We still have not evacuated - but the good news is that the roads seem pretty clear - a lot better at any rate than they were yesterday. There is a tiny part of me trying to convince myself to stay at home with my husband. I hate the idea of him being here - and equally the thought of being an imposition on someone else. But I know the way the thunderstorms strike fear in my heart here - and I can't imagine how my poor nerves would survive the sounds of trees falling and things hitting the house.
The good news is that with all of the things going on with the weather, I've barely thought about all the medical things going on with me, except when they stand up and make me take notice.
But right now I have a serious medical issue on my mind. Kullen has not had much trouble with his asthma since starting a new maintenance medication. We have been so pleased with the results. But in the last couple of days I think he has missed a dose or two - keeping late hours and having a distracted mommy who hasn't followed behind him to make sure he's taken it. The results, wheezing. Yesterday, he went to use his inhaler and said words that struck fear into my heart, "It's empty." The pharmacies are closed. I think the obvious question is why don't we have a back-up - and the answer to that question is because it isn't allowed. I have repeatedly asked - and been told repeatedly that our insurance will not pay for more than one at a time. Travis hooked up an inverter in the back of the car to an accessory car battery that he charged up. I sure hope it will work to power the nebulizer, should we need it. Please pray for my boy to be safe and that we can calm his asthma before Gustav visits.
And yes, I am leaving around 2 pm central time. Taking the kids to see Mama Mia in my MIL's town, and then we'll settle in.
Showing posts with label asthma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asthma. Show all posts
31 August 2008
07 December 2007
Respect for Children
One of the reasons - one amongst millions we have chosen not to institutionally educate our children, is because of the ability the "system" has to make your children into a number, part of the pack, a face in the crowd. I remember being traumatized in middle school because my pants split all the way down the seam and the teacher would not let me call my mom - in fact she told me to return to my seat. I have seen other kids wet their pants because they were denied a bathroom break, or told they didn't need a drink of water. When you discuss these things with certain people you get the attitude that these kinds of things prepare children for the "real world". I don't know about you, but as an adult, nobody prevents me from using the restroom when I need to, or getting a drink if I'm thirsty. Aside from wanting our children home with us so that we could be their primary influence, and as parents have the opportunity to guide their hearts towards the Lord, we never wanted them to have to endure the humiliation that can be heaped on children who are not thought of as individuals with thoughts, wants, dreams and real physical needs.
Too late.....
I wasn't going to blog about this, but I think I have to since blogging is therapy. I am working on forgiving which was another reason for the hesitancy, feeling that this story will enrage others, and thus fuel the anger, instead of the aiding my quest towards letting go of what could grow into a very large resentment.
My son was sent out of his PE class at co-op the other day. I was surprised to find him sitting in the office when I went into a back office to print off the Mom's Notes newsletter that is one of my duties. He followed me and said, "Mom, I got sent out of PE." I said, "Why?" He said, "Mom, I don't know."
As a mom, I'm thinking that something is missing to this story, but I know my son. I know what he is capable of, and yet, I have also known adults to be unfair, unkind and even *gasp* wrong. I started asking what he was doing. His class was doing some sort of aerobic work out which is very cardiovascular. He said that he started to feel that his chest was tight, so he went to the side and sat out. I asked him if he was disturbing the class, he said no. I asked him if he was doing something the teacher asked him not to do, he said no. About a dozen more questions of everything I could think of that he might have possibly done to deserve the most serious disciplinary action we can take at the co-op - and all answers "no".
Let's back up a bit and clarify that he is severely asthmatic. He was sick the previous week with a cold, getting up in the middle of the night for breathing treatments, and taking his inhaler frequently through the day. The PE coach was informed about this at the beginning of the year, and seemed very agreeable and on board with letting him stop whenever he needed to. I explained to her then that we let HIM say when HE needs a break - we don't qualify it because he is really the only one who knows his body.
Fast forward to this day, I tried to find the coach to discuss this with her. I even called her at home and on her cell phone that evening, and could not reach her. This was Monday, and finally on Wednesday morning, I was able to get in touch with her. Our conversation started with her saying this, "I think we have a spiritual issue here."
I took a deep breath. I hate it when people over-spiritualize everything. We are spiritual beings, and everything we do is spiritual - but there seems to be this hocus-pocus mystical thing that goes on where people weigh and judge one another in this realm. Ugh.
I let her speak. I listened.
My summation of what she said is that she thinks my son uses his asthma to sit out when he doesn't want to do something. I asked if he disturbs the class. No. I asked if he disobeys something when she specifically asks him to do something. No. I asked if he is disrespectful to her. No.
She said on the day in question that he had gone to the side and sat out, and then laid down on the floor. I asked her if she asked him to sit up. She said no, she didn't have time to stop and do that. What she did have time to do was walk over to him and tell him to "get up and go to the office" - and he said she was angry.
She said he sits out when they do something hard - but participates in the things that are fun. I asked her what the hard things were. Aerobics or heavy work-outs. I explained that asthma, being a respiratory illness would respond more severely to these types of things and make his refraining more legitimate - not that I think on any planet near or far, I need to prove this to her.
She said that this has been bothering her all year, and yet she has not said one word to me or Kullen. She hasn't ever said that she thinks he gives up too easy or that he could try harder.
In any case, I am thankful that she did not push him to continue the activity. However, I am very concerned that she feels it is her place to evaluate whether he is having a legitimate issue with his asthma or not.
The coach is a first year homeschool mom. She doesn't really "get" homeschooling yet. She told me she has been very frustrated and feels that homeschooled kids all think they can do what they want, whenever they want, and that they will be ill-prepared for the real world. Again, I refer you to the first paragraph here - where I ask you what bodily functions would be denied, or told we were using chronic illnesses to "get our way", or were forced for that matter to participate in an athletic activity we did not choose. What is "real world" about that?
Anyway - I have talked to the appropriate people, and have a little peace that they are keeping an eye on the situation. But in my heart, I am so frustrated that people get away with treating children in a way we would never treat another adult. I am furious that my son was discriminated against because of an illness, and that someone would think it is their place to assess his "spiritual condition". I am humiliated for him that he was sent without his shoes to sit in an office when I deal with other kids in class throughout the day who are displaying willful disobedience who are at least given a warning. He was sent out without a clue as to what he was doing wrong, and taunted as we went to our car by an obnoxious boy in his class. I feel a bit helpless that as important as this was to me that we were not able to protect him from this kind of situation.
I need to get past this. I know I need to forgive. Any thoughts or suggestions on how I do this? If the same thing had been done to me, I'd be over it already, but do it to my child and we have a different dimension of anger, frustration, and resentment to deal with - the Mama Bear kind.
Too late.....
I wasn't going to blog about this, but I think I have to since blogging is therapy. I am working on forgiving which was another reason for the hesitancy, feeling that this story will enrage others, and thus fuel the anger, instead of the aiding my quest towards letting go of what could grow into a very large resentment.
My son was sent out of his PE class at co-op the other day. I was surprised to find him sitting in the office when I went into a back office to print off the Mom's Notes newsletter that is one of my duties. He followed me and said, "Mom, I got sent out of PE." I said, "Why?" He said, "Mom, I don't know."
As a mom, I'm thinking that something is missing to this story, but I know my son. I know what he is capable of, and yet, I have also known adults to be unfair, unkind and even *gasp* wrong. I started asking what he was doing. His class was doing some sort of aerobic work out which is very cardiovascular. He said that he started to feel that his chest was tight, so he went to the side and sat out. I asked him if he was disturbing the class, he said no. I asked him if he was doing something the teacher asked him not to do, he said no. About a dozen more questions of everything I could think of that he might have possibly done to deserve the most serious disciplinary action we can take at the co-op - and all answers "no".
Let's back up a bit and clarify that he is severely asthmatic. He was sick the previous week with a cold, getting up in the middle of the night for breathing treatments, and taking his inhaler frequently through the day. The PE coach was informed about this at the beginning of the year, and seemed very agreeable and on board with letting him stop whenever he needed to. I explained to her then that we let HIM say when HE needs a break - we don't qualify it because he is really the only one who knows his body.
Fast forward to this day, I tried to find the coach to discuss this with her. I even called her at home and on her cell phone that evening, and could not reach her. This was Monday, and finally on Wednesday morning, I was able to get in touch with her. Our conversation started with her saying this, "I think we have a spiritual issue here."
I took a deep breath. I hate it when people over-spiritualize everything. We are spiritual beings, and everything we do is spiritual - but there seems to be this hocus-pocus mystical thing that goes on where people weigh and judge one another in this realm. Ugh.
I let her speak. I listened.
My summation of what she said is that she thinks my son uses his asthma to sit out when he doesn't want to do something. I asked if he disturbs the class. No. I asked if he disobeys something when she specifically asks him to do something. No. I asked if he is disrespectful to her. No.
She said on the day in question that he had gone to the side and sat out, and then laid down on the floor. I asked her if she asked him to sit up. She said no, she didn't have time to stop and do that. What she did have time to do was walk over to him and tell him to "get up and go to the office" - and he said she was angry.
She said he sits out when they do something hard - but participates in the things that are fun. I asked her what the hard things were. Aerobics or heavy work-outs. I explained that asthma, being a respiratory illness would respond more severely to these types of things and make his refraining more legitimate - not that I think on any planet near or far, I need to prove this to her.
She said that this has been bothering her all year, and yet she has not said one word to me or Kullen. She hasn't ever said that she thinks he gives up too easy or that he could try harder.
In any case, I am thankful that she did not push him to continue the activity. However, I am very concerned that she feels it is her place to evaluate whether he is having a legitimate issue with his asthma or not.
The coach is a first year homeschool mom. She doesn't really "get" homeschooling yet. She told me she has been very frustrated and feels that homeschooled kids all think they can do what they want, whenever they want, and that they will be ill-prepared for the real world. Again, I refer you to the first paragraph here - where I ask you what bodily functions would be denied, or told we were using chronic illnesses to "get our way", or were forced for that matter to participate in an athletic activity we did not choose. What is "real world" about that?
Anyway - I have talked to the appropriate people, and have a little peace that they are keeping an eye on the situation. But in my heart, I am so frustrated that people get away with treating children in a way we would never treat another adult. I am furious that my son was discriminated against because of an illness, and that someone would think it is their place to assess his "spiritual condition". I am humiliated for him that he was sent without his shoes to sit in an office when I deal with other kids in class throughout the day who are displaying willful disobedience who are at least given a warning. He was sent out without a clue as to what he was doing wrong, and taunted as we went to our car by an obnoxious boy in his class. I feel a bit helpless that as important as this was to me that we were not able to protect him from this kind of situation.
I need to get past this. I know I need to forgive. Any thoughts or suggestions on how I do this? If the same thing had been done to me, I'd be over it already, but do it to my child and we have a different dimension of anger, frustration, and resentment to deal with - the Mama Bear kind.
05 October 2007
Life is Taking Over
Yep - a real life has formed and this stands alone as my only explanation of the lack of new blog entries. I still love blogging and if I didn't have this outlet in which to write and share with other people - I would wither up and die -and yet in and of itself this blog cannot be my life.
We are involved with two co-ops right now - a larger one in the city that meets weekly and a smaller one that is more local and meets twice a month. I am co-teaching a literature class for 6th and 7th grades at the larger one, working on a weekly newsletter and helping in the library. Yesterday I was asked to help teach the creative writing class for the older kids at the smaller co-op and I have to admit I am WAY excited about that. I mean excited in the I couldn't go to sleep for all the ideas I had kind of way. We are also working with those kids at assembling a newsletter and eventually establishing a yearbook staff. It ought to be great fun.
I think I am having some hormonal issues and am looking for an OB/GYN in the area. Fun. I am getting close enough to 40 that I have anxiety about being sent for a mammogram. Being rather well-endowed in this area, I am picturing something the size of an MRI machine and great amounts of suction. Okay, so I have a vivid imagination, but there is always the fear of the unknown.
Today I am taking Kullen to the doctor. He had gotten in my bed last night and somewhere around 4 am he was breathing so violently that his whole body was pulsing as he tried to suck in air. He wasn't making any noise, but convulsively shaking my bed. Scary. I got the nebulizer hooked up and in a short while he was doing much better and this morning seems fine. I am still taking him to the doctor.
My husband told me last night that the sales person had been let go of the company he has been working with - and evidently took all the clients with him. It would be too bad if he had to go back to the union hall and start over with another company and it would mean a drastic change in his income since he still doesn't have his TX license.
Tomorrow is the annual family reunion - so we are making the trek an hour north to meet up with the kinfolk. It is a great family - but sadly mostly the older family members. Those in our age group and the ages of our kids don't seem to think it is very important.
So many things going on - just thought I might catch you up in case you missed me!
We are involved with two co-ops right now - a larger one in the city that meets weekly and a smaller one that is more local and meets twice a month. I am co-teaching a literature class for 6th and 7th grades at the larger one, working on a weekly newsletter and helping in the library. Yesterday I was asked to help teach the creative writing class for the older kids at the smaller co-op and I have to admit I am WAY excited about that. I mean excited in the I couldn't go to sleep for all the ideas I had kind of way. We are also working with those kids at assembling a newsletter and eventually establishing a yearbook staff. It ought to be great fun.
I think I am having some hormonal issues and am looking for an OB/GYN in the area. Fun. I am getting close enough to 40 that I have anxiety about being sent for a mammogram. Being rather well-endowed in this area, I am picturing something the size of an MRI machine and great amounts of suction. Okay, so I have a vivid imagination, but there is always the fear of the unknown.
Today I am taking Kullen to the doctor. He had gotten in my bed last night and somewhere around 4 am he was breathing so violently that his whole body was pulsing as he tried to suck in air. He wasn't making any noise, but convulsively shaking my bed. Scary. I got the nebulizer hooked up and in a short while he was doing much better and this morning seems fine. I am still taking him to the doctor.
My husband told me last night that the sales person had been let go of the company he has been working with - and evidently took all the clients with him. It would be too bad if he had to go back to the union hall and start over with another company and it would mean a drastic change in his income since he still doesn't have his TX license.
Tomorrow is the annual family reunion - so we are making the trek an hour north to meet up with the kinfolk. It is a great family - but sadly mostly the older family members. Those in our age group and the ages of our kids don't seem to think it is very important.
So many things going on - just thought I might catch you up in case you missed me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)