Understanding people at work

Just wondering how people tend to deal with awkward situations at work, i.e people doing things that trigger really bad attacks.

I work in a primary school where all staff know I have very brittle, severe asthma and that I had spent all weekend in hospital but one year group are 'aging' their work for their topic at the mo and Iwere burning the children's work in the staff room yesterday. Cue massive asthma attack that really scared my head of year, fortunately we were planning. SOmething was said but then today we were walking back form assembly and the other teacher had burnt more work in the classroom, cue second big attack, infront of my seven year olds!

I said something again to which I was told, I only have a couple left i'll do them in my class at lunchtime and open the window. I did say that actually that wasn't got enought and that actually he would either have to do it outsode or take them home but then I am the one feeling bad!!

I also think this isn't good for anyone, especially the children in our school with asthma.

Does anyone else have problems with people thinking that their asthama doesn't really matter or is over dramatised?

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Hi,I work in a school part time and find it hard when asthma is bad as dont get many good days. Would be to much for me doing more hours.Best point out problems for you and adapt things for you xxx

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I don't work in aschool but my niece goes to one. she has health problems I told her mum to voice her concerns or video them for as a teaching tape later on utube. If their behave can't stand the scutiny then maybe they will be more irresponsible.

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I worked last year as a hospital chaplain, and have very bad asthma myself. One of my floors was an ICU where lots of people were intubated for trouble breathing. One of my co-workers (another chaplain) came up to my floor and was shocked because his friend's wife had breathed in some smoke at a barbecue, had a bad attack, and ended up intubated on my floor...

And well I was shocked because he'd been sharing an office with me all year and thought he should know been by then. It really scared me though, because here is a co-worker that I was actually quite good friends with out of the group of people I worked with, and he still didn't get it.

I know that I often do a lot of work avoiding smoke and such as I can, because I find work places are slow to make changes a lot of times.

Bee

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NickyNoo, I have a similar problem at work where one of the company directors seems to believe that I'm over dramatising my condition. She has been sitting in the same office as me listening to me cough since October but if I tell her I'm having trouble breathing and need to go outside for a few minutes I just get a blank stare and an accusing slience, which really undermines my confidence.

I don't know what the answer is. If people won't take in the seriousness of what they are seeing when you have an attack they're unlikely to respond positively when you ask them to stop doing things that will act as a trigger. I'm pretty sure that there is some literature on this site that could be downloaded and handed out to these unbelievers but again, if they don't want to believe that there's a problem they're unlikely to change their ways.

Keep well

xx