I've also experienced various reactions to the 'event' ...
At first I wasn't telling people I had epilepsy. I would tell my close friends but I wouldn't mention that to my tutors or lecturers at uni, for example. Well, that changed when I got a tonic-clonic seizure in one of my tutes in my 1st year of university. I remember how my tutor was freaked out by it after I 'woke up' and it really made me feel bad. I talked to him later and he said that the worst thing for him was not knowing what was going on and whether I would be okay. So from that point onwards I have been telling my tutors that I am epileptic and might get a seizure while in class. I tell them what it might look like and what they should do and that ultimately I will be OK when it's all over. Most of the time the reaction is positive and not overprotective or prejudiced. However, last semester I had a pretty bad experience with one of my lecturers. I usually spared the fact I was epileptic as far as my lecturers were concerned, but last semester my seizures got so out of control that i pretty much missed 6 weeks of classes. The medical certificates I got from my campus GP all stated 'epilepsy' as reason for missing classes (well, she asked me if it was ok for her to put it there and i thought why should i hide it? it's not something i should be ashamed of....) so this lecturer learnt it this way. I noticed she behaved very nervously when I had my midsemester exam- she was constantly watching me, wanted me to sit in the first row... She kept asking if I was ok etc. Then, when it came to the final exam she called me to her office and said that she didn't feel comfortable with me sitting the exam with other people because if I got a seizure I would freak other people out. She said that I should consider the impact of how traumatic my seizures might be to other students and how important it is for them to finish their last year of undergraduate studies with no trauma... I was shocked. When I told her I felt betrayed because that was my good will to disclose my condition- she said that if I don't apply for a 'special sitting' (in a separate room apart from other students) for my exam, she would report me to the Head of School and they will make me do it. I was so angry and shocked in the same time that I actually started crying. I just didn't expect this when she said she wanted to talk to me! I ended up deferring the exam, sitting it with other students and not causing any trauma to anyone.. Even though it was just one off reaction, it made me feel really bad...
However, overall, as far as my friends are concerned it's been really good. They are understanding and helpful. I really appreciate that they don't freak out and don't make me feel like a freak of nature
.
At first I wasn't telling people I had epilepsy. I would tell my close friends but I wouldn't mention that to my tutors or lecturers at uni, for example. Well, that changed when I got a tonic-clonic seizure in one of my tutes in my 1st year of university. I remember how my tutor was freaked out by it after I 'woke up' and it really made me feel bad. I talked to him later and he said that the worst thing for him was not knowing what was going on and whether I would be okay. So from that point onwards I have been telling my tutors that I am epileptic and might get a seizure while in class. I tell them what it might look like and what they should do and that ultimately I will be OK when it's all over. Most of the time the reaction is positive and not overprotective or prejudiced. However, last semester I had a pretty bad experience with one of my lecturers. I usually spared the fact I was epileptic as far as my lecturers were concerned, but last semester my seizures got so out of control that i pretty much missed 6 weeks of classes. The medical certificates I got from my campus GP all stated 'epilepsy' as reason for missing classes (well, she asked me if it was ok for her to put it there and i thought why should i hide it? it's not something i should be ashamed of....) so this lecturer learnt it this way. I noticed she behaved very nervously when I had my midsemester exam- she was constantly watching me, wanted me to sit in the first row... She kept asking if I was ok etc. Then, when it came to the final exam she called me to her office and said that she didn't feel comfortable with me sitting the exam with other people because if I got a seizure I would freak other people out. She said that I should consider the impact of how traumatic my seizures might be to other students and how important it is for them to finish their last year of undergraduate studies with no trauma... I was shocked. When I told her I felt betrayed because that was my good will to disclose my condition- she said that if I don't apply for a 'special sitting' (in a separate room apart from other students) for my exam, she would report me to the Head of School and they will make me do it. I was so angry and shocked in the same time that I actually started crying. I just didn't expect this when she said she wanted to talk to me! I ended up deferring the exam, sitting it with other students and not causing any trauma to anyone.. Even though it was just one off reaction, it made me feel really bad...
However, overall, as far as my friends are concerned it's been really good. They are understanding and helpful. I really appreciate that they don't freak out and don't make me feel like a freak of nature