Blog Entries for The_Teacher

Snow Day!!!

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Snow Day might be the two words a teacher loves to hear more than any other word. Today I am home all day. No worries, no stress, and to make things even better, there is a SUNRISE this morning! Right now there is tons of sunshine flooding the area, reflecting off the snow.

This is a great day, and I'll take it.

A peak of Sun!

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0100

So we just had a few minutes of sunshine! As the sun is setting, it drops beneath the clouds on the horizon just before it sets over the horizon. Yeah, it's a very brief instant of sunshine, but we'll take it!

The Grey Havens

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0100

In Michigan around this time of year, everything is gray. We're the second cloudiest state in the nation, with an average sunshine amount in December of...wait for it...23%! Yeah, it can get pretty depressing here really quickly if you need sunshine.

As I'm writing this, I'm overlooking our deck and seeing lots of clouds, white on the ground, and a dullish-blah outdoors. Oh how I can't wait till my daylillies, tulips, and hydrangeas start to peak [...]

Snow

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Oh, and for those who have never seen snow in their lives, please know that it is snowing big, fluffy flakes here today in Michigan. And it's snowing hard, which means we'll be having lots of slide-offs on the way home.

So if you would like to see some snow (and we get whats called "Lake Effect" snow, which means Lake Michigan turns into a huge snow machine and just hammers us with lots of snow), well, then feel free to travel here and enjoy it with us.&nbs [...]

Greetings Earthlings

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0100

Hiya everybody, how ya doing?

Many of you newcomers in the last year or two might not recognize my name, although I still see that I'm at the top of the blog lists. I've come back to this site to give help to others. I have been doing very well these last two years now, compared to where I was when first diagnosed three and a half years ago.

It's good to meet some new people, and I'm very glad I can offer help and hope to those who ne [...]

Update - Thursday

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

So I last wrote about how I kept forgetting to take my Xanax in the morning. So I just stopped taking it. Last week Saturday was my first day of not taking it. Today is thursday. So far, so good. I have had no side effects at all, and my anxiety has not increased, nor have I felt any panic. Overall, I am quite happy with the results.

Next goal. Begin slowly decreasing the Paxil. Hopefully by around December or January I can start wor [...]

Forgot my Xanax...again

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Many of you might remember that I went off my Xanax last June (I'm still on the Paxil though). I was originally at 3x a day and slowly eased off of it until I was completely off Xanax. Never had a withdrawal effect. After school started I found that I needed just 1 pill in the morning after a rough first 2 weeks.

It's only .5mg, but of course I wasn't too happy that I put myself back on the Xanax. Although many people might go through an e [...]

Michigan weather

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

So as I posted before, Fall is gorgeous in Michigan. The bad part about Michigan is that our weather changes constantly...partially due to the Big Lakes. With that said, it's not been so bad that last week and a half. It's been raining or drizzling for the last week. Today we had some sun this morning, and then clouds predicted for the rest of the week. The mornings are the hardest though...sunrise around 7:45 am right now, and we're not even in winte [...]

Concerning Fall

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Fall is simply one of the best seasons in Michigan. In fact, although I love Spring, with the blooming of the flowers and the birds returning, I have to say that Fall is right behind it. The changing of the leaves, pumpkins, frost, apples, cidar, cinnamon doughnuts, deer hunting, what a great season.

As one who suffers from anxiety, and who has overcome quite a bit of it, I confess that the weather plays a HUGE role in my moods and anxiety. Although I don't h [...]

School update

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Hey all,

So it's been a few weeks since my last blog. Ok, about a month and a half. I had a great start right up to the beginning of school. I actually had a really good first two weeks. Far better than last year. However, I did have to start taking a morning Xanax again. I was off the Xanax since about June. I really didn't want to go back on it, but wow - what a difference.

We are now starting our 4th week of [...]

School year, Round 2

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Hi all,

Quick update...school starts here in a few weeks again, and I'll be back in the classroom. This year I'm teaching two new electives (one each semester), so I'm looking forward to those. My anxiety symptoms have been gone for quite awhile now, although I do have the worries about them at times. The "what ifs?" that permeate our beings still exist. One big one of course is the first day of school, which usually makes EV [...]

Hello Party People!!!!

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Greetings anxiety warriors,

I have found time to write an update. Since April (the last time I was regularly on this site) I have continued to improve. I was on .5 Xanax 3x a day. I cut that out slowly and was pleased to discover no withdrawal symptoms. Apparently I would not make a good drug addict. So I am now off the Xanax, and the next step is to get off the Paxil. I hardly ever take my Ambien anymore to help me sleep, and so slowly the drug [...]

Still here :)

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Hey everyone!

I'm back :) Its been a few months since I've been here, and I'll try and give an update this week. I'm off the xanax now though, and feeling great!

ttfn!

PROM!!!!!!!

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0100

So I went to prom the other night. Ok, I chaparoned it - but I was curious how my anxiety would do in a crowded room full of teenagers, food, music, etc.... It went great. I realize I'm around students all day - but there's still that worry in the back of one's mind when you leave your "comfort zone" such as the classroom. It went great - and I was quite happy with myself b/c I'm slowly getting of the xanax and haven't really had any negat [...]

Getting off Xanax....

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0100

So, the time has come where I feel good enough that I felt I should lower my dose of Paxil. However, my doc said that before we lower paxil, we should get me off of Xanax first. I was doing .5mg 3x a day - a rather common prescription. I already cut out the middle pill with no problems, and am now doing 1/2 a pill at night, and a whole one in the morning. Really no side effects yet...but I know that this can be a very addicting drug and so I'm waiting for the withd [...]

Better than Snake Oil!!!

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0100

The instant cure to anxiety....SPRINGTIME!!!!!! Well, ok, perhaps not the "instant" cure that we all so desire. But I gotta tell you all right who are suffering that it does get better. A year ago, it would have been a good day if I was off the couch and doing something other than crying or sleeping for the most part.

Today, well, we the got the grill roaring, Johnsville Brat's cooking, the screens open, birds chirping, and sun just setting in the s [...]

5 quotes

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0100

I've been reading a few blogs and responses, and thought I'd give a few quotes that often help with anxiety. I love quotes, have collected them for years now, and have many hanging on my classroom walls. Here are some for when I suffer. I'll only post five right now, b/c I'm sure we could all post thousands on here. ttfn :)

"Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen. " - attributed to Martin Lu [...]

Survivor Story Sent!!!!

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0100

Keep your eyes open and alert for it!

Now lets hope the editorial board up above grants it the Godfathers blessing :) I think it meets all the requirements.

ttfn!

1 Down

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:00:00 +0100

So, I'm still working on my survivor story...I think I'll publish it sometime in the next two weeks, when I go on Spring Break and have time to write. As it stands now, I am in the middle of parent/teacher conferences. One down tonight, two more to go. I really like doing these, I always have - except last year my worst panic attack ever occurred right before one of them. I'm not worried this year though. I felt far better tonight than I did last year [...]

Survivor Story NOT ready

Jeffreysytsma@gmail.com — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:00:00 +0100

Hi all,

I just accidently hit save on my Survivor Story - and I think it might get published. So if you read it, IT'S NOT FINISHED :) If it doesn't get published, well, just ignore this blog. :)