just breathe

the monkey had her first track meet yesterday.

and I watched her have her first acute asthma attack.


NO FUN.

she runs the 800 (why would a kid with asthma be put in a half mile sprint you ask? answer: I do not fucking know)...and about 400 meters in hit a wall.

she was grabbing her throat and gasping. no fun at all.

she was running in third when she stopped being able to breathe normally, and to her credit, kept running another 200 meters before collapsing.

I freaked out.

I shoved everyone out of the way and sprinted across the track to get to her.

I beat the athletic trainer there. she drove a cart. I lost oqui.

when I got there she was a quivering mass of snot and near-vomit...and surrounded by her team mates.

good kids. a girl from the other team...whom she was racing AGAINST...tried to talk her through the race and stayed with her as other people passed them. she put her hand on her back and said, "I have asthma, too. Just relax. We can do this."

what an awesome kid. such compassion from a competitor. I hope that in a similar situation...I'd be as kind as that kid.

sooo...the monkey recovered (I'm still working on it. its pretty traumatic to see your child suffocating) and I'm going to have a little talk with her coach about:

a. putting her in that event
b. not taking asthma seriously
c. never once asking how she was
d. not being able to tell anyone where her inhaler was

that aside, we're not giving up on track. she asked me last night if she didn't have asthma would she be a good runner. I told the monkey that if flo-jo can run with asthma...she can, too. she's got amazing form and the heart of a (mini) lion.

we'll manage the breathing and get her back out there.


and hopefully, I never have to watch her choke and gag, again.