Alas, I was ready to be done with school for the day. But for you, I will visit it again for a few minutes. 😉

I am home schooled. I have no idea how I would have made it this past two years otherwise. It is simply impossible. If you remember from the About page, I got sick in July of 2015, and then as it got cold in the fall and we closed the windows (trapping the mold in) I started to really get bad. Well, just as I was reaching that point, it was Thanksgiving and Christmas time! Yay! My family takes a three week break off every Christmas, plus sometimes a week or at least a few days off for Thanksgiving. I had not recognized that I had brain fog at that point, or even was aware that it was something I should be concerned about in the future. I mean, at that point, it had only been a couple months and maybe only three or four doctor visits. I still had hope of quick healing! Christmas was wonderful, though I missed out on some edible treats, and unwrapping and wrapping presents was an adventure with my joints, it was good. 😀

Well, when we started up school again in the new year I….. sobbed. I was so confused, I didn’t understand, I was so scared! Why could my brain not think of the things I needed it to? What was wrong with me?! I mean, sure, I hadn’t ever been much of a math person, but this was entirely different! Why couldn’t I remember simple things like multiplication tables? I cannot adequately explain in words how scary, shocking, and confusing that was. Thankfully, oh so thankfully, my mom, from her researching, was expecting this. She understood what was going on better than I did. She was able to assure me that, though it didn’t feel like it at the moment, this would pass. I was not going crazy (permanently at least), I would get my brain back once I healed (though at that point we didn’t realize what I needed healing from).

From then on, we were able to do an altered version of school. We discovered things to make it work, like that if all was silent, utterly silent, I could focus better. Or if I read it out loud myself, sometimes that helped (We use Sonlight). We learned that getting the blood flowing helped. Or that definitely doing it first thing in the morning was important. We put certain subjects on hold. It never was easy. It always took me twice as long to do everything, and took at least three times the effort and self-discipline. It was hard, really hard. But it was possible. Plus, still using my brain was good for me. A friend and I (yes, you, Emmie), used to joke that when I got better I would find myself suddenly able to use my brain really well, with all the mind discipline I was forced to practice! 😀

Homeschooling worked out well for us, in this situation. I was able to do what school my brain could handle from the couch, even if I had no energy or stamina that would have been required for ‘normal’ school. I know, though, that homeschooling isn’t possible for everyone. One idea instead, that a fellow mold/Lymie was able to do, was Independent Study, meeting one on one with her teacher once a week, who would give her school work for the week, and the girl would return it the next time they met. That’s just one idea, though it is sadly not available in all school districts in the U.S.. If you have any more ideas or things that have worked for you and your family, definitely comment!

Another struggle that you may face in school is a simple-seeming one: writing. With joint pain, writing with a pen or pencil can be excruciating! There are two ways I got around this. One was washable markers. you don’t have to put as much pressure on them to use them, and can hold them in a fist better than a pencil, while still being able to write somewhat legibly. The other way was typing. It can be hard with certain keyboards that have big keys, like the first one below, but it is semi-workable with the keyboard in the second picture. Neither of these to options is wonderful, but they sure are better than pencils or pens!

I honestly don’t know how I would handle regular school… I literally couldn’t! What with assuming that the buildings were safe and mold-free, you still have to face the people who surely have chemicals on them in abundance in a closed in area… and if they come form moldy houses…. and the strength and energy to handle it… plus the brain. It changes things a whole lot.

I think that about covers it…. unless you have other major struggles with school you’d like to discuss. 🙂 See you later!

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