The Evolution of my Asthma
1994: Flashback to Woodway Elementary 4th grade Track day. I was wearing a purple windsuit, and it was very windy, we just did some baton relay and after I was done running, I kept telling everyone "I CAN'T BREATHE! I CAN'T BREATHE!" I remember gasping for air, it felt like the fattest person in America was sitting on my chest, each breath was a challenge and I had to focus very hard. NO ONE listened to me, I told my teacher, I told the nurse that was out there. They gave me water and told me to sit in the shade. By this point I was pissed and confused. This had never happened before. From that day on, each time I ran (and I was a runner when I was young) I felt this feeling.
1995: 5th grade- Mr. Jetelinas class. Mr. Jetelina was the scariest human I had come in contact with in my 10 short years here on earth. He was my teacher. He had a rage problem, he was terrifying, and he had the ability to turn it on like a light switch. When he was mad, basketball sized sweat stains formed under his arms showing through his short sleeve button up, his face turned blood red and even turned purple a couple of times. It was like being under the care and supervision of the incredible hulk for 8 hours a day. Would that stress you out? I believe it would. I blame this guy for all of my anxiety problems to this day. I went home one day and I couldn't breathe again. I hadn't run, I hadn't done any kind of gymnastics or physical activity that day. It started this time in class, while I focused on the fit Mr. Jetelina was throwing because Shane Sims highlighed his notes with a black sharpie. It was either Shane or Christian Froberg- I can't remember. That night I slept on the couch because I couldn't fall asleep in bed, my mother said she could hear me all the way in her room, gasping for air. We went to the emergency room and they told me it was an asthma attack.
Unfortunately, my insurance wants me to use their mail in pharmacy so I had to wait 2 days last week for my medicine to come in the mail. I went that 2 days without medication and I ended up on steroids because of it. It only took 2 days. Asthma is a very VERY serious condition and it is something that needs to be taken care of like a newborn. If you do not take your preventative you run the risk of suffocating- slowly dying while you know exactly what is going on- does that sound like a fun death? Well, you might get lucky and have an attack in your sleep and just never wake up like one of my friends mothers did.
