Mixed Emotions

It was an afternoon of mixed emotions. I met my son at the school gate at the end of his day to be advised by his teacher that he did not have the opportunity to play at recess because of the air advisory that had been given in our city. We continue to feel the effects of the California wild fires by having smoke sock in our city. The air quality was so poor that any child at my son's school who was immune compromised or had asthma had to stay indoors with the school nurse.

It was just last week that I had struggled with whether or not to put a medical alert band on my son due to his asthma. I in no way wanted to single him out, or make him feel any different then the other students. After agonizing with the decision, I had him wear his medical alert band for my peace of mind. To make sure his teacher, school nurse and other staff knew if he said he was having a hard time breathng or coughing he would be taken seriously.

Here we are a week later, and it is not my son's medical band that has differentiated him from his peers, it is the actual disease itself. If he felt different because of his blue medical alert band, then I am sure he really felt different when he could not go outside to run and play with his friends.

I do know that the school had his best interest in mind. I no more wanted my son to be back in the ER because playing in the smoke triggered his asthma. I so don't want him excluded or singled out, but it seems as though both my son and I are going to have to work on coping with our feelings and emotions that his asthma has brought forth.