This morning the Physician’s Statement at Pure Pilates In Ladera Ranch leaves me bewildered.

Today’s  HypoGal story begins with me feeling well enough to participate in a pilates class at Pure Pilates in Ladera Ranch. 

Pilates seems to fit into my exercise intolerant Hypopituitary world.

My body just is not able to participate in most cardiac activities. However, I have found two types of exercises that work for me:

• Recumbent Bicycle
• Pilates

Sporadically, I am able to enjoy a pilates class. I believe, Pilates most likely works for me because it is a workout that involves little standing. 

As the Pilates class began a woman with her young daughter entered the Pure Pilates Studio.  The woman quickly mounts on the pilates machine at the back of the pilate’s studio.  

The Pure Pilates studio is about twenty feet by forty feet and I am at the front of the Pilates Studio about six feet away from the young girl who looks around eight years old has taken a sit on the small ivory loveseat in a small wait area. 

The design of the small wait area is for people to wait for the next class or to inquire about upcoming classes. 

Sadly, the woman who arrives late believes the waiting area should double as a babysitting area. 

I understand that life happens but when this young girl starts to coughing, I am concerned.  The girl’s cough is not a dry cough but a cough filled with nasal congestion. 

I feel terrible for the girl as she squirrels on the loveseat and continuously yawns with a wide open mouth to battle her ongoing coughs. The girl’s wide yawn strategy is quickly defeated as her continuous cough continues. 

I debate whether to leave, I am twenty- five minutes into a fifty-five-minute class. 

The girl’s frequent bouts of  coughs echo throughout our eight-member class. The girl’s  mother does not seem to care. I care. 

I care about the well being of this girl, the health of others and my health.

Instead of enjoying the pilates class, focusing on the instructor, I am upset. 

I am upset with this girl’s mother seems to have no problem blocking out her daughter’s need for help. 

As I watch this young girl’s silva continuously spray into the air I decide to discreetly mention to the instructor this girl may need water or she may be having health trouble.

The instructor slugs her shoulder as she gives me a , What Can I Do Expression?

With fifteen minutes of the pilates class reminding, I decide to finish the class because the girls feet are right on top of my tennis shoes. If I were to leave the pilates studio I would need my shoes. This is just a lose-lose situation, ugh. 

So, I decide not to breathe in deep. I realize not breathing in deep is a crazy, faux solution. However, I need to do what I can to avoid  the millions of germs the girl has sprayed into our confined space.

When the pilates class ends I linger behind the other class members because I do not want to commingle with the sick girl in the small waiting area.  

I am shocked as I hear the mother of this girl announce to another class member that her daughter has been sick. 

While I laggy exit the studio, the Pilates class instructor approaches me. The Pilate’s instructor tells me that she does not want to offend the woman with the sick daughter. The instructor goes on to tell me that she is not able to help nor understand people that have no common sense. 

She goes on to convey her frustration; she does not want to get sick. She rhetorically questions, ” What am I do to? “

I leave the Pure Pilates in Ladera Ranch, CA. and think there is so much you could do:

• Remind members of the no children policy
• Remind members not to come when they are ill
• Hello, inform the members if their child is sick they should not be there

(I would like to note, I have taken this instructors class several times and I think she is a terrific pilates instructor.)

As I walk to my car I notice the sick girl, her mother, and another member standing directly in the sun.  The girl’s mother and another member are chatting it up as the girl cup’s her hands in front of her face to block the sun’s rays. I feel terrible for this young girl.

As I stand near my car watching this mother’s behavior it surprises me that this mother allows her daughter to take the car’s driver seat and gun the engine.  The continuous revving engine alarms me. 

I question the well being of this girl. 

Shocked, alarmed, and surprised by the actions of this mom I decide to inquire about her daughter’s health. 

When I approach the woman’s car she has just traded seats with her daughter and she is in the driver’s seat.

This is how our conversation goes:

Me: Hi, Is your daughter feeling any better?

Woman: Feeling better?

Me: I felt terrible watching and hearing all your daughter struggle during Pilates class.

Woman: How was she struggling?

Me: It seems she is battling a cough.

Woman: She stares at her daughter in the backseat and asks her if she was struggling with a cough during her pilates class.  The blonde haired girl looks terrified as she shakes her head, no. 

Woman: Yes, she has been ill. But, she is on day five now and she is ok.

Me: I say, I hope so. My autoimmune system has low resistance to infections. 

Woman: I am a Physician so I can tell you that she is not contagious. 

Me: Surprised, shocked and saddened by this woman’s announcement that she is a Physician I blurt out,” then you should understand.”

This woman does not reply. Her condescending voice as she labeled herself a Physician was her exit cue.  

The patronization tone in this woman’s statement, I am a Physician so I can tell you….  stirs my emotions.

I  feel this womsn’s  demissive tone lacks consideration and common courteous. 

I am really bewildered how a mother, a physician could consciously decide to bring a sick child to her work-out class.

Sadly, this Physician lacks common sense. 

So, how was your morning?

You can find shortcuts to living with a chronic illness at the HypoGal Website.