7 on the Journey: You Didn't Come With Instructions

Seizure accident on his bike! He recovered quickly and was on his bike the next day!

Yesterday the lovely office assistant forwarded a phone call to my office. Luckily, I was looking for a student in our computer system and was in my office to take the call... from the Elijah's school nurse. Usually I'm not in my office much so, this was just dumb luck that I was in my office to take the call.

This is Elijah's first year in middle school and he's decided to break in the school nurse and teachers quickly by having a two minute seizure in the middle of the hallway, during class change. He was unconscious and couldn't feel his legs when he came to. He also went down pretty hard and hit his head on the concrete. Floor 1, Elijah 0 as indicated by the goose egg on his head.

Funny thing is I just met with his teachers the day before to review his 504 plan and his seizure plan. Not sure his teachers really thought he needed either. Apparently they really weren't paying attention because his math teacher told us that she "didn't know what to do and Elijah had not come with instructions!" She was also confused that his medical alert only had conditions, medications and phone numbers on it...NO INSTRUCTIONS! Probably why we had a meeting sweetheart, and while this was an unusually long seizure for Elijah, I would assume a person with a college degree and almost 20 years of teaching experience has had a kid or two with epilepsy. If not she probably should of taken some notes during the meeting, or better yet, read his seizure plan. Now I can't be all perturbed with the teacher. While she let the kids in the hall surround him while he was unconscious (hello anyone had basic first aid at this school?), she did concoct a good cover story so Elijah didn't have to explain epilepsy to 100 sixth graders in the hall. The story goes he fainted, fell, knocked himself unconscious on the floor and had to go home to make sure he didn't have a concussion. The truth would have been a lot easier!

I'm not sure which children come with instructions pinned to their chest. None of the kids I birthed, babysat or taught had such notes attached to them. I suppose you could tattoo instructions on a child, but I imagine child services would object. Here are the instructions I'm tempted to pin to Elijah's chest when he goes back to school on Monday (if a 6th grader would let you do such a thing).

Epilepsy is pretty common. If you have a brain, you can have a seizure and while watching a seizure can be scary please follow these instructions:
1. Turn him on his side.
2. Start timing (at 3 minutes call an ambulance and transport to ER)
3. Clear the area (he doesn't want people to watch him have a seizure and you wouldn't either)
4. When the seizure is done check for bumps and breaks
5. Only ask him yes or no questions, language is an advanced skill and his brain just had an electrical storm and isn't ready to engage you verbally.
6. Call parents
7. Let him nap until parent arrives, or he says he's ready to go back to class.
8. Breath! It's not his first seizure and it won't be his last. He's embarrassed and worried that others will think he is not capable of being a fully functioning human being! Please don't add to these feelings, he feels bad enough right now.
9. If you feel the need to say something say "Welcome Back or Carry On".
10. He's a normal kid. Give him a hug and let him be a normal kid! No need to relive the experience, or limit his activities. If it's not bothering him, don't let it bother you. Sit back and watch what knowledge and resiliency can do!