Chapter 4 - Lily Told Me Mrs. Grayson Didn’t Believe Her
Two months before the hospital, Lily came home and said:
“Mrs. Grayson says I use my inhaler too much.”
I looked at her backpack.
“How often are you using it?”
“Not a lot.”
“What’s not a lot?”
“Two times this week.”
That deserved attention.
I checked the dose counter.
Called her pulmonologist.
Seasonal allergies were worsening.
We adjusted:
controller medication
and:
allergy treatment.
Then I emailed Mrs. Grayson.
Thank you for letting me know Lily has needed albuterol more frequently. Her doctor has adjusted her maintenance plan. Please continue following her asthma action plan and send her to Rebecca if symptoms persist after rescue medication.
Mrs. Grayson responded:
Of course. My main concern is that Lily may be associating the inhaler with escaping difficult tasks. I’ll continue encouraging resilience while respecting the medical plan.
That sounded:
reasonable.
Professional.
I wrote:
Thank you.
That email would bother me later.
Because Lily had not said:
Mrs. Grayson is worried about how often I use medicine.
She said:
Mrs. Grayson doesn’t believe me.
I translated the child’s meaning into:
May you like
adult professionalism.
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