O-mama - Opinionated Moms

Typically, when someone says that something is “out of this world”, they mean that it’s a good thing. However, when those words come from your child and he says that sometimes he feels like he is out of this world, that phrase takes on a whole new meaning. When my six-year-old stated how his “body sometimes makes him feel sick like he’s not in this world,” it took all of my resolve to force that lump back in my throat and smile at him.  

My husband explained to him that we understand and for that reason he takes medication, to help him stay in our world.  After tossing and turning for half the night, probably because I couldn’t erase my boy’s sweet voice playing that message over and over again, I wondered if we really do understand. The short answer is No, we don’t. 

We can read and research our children’s conditions until we have exhausted all resources, but until we can actually experience what they go through, we have no idea. That led me to another thought: is there a way to simulate a seizure? If there is, then everyone who works with my child should endure that experience. While that may sound extreme, it would be in my son’s best interest. All of us who teach him and care for him should have first-hand knowledge of how it feels when he is “not in this world.” This knowledge would lead to a clearer understanding of his needs and increased empathy during the time he is checked out and in recovery. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in my search, but it is on my list of questions for my next conversation with the neurologist. While I realize that this idea is far-fetched, I remain hopeful that it will happen one day. Stranger things have happened, right?

As the summer winds down and we prepare for another school year, remember to update your child’s health care plan and review those IEP’s to help make their school year "out of this world" in a good way!