On Wens night (about 11:30pm), I walked about a mile home after dropping the husband's car off at the mechanics. Came home huffing and puffing like a 90 year old smoker. Thought if I got some sleep, I would feel better.

Woke up the next morning. Shortness of breath. My next plan of action: take a Zyrtec, an Aleve and drink some coffee. Went to work. Meds did not help. Called the doctor to make an appointment (this was about 11am). He called me back about ten minutes later. Told me to go straight to the ER. The husband calls me 5 minutes later. Tells me to drop everything at work and come home so he can take me to the ER (our apartment is halfway between where I work and the ER).

My coworker throws a fit. Cries (literally and in the middle of the store) because she has to run the cash register. Refuses to cover me. Gives me a huge attitude. I try to tell her that I cannot breathe. Refuses to listen to me and tells me to go back on the cash register and to do my work. Ended up calling the manager who laughs at my coworker's response. She gets someone else to cover me.

I make it home. I am getting dizzy because I cannot breathe. Joe (the husband) drives me to the ER. I get lectured at there for not coming in sooner. Turns out it was an asthma attack. They had to give me a double strength breathing treatment to stop it. Not allowed out of my apartment until Monday. The doctor thinks it was the combination of allergies, the heat and the humidity.

I am so disappointed in my coworker (21 years old) because 1) I thought she was a friend and 2) I thought she was mature and could act like a reasonable adult. Is that too much to expect?

Also disappointed that my manager would even laugh at her response. My manager is the one who told me to call my coworker and not to pass out at work. She's the one who gave me the okay to leave. So, why would she not have said something to my coworker? My coworker did not want anyone covering me because it would mean that she would get pulled off of her project (stocking the food shelves) to cover their department (exactly what she had told me after she told me to go do my work).

Am I over reacting or was my coworker out of line? It's not like I did not try to go to work or anything. I tried. I tried to do my work. It just hurt and was very difficult for me to breathe.

Thoughts?
--Beth