parent some kids and how little help there is to make sure a parent knows what to do. I cannot tell you how many parent-conferences I have had where people say, "I don't know what to do with _____. What should I do?"

Exactly.

What is also difficult is the child stuck in a home where they are blamed for all the problems and the parent regularly tells them they would 'get rid of them if they could,' or that the only reason the child is still in the house is because the law forces the parent to keep them.

This last week I tried, again, to help for one of my students and was told, again, that verbal abuse isn't considered abuse. I was also told that not taking care of a childs medical needs isn't abuse, either.

How long ago, Sophia?

Sophia:

* A cold pack or ice application can reduce inflammation and numb sore tissue, alleviating some of the pain in the sciatic nerve. This should be used initially when pain is sharp and intense, usually for 2 to 7 days, depending on the severity of the pain.

* Heat dilates blood vessels, increasing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the area, which assists in healing. Applying heat also stimulates sensory receptors in the skin, so the brain focuses less on the pain of sciatica. This is best used after the acute, sharp pain has subsided, typically 3 to 7 days after the start of the condition.

About an hour. It is getting steadily better. This has happened before, but never for this long-- I think I exacerbated it because even though a nice man got my cart of the bus while I was saying "OW, OW, OW"and clutching my hip, I still had to get it off, home and up my stairs.

I think I exacerbated it because even though a nice man got my cart of the bus while I was saying "OW, OW, OW"and clutching my hip, I still had to get it off, home and up my stairs.

Though with sciatica, it's my understanding, that the more you use move and use it the better it is for alleviating pain. Dunno if that's true or not.

Ibuprofen every four hours and ice.

Thank you Kat-- I now have a bag of spnich on my hip.

I also want to kill my cat because she peed on my sofa!!!! And I laid in it!