school and epilepsy

Re: school and epilepsy

Submitted by Spike. on Mon, 2011-09-26 - 18:58

Tennisplayer, please understand that no matter if you are 16 years old, or 61 years old, you're going to be made fun of no matter what, even if you have epilepsy. Seizures and epilepsy don't play favorites. Anywhere, at any age, and for reasons that doctors haven't discovered yet, ANYONE can have a seizure. Including those who are making fun of you right now.

As high school kids become adults, some of them are going to become parents themselves. And there's always going to be the possibility of a parent's child to develop medical difficulties, even if it's just epilepsy. An older adult might develop epilepsy themselves, or have a grandchild who develops epilepsy. Seizures and epilepsy don't play favorites. Tennisplayer, maybe you can ask some of your classmates if NOW be a good time for them to learn about seizures and epilepsy, and if they don't mind helping you, so they can be prepared if they ever have a child of their own who develops epilepsy?

Let's say, for example, a 16-year-old junior in high school, ends up becoming diagnosed with epilepsy. The junior has difficulties trying to keep their grades up, along with experiencing feelings of being alone and depressed, sometimes because their fellow classmates are calling them names, such as "retard" or "stupid" or "loser". It's common for classmates to do things like this because they want to be the "center of attention", or because their parents were doing the same thing back when they were in high school. Situations like this are not only going to take place in schools, but also in workplaces, and they are never going to end. Anyone who has epilepsy needs to realize that by having epilepsy, it can help them find out who their real friends are. Just because a person who has epilepsy doesn't make any friends in school, does not automatically mean they won't make friends in the future. Do you suppose a 16-year-old junior in high school will know that when they will be living in a house of their own, one of their neighbors might become the best friend they've ever had?

Most high school kids should be able to graduate in their future, and will work at trying to make their hopes and dreams to become true. Many will most likely be going to college or university. Some may join the military, or become employees for local businesses, or later on in their life end up bragging because they wound up with the most votes at some political election. Someone who goes to your high school may become your town's next Mayor, or a famous celebrity or musician, even the next president of the United States. A few might end up having to move to another state, or another country. And some might not get any further than being promoted from part-time to full-time, for the fast food restaurant they're working at now. Heck, someone who goes to the same school you're going to might win a lottery or be able to make a better estimate as for where the next satellite will land when it falls to earth. I'm sure there is a 16-year-old tennis player in Ohio with epilepsy, who has the courage and strength to ignore those who are making fun of them.

Re: school and epilepsy

Submitted by GodivaGirl on Tue, 2011-09-27 - 10:55

Hey There,

As someone about 10 years older than you - gotta agree with a lot of what the other person here has written.  I've had seizures most of my life and 16 is a tough age no matter what.  When I was in highschool at times kids were cruel.  For me, back then my seizures were pretty under control, but I am actually in recovery from neurosurgery right now (my choice, didn't like all the meds to keep things to finally 2-6 seizures a month where I was missing lots of work).  I am actually one of those people that did finish high school, has a university degree and am just on a medical leave from my job to recover right now, so ya know.

What I'd tell you though - any age bracket - people can be nice or not nice at times.  If they couldn't find seizures to pick on you for it would be your height, weight, hairstyle, something because just like the guy says below some people are just like that.  I actually remember being in the hospital part way through my medical tests before surgery where a girl just a little bit older than you was being given the same chance as me - deeper exploratory tests for neurosurgery.  At the time, my head was shaved & I had all kinds of wires deep in my head to see if surgery could be a great option.  They wanted to do the same thing to this other person, so they had her and some of her family talk to me.  Their one question to me "When you get out of here, how are you ever going to live without hair"....I basically said, it will grow back and I'll be ok.  I had a six month wait for surgery & lots grew back.  They took more off when I had my surgery not that long ago & that's come back to.  Right now I just have kind of a fun short hairstyle instead of the shoulder lenghth style I had when I went into all of this about a year ago.  I was blown away someone younger than me would rather deal with seizures because of a hairstyle, but everyone makes their choices.  My point though is more people will find something & differernt things matter to different people.  If they wanna pick on you they will, after all I was being judged by someone who was epileptic and their family for deciding to shave off all my hair for awhile - thing is I'm old enough to basically say that it doesn't matter & go with it.

Actually, I forget the guy's name in the USA right now (Jamie, I think), but there is a huge anti-bully case going on saying basically "Wake up world -  be nicer" - I hear about it at times and think they are right.  There is cyberbullying, classroom, and way too much.  I feel horrible for this kid I read about where all that ended his life.  For you, epilepsy is the target, for him it was something else.  Thing is, don't let it get ya down - just educate people about who you are and fight back.  It's not you, really at times it is people in the rest of the world.

My suggestion to you, there's a lot of ignorance out there when it comes to seizures and epilepsy.  If you look here there are many types of seizures.  For me, I have absense and complex partial seizures - it's like I'd go into daydreams for 30 seconds and maybe take 10 min to jump back to my "real world".  Thing is, tell anyone in my life epilepsy & they'd think of the hollywood versions of seizures that are shown on TV - people going into convulsions and things.  That's not me, and probably not you. You can live a day to day life - just may loose a glimpse of time once in awhile.  Explain that to people.  My friends use humor with me.  My meds make me tired when I take 'em, so if I take 'em at 8:00pm or 9:00pm it's kinda a joke that I may turn into a zombie.  When I was at work the guys in my department always had smarties at work - the inside joke there was smarties cause intelligence for the days when my meds hadn't worn off or well, for the days when I was stubborn & worked thru seizures.  Enlighten people that there is more than one type of seizure, holywood's version isn't the only one and find your own way to explain it that from time to time you may space out, but you're ok. 

The key for me in my life has been accepting that epilepsy is part of who I am, and just telling people I'm kinda a package deal and it's part of me - then I just find a way to explain seizures to them.  Really, anyone that doesn't get that and understand me isn't worth it because if they are that cruel in the beginning and treat you like that, think of how they are going to treat everyone else in your world.

Hope this helps ya.  Hang tough.