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kids at school call me Epileptic

Sun, 04/12/2009 - 21:48

hi im 16 and a sophomore in high school

a week before my 16th birthday in march i was diagnosed with JME after my first grand mal and i was taken out of school for a week

i had just fallen in love with my boyfriend who was crying all week because he was worried about me

and he couldnt come see me

he tried talking to all of his friends and he told them all i had Epilepsy

now when me and him walk in the hall way these kids laugh at me and call me names like Epileptic

my boyfriend is so nice and its hard for him to be mean to them but he loves me and is being very over protective of me and yells at people who talk to me now because he doesnt want me hurt

but it does hurt and i just want to know if anyone else gets laughed at for having epilepsy...

Comments

Re: kids at school call me Epileptic

Submitted by crazy4mycrafts on Sun, 2009-04-12 - 23:33
I think any of us who have epilepsy are ridiculed at one point or another in our lifetimes.  When I was in high school I would have seizures (partial complex) and lose control of my bladder.  I can't tell you how many times I had my friends follow me to the school front office to hide my back side to alleviate the pure embarassment of it all.  You are blessed to have someone who is caring and concerned.  The other kids do not understand because they have never been faced with physical challenges.  Make sure you are communicating with your school counselors so that you have some support from the staff at your school.  The more you can educate people the more they will understand about your disability.  Not only that but if your school promotes an anti-bullying policy then this is a good focus for them...  I hope this helps a little.  This is coming from a lifetime epileptic school nurse.  :)

Re: kids at school call me Epileptic

Submitted by michelle41 on Tue, 2010-04-20 - 16:20

hi at birth i had seizures and when i was in high school  kids were meam to me all the time yes does hurt a lot people are vrey mean that is nice you have a boyfriend love you that cool i tthink .  i was laugh at to all the time it will ok you will see you be just fine . my boyfriend love me to and my seizures hold up your head michelle

hi at birth i had seizures and when i was in high school  kids were meam to me all the time yes does hurt a lot people are vrey mean that is nice you have a boyfriend love you that cool i tthink .  i was laugh at to all the time it will ok you will see you be just fine . my boyfriend love me to and my seizures hold up your head michelle

Re: kids at school call me Epileptic

Submitted by seakats on Tue, 2010-04-20 - 18:51

Keep in mind that kids are afraid of what they don't know.  In order to hide it, they will make fun of you and make inappropriate jokes.  Have you talked to a school counselor/administrator about it?  They may be able to help you and at least cut down on the ridicule.  How about a presentation about epilepsy from a neurologist/doctor/epileptologist?  By taking the mystery out of it, some kids will stop.  Others are just bullies (i.e. cowards) that feel so bad about themselves that they make others feel about 3 inches tall. 

Epilepsy is now classified as a disabilty.  If you get no response from the school/school district (your parents if they're involved), contact the Epilepsy foundation  http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/  They will help you decide what course of action to take.  They may even be able to use legal action.  But your first action should be talking to your parent(s)/grandmother/aunt/guardian.  Here's how the schools are arranged, as far as what order to take when trying to stop the discrimination:

Lowest

Teachers

Counselors

Principal

School Board

Highest

I strongly urge you to take action.  This is NOT supposed to happen in ANY school.  PLEASE let some adult know!  Yes, I have had this happen as well, but I took action (when I was working as a teacher)  I was being made fun of as an adult even though I was teaching.  It does happen.  I went to the school board (as it was the principal making fun of me) and it stopped.  Do so for others who come after you.  It will change the whole system.

Take care and know that those who make fun of you are weaker.  You know and are dealing with epilepsy.  That requires strength.  You go girl!  

Keep in mind that kids are afraid of what they don't know.  In order to hide it, they will make fun of you and make inappropriate jokes.  Have you talked to a school counselor/administrator about it?  They may be able to help you and at least cut down on the ridicule.  How about a presentation about epilepsy from a neurologist/doctor/epileptologist?  By taking the mystery out of it, some kids will stop.  Others are just bullies (i.e. cowards) that feel so bad about themselves that they make others feel about 3 inches tall. 

Epilepsy is now classified as a disabilty.  If you get no response from the school/school district (your parents if they're involved), contact the Epilepsy foundation  http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/  They will help you decide what course of action to take.  They may even be able to use legal action.  But your first action should be talking to your parent(s)/grandmother/aunt/guardian.  Here's how the schools are arranged, as far as what order to take when trying to stop the discrimination:

Lowest

Teachers

Counselors

Principal

School Board

Highest

I strongly urge you to take action.  This is NOT supposed to happen in ANY school.  PLEASE let some adult know!  Yes, I have had this happen as well, but I took action (when I was working as a teacher)  I was being made fun of as an adult even though I was teaching.  It does happen.  I went to the school board (as it was the principal making fun of me) and it stopped.  Do so for others who come after you.  It will change the whole system.

Take care and know that those who make fun of you are weaker.  You know and are dealing with epilepsy.  That requires strength.  You go girl!  

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