Reality

Just a glimpse at the ugly, scary reality of Alex’s injuries…

I had been wanting to get my hair trimmed.

The girl who has so graciously cut my hair — and the hair of others in my family — has major things she is dealing with herself, so just getting a simple hair trim is not always simple.

For me, going to get a haircut is a big deal.

Alex has to be up to it.
The weather has to be okay.
His breathing has to cooperate.
The timing has to work.

Today, Alex pushed himself really hard so I could try to get my hair trimmed.

After the school assembly, I spent about 20–25 minutes at the school working on clearing his airway. Even after that, he told me we could still go to Walmart so I could get my haircut.

So we went.

He pushed himself.

When we got there, the salon told me the wait would be about an hour, so we walked around the store for a little while. We came back after about 25 minutes, but they had taken someone else ahead of me and pushed me back.

This grown woman — me — was pouting.

But honestly, I was not upset about the haircut as much as I was upset that Alex had pushed himself so hard for something that now was not going to happen.

I knew I could not make him wait any longer.

He started struggling more with his breathing, so we headed home.

We stopped to get food, and as I was waiting at the drive-thru window, I heard Alex cluck.

For those who do not know, Alex has a loud clucking sound he uses to get my attention — or sometimes to annoy me when he is just being a kid.

But this time, it was not funny.

He was in major trouble.

I told the lady at the window, “I have to clear my son’s airway.”

Not exactly the normal drive-thru comment.

I pulled forward, jumped into the back, and started helping my buddy.

He was completely pale.
His lips were white.
Then his eyes got that scary stare.

He was out.

As in, he had passed out from lack of air.

It had not taken me long to get to him. That is just how quickly things can go bad.

That fast.

I kept yelling for him to wake up. I hate seeing him that pale. I hate seeing his eyes look that way.

The lady from the restaurant brought the food out while I was still working on him.

I was able to clear his airway enough to get him safely home.

That is part of the reality of Alex’s injuries.

It is not pretty.
It is not easy.
It is not fun.

But I am thankful Alex is okay.