Post Op

Today I had surgery to repair my ruptured left Achilles Tendon. Here's a summary of how it went:

In the operating room: "Ok, I'm going to start you off with light anesthesia to help you relax."

hmm, my mouth tastes funny

"How does that leg feel?" asked the nurse in post-op.

And THAT was the entirety of my experience today at the Orthopedic Hospital of Wisconsin. My lower-left leg, ankle, and foot are in a fiberglass cast. The leg's elevated. My toes are a yellow-orange from the iodine. Cori served me dinner. Pain ranges from 1 to 5 (out of 10) depending on when I took my last hydromorphone. Believe me, that stuff works!

So, now I have everything "non-Ghana" behind me: School is over. My office is cleaned out. The school supplies that students and parents donated for me to send to Ghana are packaged. The surgery is complete.

I can start focusing more on our trip. Tonight I emailed Leslie, the American Fulbrighter currently at Temasco, to ask about making travel arrangements. I am also going to send Lucy digital copies of the first few chapters of the World History textbook she'll use at Germantown next year. Earlier this month, my teaching assistant at G'Town, Tigran, methodically went through the book and printed a copy of every page we cover. That has been bound and shipped to Ghana. At least until that arrives, Lucy can look over these digital copies.

Farewells, School Supplies, and Surgery

It has been a busy few days. The last day of school for students was Friday last week. Monday, staff worked to get their rooms cleaned up and final grades entered. Tuesday I returned to school to sort the pile of school supplies generated by my request for donations to be sent to Ghana.
The State Department allows me to send four 40-pound boxes of educational materials to Ghana at no charge. I have a few economics books that I want with me, so those went in first. Then I put in the supplies I know I will want for teaching econ: calculators, straight edges, graph paper. Finally, other useful supplies made the cut.
All these supplies were "donated" by students who were cleaning out lockers. (Most of it was rescued from the garbage by custodial workers. You couldn't believe the amount of now or nearly new stuff that gets tossed out at the end of the year!). Cori helped me with the task.

The last week of school was emotional. Every year teachers have to say goodbye to students they have grown close to, but this time I was saying goodbye for a full year! For the juniors, that means I won't see them again before they graduate. I handed out my email to many students, and sent this blog address to all. For students reading this, STAY IN TOUCH!

Wednesday I go in for Achilles surgery. This will be an outpatient procedure. The doctor will slice me open up the back of my left ankle/calf, pull the skin open with a pair of "forks," and sew my Achilles tendon back together. I'll then wear a cast for a couple of weeks keeping my foot elevated. Then I go back to the boot I've had since the injury and I'll wear that for about 6 more weeks. If everything goes as planned, I'll be out of the boot and walking (gingerly) sometime in mid-August, just in time for our departure!

34 Going on 16...Not!

SNAP!

Last week, while trying to prove I could out-high jump a 16-year-old who I have been coaching in track during the past couple of months, I heard a loud noise and felt my left foot lose all ability to support my weight on my toes. I had ruptured my Achilles Tendon.

Monday I will visit the orthopedist to discuss treatment - probably surgery. For the next 6 to 8 weeks I'll be wearing a cast or immobalizing boot. Then will begin the many month long process of rehabilitation.

How will this affect Cori and my trip to Ghana? I don't know except I can say two things: I'll do everything possible to board the plane to Africa in early September, and Cori will be doing all the physical preparations in the meantime.

Cark Spackler from Caddyshack says:

What you've got to do is cut the hamstring on the back of his leg right at
the bottom. He'll never play golf again, because his weight displacement goes
back, all his weight is on his right foot, and he'll push everything off to the
right. He'll never come through on anything. He'll quit the game.

I hope the same doesn't apply to the Achilles!

Ghanaian Festival

So many wonders await Cori and me, like this ceremony as seen through the eyes of an American Fulbright teacher currently in Accra, Ghana

Michael "Aronson"

When I entered school this morning I was greeted by a number of teachers and students with "Hello Mr. Aronson!" My confused look prompted them to ask "you didn't see the paper over the weekend?"

By Thomas J. McKillen
Managing Editor

Germantown High School teacher Michael Aronson will be teaching and learning next fall. Aronson has been accepted for a Fullbright Scholarship Exchange and will be teaching in Ghana next year. As part of the exchange, a social studies teacher from Ghana will be teaching at the high school.
Aronson explained the exchange program to the Germantown School Board April 28. The program has been in existence for 65 years and is administered through the State Department.
“For me, this is an important step in a three-year journey,” Aronson said.
He explained that informal work to apply for the exchange began three years ago while he started the formal application in the fall. After the application, he was interviewed by a board of educators who previously were Fullbright recipients. He received support from Superintendent Kenneth Rogers, who previously was a Fullbright Scholar.
On Dec. 15, Aronson learned he was recommended for the program and received a phone call in early April that he was accepted for the program. Aronson’s wife jumped for joy when he received the acceptance phone call.
“We’ve been somewhat hoping and planning for this,” he said.
The teacher coming to Germantown has taught for more than 20 years and is the chairperson of her school social studies department.
Aronson noted that Ghana is a former British colony and that English is the official language of the nation.
“I think all around it’s an amazing cultural experience for the 20 or 50 students who come in contact with her directly. The staff in social studies is very excited about this,” Aronson said. “The pieces are all there to have this work well.”
He added that Elmbrook is the only district that currently is part of the Fullbright exchange.
The board offered congratulations to Aronson for being accepted in the program.
“I can’t wait to hear from your upon your return and have the opportunity to interact with your partner while she’s here,” board member Michael Schultz said.
Rogers added that he “can’t imagine anything negative. We get a teacher that expands our knowledge of the world. When (Aronson) comes back we expand the knowledge of the world beyond us.”
Aronson indicated that he will keep a blog chronicling his experiences overseas.

Nope, I hadn't. Unfortunately, the online version of the VERY local newspaper (Germantown only) doesn't have the same picture that my "above the fold" story contained in the print version. But, the text is all the same.

Darn, why doesn't the paper ever spell my name wrong when I get arrested!