Poor Decisions
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 2:37PM Just a quick piece of advice... if you have one of those neck warmer seed things, and you put it in the microwave to warm it up... you shouldn't set it for 5 minutes and walk away.
Someone at work did. I was at the sink washing my hands when she came running and threw the microwave door open and the smoke rolled out. I couldn't help but cough as I backed away and retreated to my office around the corner. I was surprised moments later when the smoke penetrated into my office through the air system. It only took moments for me to realize that I needed to leave the building quickly. This is the beginning of NOT recognizing what is happening. I paused to think about what I might need and grabbed my work keys so I wouldn't be locked out.
Things I didn't grab:
- inhaler
- coat
- purse
- cellphone
- car keys
The result had me living one of my worst moments... a full blown asthma attack in front of my boss, fellow managers and the girl with the neck pillow. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. I could not even get enough air to say "inhaler". Fortunately, one of the managers knew what to do and sent someone for my inhaler. I'm on my knees now out on the sidewalk and once I had the inhaler, it took 6 or 7 hits before I could quit coughing and catch my breath. This lead to lightheadedness, uncontrolable shaking and chattering teeth. They got me up and to my car where I got my portable nebulizer out and did an Atrovent treatment. While staff came out to check on me regularly, one manager sat in my car with me for over an hour until my breathing was stable enough to drive myself home.
When I got home, I got the word from TOG that I made another poor decision in not having someone call him. Apparently my reputation for making poor decisions in the midst of asthmatic distress is legion and TOG would have felt better about calling the shots than having folks at work wondering what to do for me. I confess that I was far more concerned with breathing than I was calling home but in hind site, it would have been a smart thing to do.
Now I'm just pondering how to help my lungs recover quickly. Hopefully a moderate amound of meds a couple more days down time will put things back on the right track.
Reader Comments (11)
OMG! How awful...accidents happen but the lady should have known to only put those things in for 1 minute.
You poor thing. I am thinking about you and wishing that you get back to normal very soon.
And one note...you will be a fantastic Grandmom!!!! Fantastic...simply the best!
xoxo
d e b
I can't see how you could take time to grab anything while a full blown attack is on it's way. I'm pretty sure I'd panic and forget to retreat out of the building! That sucks so much! Just take it easy.
I'm still shaking my head over the woman putting one of those things in the microwave for 5 minutes! WTH was she thinking?!
Oh my. Glad you're better, but I can only imagine how that felt for you. And yeah, I can see how BREATHING would trump remembering pretty much everything else. Poor, poor you.
Oh crap! That really sucks :0( I hope you are back on track!
that's pretty scary... i would think you would carry an inhaler everywhere... one in the glove box of the car...in your purse... in your desk... in every room of your house. feel better.
Wow, how scary for you! And bravo to your coworker for dashing back in to get your inhaler for you. I too can see why breathing (& not immediately calling TOG) would be foremost in your mind. Maybe you could get one coworker aside privately to be your "sherpa" in case it ever happens again...kind of a buddy system? Cheaper than keeping an extra pricey inhaler in your car. I hope your lungs don't do that downward-spirally thing that sneaky asthmatic lungs do & refuse to cooperate after this....
OMG that's awful. I know when there is smoke I rush my littlest asmathic out of there! I'm so worried about this dang swine flu thing and him getting it. He misses 4 days of school with just a regular cold. Yesterday a case of the swine was announced in our small town at the jr. high. Ugh.
How on earth did I miss this??? I was worried about you! So glad you are on the mend;)
I am thinking an attractive lanyard for an inhaler necklace is in order .. and maybe keeping the cellphone in your pocket at all times ... (((AG)))
I'll bet she hit the popcorn setting of the micro. I'm so sorry. What a horrid, horrid thing. TOG needs to be the contact person for this kind of thing without you having to spell it out to the coworkers. No one at my work would know who to call if something happened to me, though.
OMG--the impaired decision making is the exact same problem I am struggling with. It actually becomes a bigger problems than the asthma!
M