I am livid!

[mjkacmom]

You don't have kids, do you? After I got through with him, he would wish that he had never been born. If that child had died, that would be one hell of a, gee I wish I had a do over, I would have done things differently. I don't care how many time he had been played, not my problem. My child not being able to breath, that is my problem and would be his also.

I do have kids, and until I had children with this condition, I had no idea of how serious it can be. I'm glad I saw this thread - I've always told my kids that they have MY permission to leave class if they really need to use the restroom (after one child was ignored by her gym teacher, and I had to bring a change of clothes...). The nurse has their inhaler - they will always have MY permission to leave a class if they need it, regardless of what the teacher says.

OP, I would go to the teacher, explain how serious this is, and make sure your dd has her inhaler (I know I sometimes forget it, especially off-season). Even my DH has been too laid back, in the past, about this (I rememer ds12 calling me from the soccer field, stating that his brother couldn't breathe, and his dad was talking to the other parents, and I told him to tell DH to get in the car, and get home ASAP).

 

[Helopoh]

I have to say as someone who has Asthma and my son as well. I would be at the school this morning. I am very thankful that the nurse at my son's school was very informed and called me, even when DS didn't want her to, anytime he went for his inhaler. Our symptoms and attacks are normally seasonal and linked to allergies. That aside I am more peeved over the fact that the teacher said anything at all about her getting out of it. A student saying they are having issues should be a trigger for anyone to send them to the school nurse. The teacher is liable for her well being and should be made to know it. This teacher is putting not only your child but other children in danger. Any condition should be dealt with as a serious matter. I would rather them lie to get out of things then to see a child dead because of stupidity.

 

[mhsjax]

I do have kids, and until I had children with this condition, I had no idea of how serious it can be. I'm glad I saw this thread - I've always told my kids that they have MY permission to leave class if they really need to use the restroom (after one child was ignored by her gym teacher, and I had to bring a change of clothes...). The nurse has their inhaler - they will always have MY permission to leave a class if they need it, regardless of what the teacher says.

OP, I would go to the teacher, explain how serious this is, and make sure your dd has her inhaler (I know I sometimes forget it, especially off-season). Even my DH has been too laid back, in the past, about this (I rememer ds12 calling me from the soccer field, stating that his brother couldn't breathe, and his dad was talking to the other parents, and I told him to tell DH to get in the car, and get home ASAP).

Well call me the odd man out, but to me, last time I checked you needed to breath and if anyone has problems breathing, there is a HUGE problem. Especially if the child has asthma. And like you told your kids, they have permission to leave, but is you are a teacher, especially a gym teacher, you ned to know these things.

 

[agnes!]

He probably didn't know she has asthma--there are over 2000 teens in this HS. But still, if a student tells you they have asthma, teachers shoud believe them. Sure, some kids will use it as an excuse. But if they really need the inhaler and you don't use it, there can be serious consequences. DD hardly ever has asthma flares, so she hasn't been carrying the inhaler. Obviously, she has some ownership in this situation.We have had a discussion tonight about carrying the inhaler all the time. And she's going to sleep with her inhaler under her pillow until she gets better, that's for sure.

I'm sorry this happened to your daughter. Hope she's feeling better soon.

I've been out of high school for fifteen years now, and I can still remember how frequently people would claim asthma as a reason they couldn't do stair laps, run the mile, run sprints, etc. I remember one girl (who actually did has asthma) would bring in old inhalers and give them to her friends so they would have "proof" of their alleged illness. Girls would abuse the asthma excuse almost as much as they would for having their period (especially with the male teacher, lol).

Not that it excuses the teacher's behavior, but maybe enough students have cried wolf that he had a hard time believing your daughter. I would let him know that your daughter does, in fact, have asthma and it's not a condition to be ignored and make sure she has her inhaler with her at all times during PE. However, I wouldn't rip into the teacher too harshly...he could be uneducated about it or been played one too many times.

Yeah, but if a student is claiming asthma and they are *just* using it as an excuse and they don't actually suffer from this potentially life-threatening condition, I would think it would be a simple matter to confirm it with the nurse or with the parents. Waiting until the kid is taken away in an ambulance is not an option.

agnes!

 

[mjkacmom]

It is always the non-athletic or out of shape nerd types that have asthma - they are always immediately gasping for air (never a cough) and it is always fixed with a quick puff of the inhaler.

Jeez - I guess I feel strongly about this, don't I?

I agree with this - I remember just last year, sending my ds to school a day after a bad attack (he had a cold). When it's bad, you can see, visually, that they can't breathe (by watching the spot right between the collarbones). He told his teacher he couldn't breathe, he was sent to the nurse, I got him and brought him to the doctor, and she told me his airways were very constricted, and to start the orapred. He was so much better than he was the day before, I didn't realize how bad it was.

Maybe people need to be better educated about asthma - the only reason I know what I know is because of my kids.

 

[tiggersbombed2]

I would have been there at opening today and there would have been a very serious meeting with the principal, the teacher and the school nurse. I may very well have called the Superintendent as well to attend. This is inexcusable. Talk about a domino effect. NONE of these people did their jobs correctly. ALL three of them acted like idiots.

For a school nurse and a gym instructor not to have known how dangerous an asthma attack can be should be criminal. I think the entire staff needs to have a meeting with an asthma specialist. Thank God your daughter was alright. It's making my blood boil all over again this morning!

 

[mjkacmom]

Minky
As others have posted--it is very common for a infection to trigger asthma. My daughter is home sick today herself--with a minor cold and a full blown asthma attack. The inhaler is just barely keeping it in check and I am having to monitor and be ready to get to the ER if needed.

Don't you have a nebulizer? My pediatrician over prescribes steroids, after we had to drive to the ER in a blizzard, because after several breathing treatments, dd didn't get any relief. They come in chewable, so easy to keep onhand.

 

[Ilivetogo]

Boy oh boy ... as someone who has asthma and dealt with it frequently as a kid, I feel for you on this one. I'm with the PP who said forget the e-mail -- I'd be AT the school in the morning with heads rolling!!! Sounds to me like this teacher (and most likely other teachers also) needs a serious lesson in the world of asthma. Next time your daughter should just go ahead and stop / grind the axe later.

Best of luck to your daughter. I'm so sorry she's sick now.

.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

OMG teacher should be fired! Please give your DD a hug and I hope she feels better

 

[kamik86]

For those that are concerned about kids lying. If I was a gym teacher I would make it clear on the first day that lying about having a medical condition to get out of class is not acceptable. And that if I found out after that you do not in fact have that medical condition you would have to have a full make up class after school to make up for what you skipped (and would definitely make sure these were not fun classes).

Gym was graded just like any other class in my middle school so not making up the class would hurt gpas and possibly make you fail if you did it often at all. High school it was pass fail but if you missed more then x classes you fail.

 

[golfgal]

When our twins were in second or third grade the PE teacher decided one day to change her PE plan and have all the kids run the mile for their fitness test. Several of the kids told her they needed to go to the nurse to get their inhalers, including my kids. She would not let them and told them they would be "fine". Well they were NOT fine and about 5 kids had asthma attacks, including my son. There were a LOT of very upset parents that day. The school changed their inhaler policy the next day. Before that kids were only allowed to have inhalers in the nurses office, they changed that to letting the kids keep them with them. Talk about STUPID.

 

[tlbwriter]

For those that are concerned about kids lying. If I was a gym teacher I would make it clear on the first day that lying about having a medical condition to get out of class is not acceptable. And that if I found out after that you do not in fact have that medical condition you would have to have a full make up class after school to make up for what you skipped (and would definitely make sure these were not fun classes).

I like this. I would also tell them, on day one, that if you have a medical condition that conflicts with PE activities, I expect to have a note from your doctor in your file. If anyone said they were having an asthma (or other) emergency I wouldn't take the time to check for that note, of course, I'd simply follow emergency procedures. But after things had settled down, if that note wasn't in the file, you better come up with one within a day or you'll be making up that class.

 

[rie'smom]

I am not familiar with ashthma--is that a possible side effect from an attack that was worsened by continued physical exertion? Seems odd that she is getting sick on the same day.

My son had exercise induced asthma. He played sports all through school and the manager for each sport had his inhaler on the sidelines.

Would you have felt better about what the PF teacher had done if he was thin?

We had an overweight PE teacher in junior high-probably 100 lbs overweight. Her nickname was "the cow". Kids are mean. It was hard to take her seriously when she called us slackers. We'd laugh at her behind her back because in the 70s you didn't laugh in a teacher's face.
Someone teaching physical fitness and health should be fit and healthy.

I'm sorry this happened to your daughter. Hope she's feeling better soon.

I've been out of high school for fifteen years now, and I can still remember how frequently people would claim asthma as a reason they couldn't do stair laps, run the mile, run sprints, etc. I remember one girl (who actually did has asthma) would bring in old inhalers and give them to her friends so they would have "proof" of their alleged illness. Girls would abuse the asthma excuse almost as much as they would for having their period (especially with the male teacher, lol).

Not that it excuses the teacher's behavior, but maybe enough students have cried wolf that he had a hard time believing your daughter. I would let him know that your daughter does, in fact, have asthma and it's not a condition to be ignored and make sure she has her inhaler with her at all times during PE. However, I wouldn't rip into the teacher too harshly...he could be uneducated about it or been played one too many times.

Bull

 

[declansdad]

I am glad your daughter is ok but the comment about the weight of the teacher was unneccessary. I would also be contacting the teacher first not the principal.

 

[minkydog]

Well, DD17 seems a little better this morning. Still running fever, but her breathing is better, not as tight and not as much coughing now. I didn't go to the school this morning, although I have sent a couple emails and I have talked to the school nurse--we have made an asthma plan. i will be followinig up with everyone. I'm a school nurse, too, and I have diabetic kids who come to me first thing in the morning for their insulin. I can't not show up unless it's a critical situation--there is no one who can take my place. I'm not going to chew up the PE teacher. I found out that this particular coach doesn't usually teach this class, so of course, he wouldn't have known any of the particulars about the students' health. Bad situation, but things happen sometimes. I'm not going to go off on a tear. Most of our teachers would respond appropriately, I think, and don't need to be chastised. Clearly this man is uninformed, so I will be happy to give him some information and try to educate him.

 

[mjkacmom]

Well, DD17 seems a little better this morning. Still running fever, but her breathing is better, not as tight and not as much coughing now. I didn't go to the school this morning, although I have sent a couple emails and I have talked to the school nurse--we have made an asthma plan. i will be followinig up with everyone. I'm a school nurse, too, and I have diabetic kids who come to me first thing in the morning for their insulin. I can't not show up unless it's a critical situation--there is no one who can take my place. I'm not going to chew up the PE teacher. I found out that this particular coach doesn't usually teach this class, so of course, he wouldn't have known any of the particulars about the students' health. Bad situation, but things happen sometimes. I'm not going to go off on a tear. Most of our teachers would respond appropriately, I think, and don't need to be chastised. Clearly this man is uninformed, so I will be happy to give him some information and try to educate him.

OP, good for you. I don't think it's at all helpful when parents fly off the handle, because it just causes the teachers to be on the defensive. However, if you speak with them calmly, I am sure they will listen, and this will benefit both your dd, and others as well. Others have advised you to march into the building, and demand educators to drop what they are doing (like teaching a class, or helping another student), and meet with you. Just not going to happen.

Our school nurse wouldn't let ds back to class without an asthma action plan from his doctor (I had really thought he outgrew it, because he went more than a year without an attack). I'm glad she treated me with respect, and didn't go all ape poop on me for being somewhat ignorant.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Not at all odd. Asthma can be induced by viruses, exercise, and cold air, among other things.



What? Are you kidding? Of course not. How ridiculous. What I have an issue with is that he minimized her breathing trouble. The fact that this man is very overweight and passing judgement on my kid, who happens to be in excellent shape, is absurd. I'm overweight myself but I wouldn't be teaching a fitness class (although I have lost 55-lbs so far--who knows? maybe some day i WILL teach that class!)

I meant odd as in oddly coincidental--IOW, it seems that illness is teacher's fault OR teacher made a situation worse. Not odd that t happened at all. Sorry if it came across that way.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

Well, DD17 seems a little better this morning. Still running fever, but her breathing is better, not as tight and not as much coughing now. I didn't go to the school this morning, although I have sent a couple emails and I have talked to the school nurse--we have made an asthma plan. i will be followinig up with everyone. I'm a school nurse, too, and I have diabetic kids who come to me first thing in the morning for their insulin. I can't not show up unless it's a critical situation--there is no one who can take my place. I'm not going to chew up the PE teacher. I found out that this particular coach doesn't usually teach this class, so of course, he wouldn't have known any of the particulars about the students' health. Bad situation, but things happen sometimes. I'm not going to go off on a tear. Most of our teachers would respond appropriately, I think, and don't need to be chastised. Clearly this man is uninformed, so I will be happy to give him some information and try to educate him.

It seems like there should be class lists for substitutes and marked for who has asthma.

I actually had the opposite situation this year. My DS's PE teacher was going to let him get out of running because he has asthma. He never told her he had asthma, but she knew from the school records. I sent her an e-mail that he did not have exercise induced asthma, and I would always let her know if he was having a flare-up and couldn't participate. For my son it is if he gets a cold or is exposed to cats.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Sorry I didn't read all the posts. I would make a talk to the teacher, the principal and the nurse about this. Bottom line this could have been very dangerous for your dd. She should've just stopped not tried to continue while getting herself under control. No disrespect to the the teacher during class, but all of the issues resulting in her stopping could have been dealt with later.

I went thru an incident similar to this with the high school nurse. My brother had severe allergies at the time that were out of control due to stress. He ended up having to carry a needle kit it got so bad. I had major problems with my period--only on the first day though. So basically once a month I would end up becoming so sick in school that I would have to leave early. My brother would end up having to leave whenever he had a allergy attack or if they were cutting the grass. We weren't abusing the system-- only going home when we were too sick to control ourselves any longer. One time I went to the nurse to call my mom after getting sick in school. The nurse refused to call my mom and lectured me about me and my brother "always copping out of school". I went down the hall and called my mom on a payphone. About 15 mins later I was called down to the nurses office where I meant my angry mother and a very chagrined nurse. The nurse never stopped us from calling home again.