Decidedly NOT Awesome

Usually on Tuesdays, I post something for my awesome things list, but instead I have to relate what happened yesterday.

Yesterday morning was the last Music for Aarvarks class for the semester, and we were having a great time! In the last 10 minutes of class, though, we were all running and dancing and playing, and I collided with one of the older girls. Since I am much smaller, she kind of ran me over a little bit, and I fell onto the ground. This in and of itself is nothing new – I get run over fairly regularly, being a pretty small guy and prone to being underfoot.

Mommy ran right over and scooped me up, assuring the people around us that I was fine. {I wasn’t so sure yet.}

I did that thing where I exhale for a l-o-n-g time while my face gradually reddens, and Mommy braced herself for the inevitable screaming – but it didn’t come. The seconds ticked by and not only was I not screaming, I wasn’t breathing either. I started to go limp and tilt to the side in Mommy’s arms.

One of the other mothers rushed over and said that her child had done the same thing when he was younger and that Mommy should blow in my face and yell so that I remembered to breathe. That helped and I first made a little strangled noise and then began screaming my head off. {Mommy will never again complain about how loudly I cry; those few moments of silence were the scariest of her entire life.}

Apparently, I had a pallid breath-holding spell. According to my pedi (and Dr. Google), these are harmless episodes that occur in some children when they are overly upset. Some are in response to anger, like during a tantrum, and some, like mine, are a reaction to fear or panic. If I had passed out, my body would have automatically relaxed and I would have started breathing again, and there are no long term effects, but none of that makes Mommy feel any better.

This was TERRIFYING.

According to WebMD, Mommy can decrease the chance of future episodes by “making sure your child gets plenty of rest, helping him or her feel secure, and helping minimize and manage his or her frustration.”

Yeah, if anyone has any practical advice on how exactly to do that, let her know. Make sure I get plenty of rest? She’s been trying to do that my whole life!