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        Supporter's Corner >> Children and Cluster's >> Explaining CH to kids
        
(Message started by: swimchica623 on Jun 8^th, 2007, 6:03am)

Title: Explaining CH to kids
Post by swimchica623 on Jun 8^th, 2007, 6:03am

Looks like a slightly different group over here...so if any of you aren't sure who I am...my posts and replies are all over the first three boards. :-) I am 22, just graduated college, and have had CH for about a year now. My neuro just said they were chronic, no break in this past year, but besides the time there were other factors that lead him to believe they would probably be chronic from the start....so I still have my hopes that it will stop soon and just be some really long episodic cycle, but I'm prepared......

Anyway. I coach swimming. Normally practice is in the morning, when I don't get hits. We have a few evening practices, and evening meets, and a few other evening functions. I had a bad hit last night, and while I tried to get to a private place ASAP with my little o2 tank that is enough for one hit, I did not get away completely unnoticed. Two swimmers (9 and 12) that I have known for a very long time and think the world of me saw at the beginning as it was revving up. Luckily they just saw the very beginning and I got away for the worst of it, but I still left them very concerned and upset. They aren't my kids but they might as well be.
How do I explain this to them without upsetting them? They are very smart, very caring kids, and felt helpless and didn't want to see me in so much pain. The 9 year old had actually visited me when I was in the hospital once, but it was in between hits and when I was about to go home so I was fine.
I don't want to sound pessimistic, but realistically speaking there is a fairly good chance this will happen at least once more before the summer is up, knowing how often I get hit and the hours I am at the pool. I am so lucky to be in such a caring work environment with so many swim moms that care about me so much, but I feel awful that I made them feel so bad and scared them too.
Any advice???
Thanks,
Lisa

(ps if you are wondering how I dealt with this last summer...I didn't. I wasn't diagnosed yet and I was very, very confused. I missed a ton of work, exhaustd from missed sleep, and worried something would happen at work. I only got hired back this year with a note explaining I had wrong diagnosis last year and things were straightened out and I would not be missing work now!)

Title: Re: Explaining CH to kids
Post by LeLimey on Jun 8^th, 2007, 2:47pm

I both have kids and have a kid that has CH so they see two of us getting hit.

I've explained to them what happens when an attack occurs and how they can do nothing to help except leave me alone for my O2 to kick in and although it looks scary I am fine and I won't die or anything. Kids are resilient, as long as they know you aren't in danger they can accept it and if you dwell on the "the meds will make you better" aspect and try and gloss over it a bit then it makes it alot easier for them to deal with.

Mine know to just leave the room until I call them back and that I WILL be fine. I think keeping it upbeat and positive is the most important thing when explaining it.

I hope that helps!

Helen

Title: Re: Explaining CH to kids
Post by lionsound on Jun 8^th, 2007, 2:52pm

Helen gives very good advice here :)

And since they are not YOUR kids, I would also explain to their parents what happened so they are aware in case the kids have any questions or say somehing at home.