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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

An Urban Teacher's Education: Stupid Education Policy Stresses Me Out

An Urban Teacher's Education: Stupid Education Policy Stresses Me Out

Stupid Education Policy Stresses Me Out

Yesterday I went to the neurologist after two long weeks of visits to different doctors. I had an EKG, an EEG, some inner-ear/balance test, blood tests, an echocardiogram, that thing where they put stickers on your chest and make you run on the treadmill, and an MRI. All of this to determine what was causing my adrenaline rushes, chest pains, headaches, and vertigo. The MRI found a larger than average cyst on my Pineal gland, which, if you didn't know, is pretty much right in the center of your brain. But the neurologist, who was pretty much my last stop in my tour of Upper East Side specialists, told me confidently that my symptoms had nothing to do with anything but stress.

"Are you sure? I don't feel stressed out? Isn't there some surgery you could do and make this all go away?"

"Nope," he said. "What you need is a vacation and a girlfriend."

Great.

I guess I wasn't being totally honest. I do feel a little stressed out, but not stressed out to the degree that I would expect to having such serious physical conditions (the kind that are beginning to seriously interfere with my life).