Oh, Spring. How beautiful you look through the window.

If you suffer from asthma and allergies, you understand what I’m saying. Everyone’s talking about how happy they are that Spring is here, but you are sniffling, sneezing, eyes watering, coughing, trying to breathe, and staying inside.

No matter how much medicine we take, it gets us at some point. Some springs are worse than others, and fall is even worse for us, but so far, spring has sprung and stung. That little twitch in your throat, the little cough starts, the nose starts itching…and you know it’s spring. Oddly enough, the thick yellow pollen that covers my porch and car and everything else isn’t as bad a problem as the aftermath. Right now, the yellow is less and less but my symptoms are kicking up. It makes no sense.

I’m less inclined to go for my walks when it’s like this. I’m less inclined to work in my yard. I don’t want to walk my dog. I don’t want to sit on my porch. And yet I need some vitamin D, right?! I do get jealous of those who don’t have to worry about it. I wish I could just enjoy my spring.

As a parent of an asthma and allergy sufferer, as well as a sufferer myself, I can at the very least understand what my son is going through. He’s already started weight lifting and conditioning for football season and next week, will start spring practice. This year it’s high school ball. Hard to believe it’s already here. He was sick last week with cold/sinus issues, which is never “just a cold” when you have asthma. He thought he could handle weight training and I let him go. When I went to pick him up, they were coming in from the field where they had apparently been running. I panicked. I knew he had trouble because it was a hot day for April and he was already having some breathing issues. I thought they were just going to lift weights so I didn’t worry. I didn’t see him come in from the field. I didn’t see him at all. Kids kept coming out and going to their cars but he was nowhere to be seen.

I was in a bad position. My Mama Bear mode had kicked in. I needed to go and find him, be sure he was ok. What if he needed to go to Urgent Care? I also knew that if he was ok, it would embarrass him to the nth degree because these athletes are young men now and mamas don’t just show up in the weight room. It’s a man’s world up in there. This is no longer the Rec Dept league where I can watch him every minute.

I gave myself 5 more minutes before going in. I assured myself that the coaches would look after him. I assured myself that he would know what to do and would’ve stopped if he needed to. I tried to have faith in him that at 14, he would know when to sit down. I fought my anxiety and fear and anger over my lack of control over the situation.

And then I saw him coming out. He was ok. Not great, but ok. He got in the car and said he made it through the running but had to sit for a while afterwards, which was why he was late coming out. He promised he would sit if he needed to. He didn’t know he would be running that day, either. But he did it. And then was sick the next day and the next and the next. Such is the life of an athlete with asthma in the spring.

I don’t know why it has to be so hard for him. It’s not fair, but we all have our personal battles and this happens to be his. And mine. He’s a fighter, though, and I’m proud of him. He loves sports, most of all football, and wants and needs to be physically active as much as possible. I will support him as long as he wants to play and will do what I can do to take care of him, which seems to be less and less now as he grows up. Luckily, most days are good. But when it’s bad, it’s really bad.

This episode did motivate me to set up a meeting with the coach to be sure we have a plan for him like we did in middle school. Most of his teachers and coaches in the past have been wonderful and cared about his well-being. I’ve also set up an appointment with our asthma doctor. I’ve been fortunate to have so many other adults in his life who help me help him. I have no reason to think high school will be any different. Communication and teamwork really is the key.

So, Spring: I for one have mixed feelings about your arrival. Your flowers are lovely. Your trees, gorgeous. Your sunshine, healing. I’m glad winter’s gone. We will get through this. We always do. At least the scenery is nice and the temperatures pleasant. Soon, we’ll be able to experience it without a window in the way.