Dystonia - Living with it!!

I have it and will be putting videos up on my progress with Botox treatment - it has been better at times and worse at others - If you suffer from Dystonia you know the pain it causes and you are probably use to it - also used to the strange looks you get when you are shaking - I just own it if someone asks "You don't agree...you are shaking your head NO."  I just state that I have Dystonia and that my head is shakes in the negative manner vs the positive manner - I am not usually saying NO unless I am really exaggerating my head movement in the NO direction so you know for sure it is NO not just the tremor.

The 1st treatment was awful - large probe needles were stuck in my neck at various locations to read the muscle movement - mine was crazy loud and they informed me that most people just have there head balance on their shoulder and have no muscle activity and mine was off the charts - my left side in pulling my right side and the back of my neck is pulling back so my worse tremor occur when I look down and to the right.

The 1st  treatment was good for the first two weeks and then loads of pain in my neck and the back of my head and the shake got worse - new muscles got started moving my head and they seemed to be stronger then the original set - so now it was worse then it was before all the huge needles and the injections.  OUCH!!!

I am on my 2nd treatment and I am not sure yet - it seems better, but I have pain in new muscles again in new places in my shoulders so I think other muscles are trying to take over pulling - we shall see I guess - The doctors put larger amounts of Botox in my neck this time and more of it in the left side muscles - but I still shake- maybe not as bad but not much of an improvement - I know it can take some treatment for them to find the correct areas to target so I will go again - 

I had a cortisone shot before the last treatment because of the muscles in my left arm were pulling so much it caused a repetitive muscle injury that still bothers me and it is worse now since the 2nd treatment - that muscle is strong and pulling hard.

Videos coming soon - 

Good luck and hang in there if you suffer from Dystonia -let me know what you have found that works.  Thanks

ed TPA - Results - I got these a few months back and was busy working

edTPA results - I passed with a 2.8 the minimum passing score - bummer - my video was the issue - it did not show the things it needed to show - I should have shot it again, but that group was volatile and one day I recorded a desk hitting the floor - a student swearing and talking off and other student literally climbing the walls - Looking back I should have picked another class to work with-

At the time I started the TPA I was working with 1 math class I taught with my coordinating teacher and 4 classes I team taught in and I thought it would be easier to film the smaller class - but that class had changes every week so my focus student needed to change -

So I learned that I need to be more flexible next time and use a more stable class - that is if I ever have to do this again - I hope that doesn't happen.

I am now employed at a high school as a full-time special education teacher with the 9th grade team - and at the interview - THIS WILL SHOCK YOU - no one person asked about my score on the edTPA - not one of them - so why do it?  

If you want to see my edTPA I will send it to you just email me and let me know which parts you would like to see - I scored 3's on everything except for 2 parts of the video rubric.

GOOD LUCK to you all - You will get thought this and teaching soon.....

Merry Christmas 2014

This year has been a busy one - it has been Qatar's year with graduation and a mission call -
lets start with January -

Lisa started back to school for her last academic semester- David and Lisa went on a cruise in mid-January - Kids stayed home in the nasty blizzards that came to be normal for last winter - Amanda broke her arm cross county skiing and it was bad....

  Waiting at the cruise ship terminal

 Cave tubing in Belize

 Beach in Hondurus

 Back in the US - Florida beach

Off to February with Zeke turning 15 and getting excited about learning to drive - and of course the worst winter in years and years - cold and snow everywhere.

March - the high school choir went to New Orleans and Lisa went as a chaperone with Qatar.

Raw oysters and crawfish - yummy!!!

April came with Qatar turning 18 and getting ready to put his mission papers in - also the Austinaire show-  Jt turned 12 and changed schools to Pacelli Catholic School - that has been different for all of us.  He loves it and that is all that matters

May came and the weather got better and prom this year was snowless.

June came with Qatar's mission call and graduation - 

Scottsdale AZ mission spanish speaking - leaving in September

Graduation party where he hugged his blanket on the wall  - off to AZ for the summer to work with Heidi's husband and to save for his mission clothes. Zeke was in a tornado at the college in Wisconsin where he attends band camp in the summer - the 2 tornados struck the college and they only had one day of camp - it was a bummer to have to come home - but not electricity and some buildings were destroyed.

July came and Lisa finished up all of tests for her teaching license - Cenneidigh turned 14

  a wedding of Cenneidigh's favorite missionary

Paige came to visit - Lisa and Megan went to see her in Kansas City - Yummy food everywhere

August came with the heat and the end of the summer issues - Lisa flew to AZ to spend time with Heidi and the kids and to go with Qatar to the temple - and Cenneidigh had surgery on her feet.

She spent the next 2 months in a wheelchair - 

September - School started and Qatar left for Mexico City to learn Spanish for his mission.

at the airport ready to leave

homecoming battle of the connects

Zeke got his first job - he is making coffee and sandwiches 

October came and school was busy and David left for Chile to pick up Gunnar from his mission in Antofagasta Chile

Gunnar is home at last

November

Lisa finished student teaching and started a long-term sub - David, Gunnar and Zeke all grew a beard.

December - Merry Christmas to you all and to a Happy 2015

Zeke played in almost every number in the HS Christmas concert (percussion, sang and piano )- that boy has got a gift - 

JT passed out at his concert from being sick and sitting  under the hot lights while singing- Cenneidigh played  flute and sang at the HS concert also- music everywhere in our home.

It has been quite a year and I am leaving out lots and lots and will hear about it later - 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year -

Love the Peters Family

Photos of Glow Stick fun

We love glow sticks!!!!!!!  Can't wait for Halloween for more glow stick fun!!!!!!!!

Vote for Qatar's photo on facebook thanks

Qatar's photo is on facebook and needs votes - here is the link   I think you just like the page and scroll down for the photos = thanks so much for your help.

this is the photo to look for!!!!!!