A couple of weeks ago, I realized that I have felt under enormous stress the entire past school year, and I couldn’t figure out why.  Then I started to recount in my head all of the changes that have happened this past school year, and I realized why.

Since August 1, 2017, the following things have happened:

1.  August – started an entirely new job position and had to learn how to do it as I did it (trial by fire!)
2.   September – started the evaluation process on my own child
3. October – started my masters of science degree in special education, started studying to pass the state required intervention specialist test
4. November – evaluation was completed and the school district labeled my child as “autistic spectrum disorder”
5. December – one child turned 18
6.  December – another child was given an IEP
7. January – started private evaluations to see if my child needed physical therapy (yes) and was waitlisted for speech services
8. February – Gramma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and I passed the IS test, and ECOT closed (which meant we absorbed THOUSANDS of their students and I was writing transfer IEPs on a daily basis for hours and hours every week on top of my teaching duties and studying for my classes and caring for Gramma)
9. March – caring for Gramma as her illness progressed, and I started a three month term break from college (thinking I’d get to spend all that time with Gramma)
10. April – Gramma passed away
11. May – Chewie came to live with us (big adjustment for him and us!), Sahara graduated high school

I scored over 450 points on the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory.  According to it, that indicates I’m at high risk of a mental break or physical illness within the next two years.  I’m not even sure how they come up with stuff (research I guess).

All I know is that I just want to crawl into bed and not come out again for about three months (or longer), but I can’t……I go back off of term break and start college again July 1st.