Perhaps It Was Asthma?

This past Friday evening, I was doing something very physical. Without warning I suddenly felt something change and my heart was racing and I could barely catch my breath. By all descriptions I have heard or read about, it was a very severe asthma attack. It took nearly 10 minutes to catch my breath and almost 30 minutes before I felt I could breathe freely again. During my gasping for life, I nearly lost consciousness a couple of times and I am pretty sure if I had eaten recently, I would have thrown up. It was likely one of the scariest moments of my life. I was even afraid I might not live through it. I felt bad for Jason sitting next to me knowing he felt scared and helpless too. Through those frightening moments, tears ran down my cheeks and I clung to the hope Heavenly Father didn't need to take me home yet.
I've never been diagnosed with asthma. I used to suffer from bouts of chronic bronchitis and sinusitis which is why I own an inhaler. I haven't had either for over a year now and have been very grateful for being so healthy; which is why this sudden attack caught me off guard and without an inhaler nearby.
The rest of Friday evening, I felt quite exhausted and my lungs were in a lot of pain. Every breath hurt.
Yesterday, my right lung felt much better but my left was still burning and aching with every breathe. Getting ready for work left me a bit winded and tired. I found my old inhaler and took a couple of puffs. Before work, I went to the grocery store with my daughter; then dropped her off at my mom's for the day. I told my mom about it but not in detail. I didn't want to worry her. By the time I got to work, I was shaking from all the efforts of the morning and quite light headed. Walking from my desk to the bathroom left me a bit winded and tired. I sneezed at one point and felt like a thousand tiny needles were in my left lung. I kinda lost my appetite too. I had a potluck planned at my house Saturday evening. I considered cancelling but then realized I felt a great need to see my friends again. It was a difficult evening but I was grateful to have them with me. I think I just needed reassurance and the comfort of their presence. Needless to say. I think I need to have a visit to the doctor this Monday.
Today, my lungs still ache but I feel much better. I am staying home and taking it easy. My daughter keeps asking me to do stuff with her but I just tell her I am not feeling well and give her a huge hug feeling grateful my life is still available to live and be here with her.
I am also thinking of my friend Charity today. She recently went through a double lung transplant. I am praying her body will never reject this second transplant she was blessed with and think how insignificant my pain has been compared to hers. She is an inspiration.
I hope this all has been nothing more than a solitary incident and leads to nothing more than needing to carry an inhaler with me. Your prayers and support are appreciated.

Oi

I am 38 years young today. Now please stop asking.

Fideo (pronounced Fee-day-o)

So, I really love fideo. It's a Mexican pasta dish my maternal great-grandmother,Abuelita, would make for us. None of us have figured out her exact recipe and sadly she never wrote it down. It wasn't a secret, it just didn't occur to anyone to write it down before she passed away at the age of 94.

I think I may have gotten pretty close to the flavor I remember but of course it will never be quite the same even if I had the recipe. I've noticed throughout my life that everyone tends to make things slightly different, even if using the exact same recipe and ingredients.

Once I began venturing out into the eating world, I was thoroughly surprised by how few people not only hadn't tasted Fideo but also hadn't even heard of it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a few years ago that Cafe Rio put it on their menus (Fridays only.) It was shockingly similar in flavor to Abue's. The main difference in taste was they added lime juice which was a pleasant addition.

Here's how I make it:

1 package of coiled vermicelli

1 small can of tomato sauce

1 small onion, diced(or half a large)

1 small can diced green chilies

1 tsp granulated garlic (fresh is good too)

Knorr chicken bouillon

water

pepper to taste

oil for frying

Assemble all ingredients

Get oil hot, carefully place coils of vermecelli in hot oil, turn once; should be a light-medium golden color.

Place coils on paper toweled plate to allow to drain excess oil.

Pour oil from pan in a dry, safe place (I use a bowl) to allow to cool before throwing out. Don't pour down sink.

In same pan, with residual oil, caramelize diced onions until desired texture. I like 'em softened.

Add tomato sauce, diced green chilies, garlic, and pepper.

Add enough water to just cover the pasta and one tsp bullion per cup of water. Allow to simmer until pasta is softened. Some people like it a little soupy but I prefer the 'dry' version.

Garnish with a little parmesean and enjoy.

For me, this is a comfort food. It goes well with roast chicken. I really hope you take the time to make this and that it turns out well for you.