I have been through the exact same thing you hvae been through, it sucks at first, but once you realize there is nothing you can do about it, it makes it easier. I told all of my friends when they met me that I had epilepsy and what to do if I had one around them. I didn't want to do it at first, but I knew they should know in case something happened. I was scared about what they might say and how they might treat me, but they don't see me differently. They just worry about me more, but at least I know they care and that they're there for me. Your friends are probably the same. They just need to get over the initial reaction first. Your not different than anyone else. Don't drop the class because of this. I know how hard it is, but you seem strong and someone who is able to get through it. I hope this helps a little

Forgive me for being long-winded; I tend to be – just ask my students in class as their trying to pack up their books at the end of class and I’m still yacking away. But I just hate to see a student in distress, so I have to write something.
College is an eye-opening time for a lot of kids – they come from their insular homes or high school environments and they come into contact with folks and phenomena that they’ve never seen before. I remember in college being freaked out when I saw a dorm mate have a nervous breakdown and completely lose it. Another time I had a classmate who was shot dead in a robbery. And I had to deal with all of this when I was dealing with my own stuff. I got a bit snoot full of what life is really like.

Now as I stand on the other side of the classroom, I see that happening a lot. Students freaking out when one of their classmates has something happen that they’ve never seen before. I also see students dealing with chronic medical issues, struggling with that as they struggle with class work and struggle with emotional issues as well.

Every student is different – but they’re all the same in that they have to deal with something – whether it be family stuff, emotional stuff, or medical stuff. (Even the students who look “normal” aren’t really - just scratch the surface and you’ll find something big they’re dealing with.) So absolutely you deserve to be treated like everyone else! The fact that your struggle is visible and physical only makes it *seem* different.  

Your friends are probably still in shock – that’s a natural human reaction. If they’re good people, they’ll come around and relax when they realize you’re not going to be dropping every ten seconds. You’ve opened their eyes to a different struggle than they have seen before; it may take them a little while to process it.

I know it sucks having to be the one who seems so different. When I first started having seizures (just partial ones – but I yell, which is terribly embarrassing), my coworkers, my student assistants, and the students in my classes freaked. Sometimes the students in my classes still stare at me like I have 5 arms, which makes me feel like a freak. Sometimes I just space out because I’m spacey or I’m thinking about something and people start freaking. I hate being the “weak” one who has to be watched after. But I think, too, I’ve helped coworkers when they’ve had migraines, or other problems, and I realize that we all need help at some point or another.

Make sure your friends know what to do in case of a seizure. Are you in the US? If so, have you registered with disability services?  Sometimes it seems it’s easier to hand a professor a confidential document stating that you have seizures and what they should do. It’s never happened to me (I’ve had students with lots of other illnesses, though) but one of my colleagues has a young lady in one of her class who gave my colleague a notice from OD stating that she had seizures and what she should do. Lo and behold, she had a seizure in class, but the prof knew what to do, kept everyone calm, took care of business and acted like it was no big deal. That’s the way profs should be!

And above all, do not drop out! It’s tough having to be an ambassador for epilepsy – I know that well.

And thanks for bringing this up – I really want to have an Epilepsy Awareness Week at our college, and every time I hear about another student struggling, I want to do it even more.
Many hugs and strength  
Steph