Let’s talk about teaching.

Like I said in my About Me, I was a public school teacher for 14 years. And just like any job, it came with its share of highs and lows. I had students I adored… and students I adored handing off to the next grade. But I loved what I did. I loved watching kids grow, especially when they finally got the help they needed to succeed.

Then came year 13.

It was a hard year. I had several students who truly needed different learning environments — ones where they could thrive — and I fought to get them there. I believed in them. That’s what we do as teachers. We fight for our kids.

But in February of 2024, things changed.

🚨 One Student, One Incident, Everything Changed

One of my students was having a particularly rough day. He was agitated, aggressive, and struggling in ways that were heartbreaking to witness. Long story short: during an outburst, I was injured. Severely.

He caused a sagittal band tear in my ring and pinky finger, a TFCC tear, and nerve damage — all in my dominant hand.

I stayed in the classroom after the injury, teaching between surgeries and trying to make the best of a bad situation. But things got worse. I developed an infection that landed me in the hospital for five days. I left with open incisions and a drain in my hand, and the very real knowledge that this wasn’t going away anytime soon.

🔥 Pain That Doesn’t Stop — And Doesn’t Show

A month later, I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) — a condition where my hand feels like it’s constantly on fire but also turns to stone. It’s one of the most painful conditions you can have, and there’s no cure.

By that point, I couldn’t return to school. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my class — and if you’re a teacher, you know how that kind of ending haunts you.

Physical therapy followed. Then injections. Then more pain.

Then came Complex PTSD, severe anxiety, and depression — diagnoses that I never imagined would be part of my story. But here they were. And as a mom, these were some of the hardest pills to swallow.

Because I wanted to be present.
Because I didn’t want this injury to impact my family.
Because it did anyway.

🩺 March 2025: Surgery, Casts, and a Hard Reality

We found out that my ulnar bone was no longer connected to my radial bone, which explained a lot of the pain. I underwent another surgery — this time, to fuse my wrist — and ended up in a cast from fingertips to just below my shoulder.

It was another level of helplessness.

I couldn’t cook. I couldn’t clean. I couldn’t fix my kids’ breakfast or brush their hair or zip up their jackets without help. I didn’t feel like a mom. I didn’t feel like me.

And worst of all? I had no idea if I would ever get full function of my hand back.

🧠 Mentally, I Was/Am Spiraling

I mourned the loss of my teaching career.

I mourned the mom I had been.

I mourned the me I was before that day in February 2024.

I’m not going to lie — it still feels heavy. I still have days when I’m a glass-half-empty kind of person. But my husband? He’s the glass-half-full guy. He’s the one reminding me daily that just because life looks different doesn’t mean it’s over.

💡 A New Way to Teach

Now, instead of a classroom full of 25 students, I teach two incredible, neurodivergent twin boys at home. It’s not the job I thought I’d have — but it’s the one I’ve been given. And I’m trying to embrace it.

Is it hard? Absolutely.

Is it worth it? Always.

There are still moments filled with guilt. Mom guilt. Wife guilt. “Why-can’t-I-just-function-like-I-used-to” guilt. But I’m learning (slowly) to give myself grace.

🙏 If You’ve Made It This Far…

Some of you might not relate to this story at all — and honestly, I hope you don’t. But maybe you relate to this one truth:

Life rarely goes the way we planned.

It veers off course. It breaks your heart. It forces you to find strength in places you didn’t even know existed. But with faith, a steady support system, and a lot of grace, we find new paths.

I don’t know what next month or next year will look like. I don’t know if I’ll ever return to teaching in the traditional sense.

But what I do know?

I’m still showing up. I’m still teaching. I’m still a mom.
And right now, that’s more than enough.

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If you’ve ever had your world flipped upside down and had to rebuild from scratch, I see you. And if you’re in the middle of that right now — you’re not alone.

#TwinsTendersAndTeaching #TeacherToHomeschoolMama #CRPSWarrior #ThisIsMotherhood #FaithOverFear