Compulsive hoarding is a mental disorder that is just beginning to be understood. As a hoarder, I have acquired things over the years with a specific purpose in mind at the time of the acquisition, used some of those items for their intended purposes, forgotten the goal for different objects, but now that I find that they have outlived their purpose in my life I am struggling to rid myself of those same things.

You can read the start of my journey here.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

I'm alive. Isn't that enough?

At least for today and tomorrow and this weekend?

Our middle daughter came home from school today coughing her head off. And she was sunburned. Again. Every year at the beginning of the school year we buy a fresh tube of sunscreen for the kids to use at school. Every year the teachers or aides 'forget' to use it, and one of them comes home sunburned. I'm beyond sick of it.

She was crying tonight, because her face hurt. I put a thick lotion on it hoping it will keep it hydrated and help with the pain. I gave her ibuprofen, too. I remember how painful sunburns are. They're horrible. And while she hasn't yet, I will not be surprised, if she blisters. Her skin has a purplish hue to it. She's normally very pale.

Last year, the teacher told us that she was responsible for putting the sunscreen on herself. We went to the district superintendent of the special services, and we were told (as were the teachers and the aides) that they must help the kids. Obviously nobody even got the sunscreen out for her today. It was overcast and supposed to snow today, so I'm sure that plays a major role.

But so does the fact that they spent ALL day long outside competing in Special Olympics! They were out there for hours and hours. They should have had sunscreen applied before they left the school and at least twice while they were at the meet. I'm taking pictures of it tomorrow. She's just miserable. And I want to have documentation, because she's not going to be in school the rest of the week. No sense in sending her to cough all over everyone else and have the pain of a sunburn while she's there, too.

It happens to be that this is one of several things that are going to be addressed tomorrow with the teachers and the aides. I hope that somebody actually listens this time!

We're fuming. This coming on the heals of not knowing, if the Mickey Mole was malignant or not just isn't good timing. We're very thankful that the mole wasn't, obviously, but I don't know how many more sunburns they'll be able to take before they do have skin cancer. There just is no excuse for a child to be sunburned in this day and age.

This will be added to the IEPs for next year. It's not going to happen again.

9 comments:

  1. That is absurd! They can't take the time (a few seconds, at most) to put sunscreen on a child that is in their care for the entire day!! So silly.
    I hope you do take pictures and show EVERYONE on that school board!

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  2. How ridiculous! 20 seconds out of her day to slather on sunscreen! Sounds like laziness to me! Bet the TA had her sunscreen on. Hugs to your poor girl

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  3. Oh no .. that's not good I hope she feels better. You may want to apply it in the morning before she leave for school I have to do that for my kids. I haven't started yet but I should .. snow in may that doesn't sound good we had a little on sunday morning it was sad to see.

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  4. I'd publicize the pictures and raise holy hell.

    I'm so sorry.

    :(

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  5. Come on! I know that it's early in the year, but the UV index is already getting quite high. And you said your daughter is normally pale. (I am now exaggerating a bit and calling her a ghostly pasty white, like myself.) AND she was outside today. How can anyone let sunscreen slip away? Especially these days. And especially with us pasty ghosts. And especially if YOU'VE PROVIDED the flipping sunscreen!! What kind of excuse do they have??

    Aloe Vera helps. As long as there is no alcohol in it.

    My condolences on this. Sunburns are painful. PLUS she's sick on top of it. Poor her. Poor YOU.

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  6. Yikes!! How scary!! Poor girl! Raise Hell!

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  7. I am so sorry this happened. The stress you must be feeling. Be brave, be strong fight and win!

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  8. So sorry! Sunscreen is a must even with a cloudy day and, gasp!, snow! I live in Florida and sunscreen is a way of life here. I sure hope they take you seriously. You can always use the photos in, say, a newspaper article....

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  9. Get in there and kick some ass! That is ridiculous!

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