Back to School

 
Tomorrow is the first day of school - 

I really feel bad for these kids - When I was a child, we went back the day after Labor Day. Same with my kids - 

This was picture day - I was in high Kindergarten. I don't know if other areas had this - but in San Francisco City schools, according to our birthdays, we were either in a high class or a low class. I was born in March so by the time I started Kindergarten, I was 5 1/2 so I went directly to HK and then after Christmas, I moved on to L1. Two classes, 2 teacher changes within a school year. Very stressful. 

I don't know if they do that now. 

We also wore dog tags - A sign of the times. We would have drills and we had groups based on our blood types. I am O-Neg so in the whole school, my group only had 2 people. Me and some boy. 

I still have mine - thanks to my sister who mailed it to me, just before she passed - or else it would have been lost to the ages. 

Since I am on the subject of my first school - the play yards were divided - boys on one side and the girls on the other. Us girls, who liked boys...always played right on the dividing line and our friends would push us onto the boys' side. And we'd scream but deep down, we loved it. 




Here's my nephew's back-to-school photo - (Nina's son) back when I was a part of their lives. It's okay - I have accepted it. I just hope one day, when they become of age, they look for their Auntie. I do think of them as the years pass - praying for their successes and overcoming their failures. Not easy to lose your Mommy at a young age - and to go to school with others that still have their moms.  From what I have spied - on (from my sister's Ex and their grandfather's social media) they still miss their mom. 






The husband had a medical Tele-appointment with the VA in Palo Alto yesterday regarding his shoulder. I sat in on the call and found the VA doctor to be rude. We suspect, he may have torn his rotator cuff - he's been in a lot of pain. Xray showed nothing - just like mine did. So he wanted an MRI. The Doctor told him, that while he would order one if he did, it would be taking an MRI AWAY from another Veteran. 

Ahhh, HELLO, my husband is a veteran. Served over 20 years - what gives with that statement? 

My husband agreed to physical therapy. And it might be all he needs - I just come against the rude passive-aggressive comment. 

If it were me, I'd get a 2nd opinion however since he has already opened the doors, to the VA - he needs to go through a bunch of bureaucratic BS to get a 2nd opinion and use his Tri-Care-For Life as his supplemental, instead of.  He has the choice to go back and forth and use both the VA and TCFL. But he does have to make up his mind. He's got this "attachment" to the VA...

BOY, I had a lot to get off my chest today. 

I hope you have a fine day - enjoying the fruits of summer as you look forward to Fall. 


24 comments:

  1. Linda Chapman here…..
    I remember starting school after Labor Day, too! I really don’t understand why they have to go so early now! The grands quads started last Thursday! Prayers for your husband to recover quickly and completely. A veteran is a veteran! What’s up with one being more important than another? Doesn’t even make sense!

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    1. Hi Linda - Yes, it is hot when these poor kids have to go back to school. It's 105 right now, right in time for when school gets out.

      Yeah that doctor made me really mad. I want my husband to at the very least make a complaint - he keeps saying, "what good will that do?"

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  2. Dearest Debby,
    Well, it is very sad when nieces and nephews kind of amputate themselves from our lives. We always remain blood–related and maybe, when they age, they will search and/or remember things.
    As for your husband's treatment by the VA, that indeed IS rude!
    Often an MRI is needed to really see what is going on.
    Had the same with my pelvic bone (closed) fracture. They could not figure out why I was still in pain until it clearly showed them WHY.
    Good luck in dealing with all that and don't let it affect your blood pressure too much 😉
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. A pelvic fracture is painful - When I was in the hospital for my knee replacement the gal next to me had broken her pelvic and was in pain. I felt so bad for her.

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    2. It is rough and I can't take ANYTHING for pain; due to severe CKD... Glad I'm past that!

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    3. I bet that was rough - but you got through it! CKD is something that needs to be carefully monitored. Sorry you have that. 🙁

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    4. Still enjoying my life and maybe being even more grateful for everything! 💞

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  3. The doctor should not have said that!! I think he should get the M.R.I.! I have a torn rotator cuff in ech shoulder. X-Rays do not show it, but an M.R.I. shows how large the tear is, and if it goes completly through or only partial. Without that info, P.T. will be more of a guessing game.

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    1. You are right about a guessing game without a MRI.

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  4. The kids here go back to school the day after Labor Day (Sept 6).
    I have a daughter and her two grown kids, my grandchildren who want nothing to do with us. :(

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    1. Oh I am so sorry to hear that. It happens more than you realize.

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  5. We always started school after Labor Day too. I would hate to change classes twice a year. I was born at the end of November so I was always the youngest in the class. No dog tags either, but I would also be O-neg.
    That Dr was way out of line!

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    1. It was the cold war era. They were obsessed with drills - for nuclear attacks and earthquakes.

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  6. There seems to be a pattern of rude doctors. I do hope the PT helps your husband and he doesn't end up having to have surgery.
    My grandson starts kindergarten this fall - they don't go back until September. I didn't attend kindergarten because we lived on the farm and I wasn't able to be bussed - my parents would have had to drive me every day.
    Sorry to hear about your sister's family. I do hope your nephews make the decision to find you someday.

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    1. That will take some years but all I can do is hope.

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  7. I, too, was raised in SF (Richmond District, near the Cliff House) and experienced the High/Low class assignment. When I started a parochial high school (which didn’t do the H/L system) there was a hesitation as to what to do. Thankfully I was allowed to ‘skip’ 1/2 year and started high school at 13. Unfortunately, because I had missed some critical math concepts taught the second half of eighth grade, by college that caught up with me and I needed to take a ‘bone head’ math class for six weeks. It all worked out though and hopefully SF abandoned the silly H/L!
    I enjoy your blog. Thank you for your investment in it! Conni

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    1. Hi Conni - My folks moved out of the city to Pacifica and I went on to the appropriate grade level - 4th grade. The first half of school that year was almost a repeat.

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  8. The first day of school was always the Tuesday after Labor day. It blows me away that the kids here only go half day every Wednesday also. Even the High School kids. I also read that they are even starting later in the day so they can sleep later this year. What happened to kids having a bed time during school days?

    I truely hope some day you can connect with your nephews. I remember reading in your blog what circumstances are involved.

    Leslie

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    1. I believe one day I will, just by knowing his character. I'm hoping curiosity will get the best of them and when kids get older and out from control of their parent, they usually want to know the "whys".

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  9. Our kids in this town started back to school last week. It is too early if you ask me, but no one did. It's too hot, but they do have AC of course. We didn't when we were in school, so we waited until after labor day, but it was still hot here in Florida. Never heard of high K and low K. Sounds confusing to me. We were all in the same group regardless of when our birthday was. I am sorry your hubby is in pain and I cannot believe that Dr. would say such a thing...are they rationing out MRI's these days? What on earth? I've never had to deal with the VA before, but that just sounds ridiculous. Praying your husband will get the care he needs before his shoulder gets much worse. Also sorry about the relationship issue with your sister's family. May God heal and bring your families back together again in His time. Until then, just keep praying for them, because that will help them more than anything else. I hope you have a blessed and peaceful rest of your week.

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    1. I've never heard a doctor say such a thing. I'm trying to encourage my husband to at least make a report.

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  10. I have never heard of having a blood type on the school ID tags. Actually, I don't think I even had any kind of ID while in school! I'm sad for your nieces and nephews. It's too bad they can't enjoy a relationship with their aunt! That doctor was extremely rude!

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    1. It was the cold war era - we were always doing drills both for nuclear attacks and earthquakes after all this was San Francisco. I remember my mom telling me the blood type grouping was to make it easier in case of medically emergencies where blood was needed.

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  11. I hope your husband gets the answers he needs about his shoulder, and the right treatment also. I'm sorry he's been in pain. I enjoyed your "school days" stories. That's so different that they kept the boys and girls separated on the playground, and that you had to get to know two teachers that year. That's a cute picture of your nephew going back to school. I love those first day of school photos of the little ones in our family. They are treasures for sure. ; )

    ~Sheri

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