My Asthma Attack at Work
So yesterday.... started out a fair day. I woke up early to finish reading a Mercedes Lackey book ("Home From Sea"), sort of timed it wrong and had to rush out the door a bit. But the weather was nice, a bit cool, and I got into work just in time.
Going up to the cash registers, I have to admit, I felt a little out of sorts. Everything felt LOUD and INTENSE. There was too many people, and I kept getting the urge to shrink away and curl up in a corner. But I told myself it's just a busy Friday, I'll be fine, just the morning rush. (Maybe it's a side effect of coming off the Pill? or just my sensory stuff coming into play)
Two minor things that the coordinator and manager seemed to be nitpicking on me. Well, okay, the fact that my dress didn't have sleeves is one thing (and no, in a store I know doesn't have it's A/C turned on yet, I'm not bringing a sweater to work, never mind that I never seem to be able to keep a sweater on, working or no). Apparently the company has something against bare shoulders, even if properly attired. There has to be at least a little cap sleeve covering the shoulder. If it wasn't for the fact that it would look horrible, I have half a mind to sew a little sleeve of sheer lace onto the dress.
The second thing is the matter of the call button. On our new cash registers, we have a button to direct customers in line to us. We're suppose to push it whenever we see someone in line and/or coming through what we call the line-maze (we're still figuring out the layout of the thing; it's a learning for everyone).
So let's think about this. New register counters, with new set-ups (that favour the LEFT hand, not my dominant right hand, at a different height, with a new piece of the process to include. Okay, it takes any one time to get used to. And I'm autistic, with a learning disability. I've spelt this out to the managers several times. I don't need the coordinator to be going "you need to push the button when you see people", because I KNOW that. If I'm slow at doing something, at incorporating something into my routine, usually I just need a one word prompt to dig out the information.
And that's not even what all is going on. Yes, it happens at times, but there's other issues. Like, the button is HARD to push! Sometimes, I push it, and I think I've pushed it hard enough, and it's not, and I don't know until a minute later when it fails to call someone. Also, with the way that the front line is set up, I CAN'T SEE WHETHER THERE ARE PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE sometimes. There'll be displays blocking my view, other customers blocking my view. Unless I move around the registers to get a good look, I can't see them!!!! I don't have x-ray vision!!!
So that was annoying me yesterday. The front line is very beautiful, but obviously, there are some issues that needs to be tinkered with because they are causing me trouble. Not to mention the allergy-asthma combo attack.
I still don't know what caused it. There was a smell from the register next to me. At first, I thought my coworker was wearing hair spray, but it seemed very centered around that cash and had a very distinct alcohol tang. The usual allergy reaction started up, clogged up sinus', headache, raspy throat. I asked my coworkers whether any scented products had gone through that cash, whether any hand sanitizer had been used. The one girl had used some a while ago.
And then the coughing triggered. Great wheezing coughs as I gasped for breath and my chest all got tight. I swear it sounded like I had whooping cough or something. The coordinator (different one) that was there told me to go to the lounge, to have a drink of water and sit for a while. So I went, cause I was doubled-up coughing.
Getting out the cup I keep in my locker, I was coughing again, and coworkers heard me. They took my cup and had me sit down, got me water and my lunch bag, cause I keep a can of coke in my lunch. I sat there, drinking coke and talking about my asthma. They wanted to know whether I had a puffer. I do, but at home, cause it's usually too strong for an asthma I usually have. Yeah, a manager came in a while later and chewed me up for that.
I finished my coke, had an ibuprofen, went to the washroom, and thought I was fine enough to work again. Another manager returned me to the lounge and had me sit down. So I drank some water, managed to find a dollar in my wallet and got a nestea from the pop machine (it was out of coke). Unfortunately, I was still coughing a bit, although not gasping for breath. Still, to someone who doesn't know me, my coughs sound TERRIBLE. They were enough to convince the managers to send me home, cause they asked whether there was anyone I knew who could drive me and they didn't want me to drive. Liability issues and all, I guess.
Well, there are a few of my friends who drive, but I have no idea whether they were at work or feeling well enough to come. My Dad is in Europe, otherwise I know he would have been able to come cause he has free reign over his schedule. I tried my house worker, but it turned out that she was off and the org didn't have anyone to send. So I tried my mother; I figured at the very least she'd get off work at 2:30, about an hour away, and be able to get me. Turns out my mom has a spare period, so she could come get me right away.
She also has the same puffer as me, so gave me a dose. I know, we're not suppose to do that, but exactly the same drug, same dosage. Even the same instructions! We came back to her place, and I had my "lunch". I started to feel better, so when Mom had to go do errands at 3, I had her drop me off at the store so I could drive myself home. I did some of my own errands while I was at it, just dropping off library books and my drug card.
Spent the rest of the day relaxing and recovering.
Mom doesn't like it, but I think I need to get a full allergy test done. She says I don't want to get one done. I say, it's not a matter of want, it's a matter of need. If there are things in my workplace that are poisoning me, I need to know, either so that I can take the right medication to counter them so this doesn't happen again, or if I need to find other employment. I think she's afraid I'll end up like her, with so many allergies and immune disorders that the doctors recommend going on disability and not working ever again. Worse, I think she'll think I'll use it as an excuse not to work! Also, she knows what allergy tests mean. They're painful and I'll have to go off some of my medications for it. But I think I need it, cause managing my asthma doesn't help when it's possible for an allergic reaction to do this to me again.
Especially if it was the hand sanitizer.
And yes, I'm keeping my puffer in my purse from now on.
Going up to the cash registers, I have to admit, I felt a little out of sorts. Everything felt LOUD and INTENSE. There was too many people, and I kept getting the urge to shrink away and curl up in a corner. But I told myself it's just a busy Friday, I'll be fine, just the morning rush. (Maybe it's a side effect of coming off the Pill? or just my sensory stuff coming into play)
Two minor things that the coordinator and manager seemed to be nitpicking on me. Well, okay, the fact that my dress didn't have sleeves is one thing (and no, in a store I know doesn't have it's A/C turned on yet, I'm not bringing a sweater to work, never mind that I never seem to be able to keep a sweater on, working or no). Apparently the company has something against bare shoulders, even if properly attired. There has to be at least a little cap sleeve covering the shoulder. If it wasn't for the fact that it would look horrible, I have half a mind to sew a little sleeve of sheer lace onto the dress.
The second thing is the matter of the call button. On our new cash registers, we have a button to direct customers in line to us. We're suppose to push it whenever we see someone in line and/or coming through what we call the line-maze (we're still figuring out the layout of the thing; it's a learning for everyone).
So let's think about this. New register counters, with new set-ups (that favour the LEFT hand, not my dominant right hand, at a different height, with a new piece of the process to include. Okay, it takes any one time to get used to. And I'm autistic, with a learning disability. I've spelt this out to the managers several times. I don't need the coordinator to be going "you need to push the button when you see people", because I KNOW that. If I'm slow at doing something, at incorporating something into my routine, usually I just need a one word prompt to dig out the information.
And that's not even what all is going on. Yes, it happens at times, but there's other issues. Like, the button is HARD to push! Sometimes, I push it, and I think I've pushed it hard enough, and it's not, and I don't know until a minute later when it fails to call someone. Also, with the way that the front line is set up, I CAN'T SEE WHETHER THERE ARE PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE sometimes. There'll be displays blocking my view, other customers blocking my view. Unless I move around the registers to get a good look, I can't see them!!!! I don't have x-ray vision!!!
So that was annoying me yesterday. The front line is very beautiful, but obviously, there are some issues that needs to be tinkered with because they are causing me trouble. Not to mention the allergy-asthma combo attack.
I still don't know what caused it. There was a smell from the register next to me. At first, I thought my coworker was wearing hair spray, but it seemed very centered around that cash and had a very distinct alcohol tang. The usual allergy reaction started up, clogged up sinus', headache, raspy throat. I asked my coworkers whether any scented products had gone through that cash, whether any hand sanitizer had been used. The one girl had used some a while ago.
And then the coughing triggered. Great wheezing coughs as I gasped for breath and my chest all got tight. I swear it sounded like I had whooping cough or something. The coordinator (different one) that was there told me to go to the lounge, to have a drink of water and sit for a while. So I went, cause I was doubled-up coughing.
Getting out the cup I keep in my locker, I was coughing again, and coworkers heard me. They took my cup and had me sit down, got me water and my lunch bag, cause I keep a can of coke in my lunch. I sat there, drinking coke and talking about my asthma. They wanted to know whether I had a puffer. I do, but at home, cause it's usually too strong for an asthma I usually have. Yeah, a manager came in a while later and chewed me up for that.
I finished my coke, had an ibuprofen, went to the washroom, and thought I was fine enough to work again. Another manager returned me to the lounge and had me sit down. So I drank some water, managed to find a dollar in my wallet and got a nestea from the pop machine (it was out of coke). Unfortunately, I was still coughing a bit, although not gasping for breath. Still, to someone who doesn't know me, my coughs sound TERRIBLE. They were enough to convince the managers to send me home, cause they asked whether there was anyone I knew who could drive me and they didn't want me to drive. Liability issues and all, I guess.
Well, there are a few of my friends who drive, but I have no idea whether they were at work or feeling well enough to come. My Dad is in Europe, otherwise I know he would have been able to come cause he has free reign over his schedule. I tried my house worker, but it turned out that she was off and the org didn't have anyone to send. So I tried my mother; I figured at the very least she'd get off work at 2:30, about an hour away, and be able to get me. Turns out my mom has a spare period, so she could come get me right away.
She also has the same puffer as me, so gave me a dose. I know, we're not suppose to do that, but exactly the same drug, same dosage. Even the same instructions! We came back to her place, and I had my "lunch". I started to feel better, so when Mom had to go do errands at 3, I had her drop me off at the store so I could drive myself home. I did some of my own errands while I was at it, just dropping off library books and my drug card.
Spent the rest of the day relaxing and recovering.
Mom doesn't like it, but I think I need to get a full allergy test done. She says I don't want to get one done. I say, it's not a matter of want, it's a matter of need. If there are things in my workplace that are poisoning me, I need to know, either so that I can take the right medication to counter them so this doesn't happen again, or if I need to find other employment. I think she's afraid I'll end up like her, with so many allergies and immune disorders that the doctors recommend going on disability and not working ever again. Worse, I think she'll think I'll use it as an excuse not to work! Also, she knows what allergy tests mean. They're painful and I'll have to go off some of my medications for it. But I think I need it, cause managing my asthma doesn't help when it's possible for an allergic reaction to do this to me again.
Especially if it was the hand sanitizer.
And yes, I'm keeping my puffer in my purse from now on.