Puff-Puff, I Still Can't Breathe

August 22nd, 2009

I remember this day well. I was so busy dying for air I can't forget it.

Hi, I'm Stefanellie, and I have asthma. It hasn't acted up too badly, until this weekend. Yesterday's crack of my voice kind of hinted the events of that day, but I never knew what to expect. The previous night, I had trouble breathing while I slept. I had assumed it was just a spur of the moment thing, so I didn't care. Morning swang around and things weren't any better. I generalized that I had simply got sick from hot days at practice. I had a constant cough producing flegm, so what else can I really think? Saturday was my father's company picnic. He kind of forced me to come with him being that there was no one else available from our family to come.I took a while to get my stuff together and finally leave the house, but we were soon on our way. We stopped by Dunkin Donuts and went to my dad's job first. He had to take care of some things and so I was led to his office to chill around. I walked in with the medium regular hot coffee in my hand and looked around. To see photos of my family all around made me smile.

At this point, the waiting game began. I sat in his comfy chair and swung around out of boredom. Another lady came in who was also waiting for the picnic. i think she was an employee's wife. She was freaking weird.. she offered me a granola bar..and tried to start conversation. Her japanese accent was heavy and I just nodded at everything she said with the occational "okay". I fiddled around my fathers desk and left him a stick note message.. and continued spining in the chair. I soon realized I couldn't breathe. I was taking quick breaths of in-out-in-out, as if I was gasping for air. Confused, i tried to slow my breathing down to a normal rate, but I was only suffocating myself. Finally we left and we were on our way to the picnic grounds. I confessed to my father that I had trouble breathing so we had to pass by an A&P to get some Cepecol losenges. They didn't work. By the time we got to the grounds, i refused to leave the car. The whole time I stayed in and tried to gather myself. For a while, I couldn't figure how to turn the air on. I did get it blowing but there was no temperature difference. I began to sweat and I still couldn't breathe.

To be honest, I was beginning to get scared. I looked up the symptoms of an asthma attack and it was all fitting: "short breathes, weakness, inability to do normal processes, blue fingernails or lips" So great. I was having a slight asthma attack. I tried to sleep and reclined the chair. I fell asleep for a while, but woke up to a knocking at the window. A brother and sister came with a wheeler and crate to retrieve the watermelons from my van. I awoke so suddenly, realizing that I was sweating like there was no tomorrow and it didn't feel nice. I walked back to the grounds where they were and the walk seemed unbearable. I asked my dad about the air, and he told me I had to turn the entire car and engine on. >.> Yeah, didn't know. sh. Walking back, the sun beating down on me made my feel weaker and the distance felt doubled. Eventually I got the air running cool and my fever wasn't hiking up. Although, as soon as I stepped out to use the bathroom, the walk back got me dying again. I felt like I couldn't walk the entire distance which wasn't even too far. My legs were ready to give out and just lay there. I also came back to the picnic with my saber to practice and it wasn't working. I couldn't keep focus and it all failed. My dad's friends tried to talk to me about guitar and I couldn't even focus on him. I stayed in the car for the rest of the day.

FINALLY, we left around 5PM and I still couldn't breath well. I used my inhaler, but it wasn't the best of help. My breaths were still short. On the drive back my dad was falling asleep and I almost thought we wouldn't make it alive. He was throwing water in himself to stay awake and whatnot. Back home, I got out of the car and I couldn't walk at all! In order to go on, I was at a turtles pace, trying to keep my breaths together. I barely made it up the stairs. As soon as I did, I crashed on the couch and tried to breathe.

I think I almost began to cry. It was terrible.

I ended up in my parents room trying to breathe and sleep for the rest of the night. My father went out and purchased medicines for my fever and coughing.

That day was everything to not expect.