We are not faking…

I read a post on Facebook the other day, in one of the groups I belong to, that just angered me more than anything else. It wasn’t even the fact that there seems to be a general belief that people with Hydrocephalus are faking their symptoms.

It was reading a comment from a parent who said that their 5-year-old was believed to be faking by their teacher. Reading further the symptoms of the child, I could relate very well and had full empathy for this little one. It’s not enough to say that because I’ve experienced it, I’ll have a better understanding. Because this is a dangerous condition… I can appreciate the consequences fully.

There are people in our children’s lives who need to act maturely and responsibly in certain situations, and this condition warrants just that. All adults, parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, grandparents – the caretakers of little ones share the same responsibility.

Do you have any idea what it feels like when you must lie in a dark room in the most excruciating pain imaginable because light affects the way you feel? Do you have any idea what it feels like to pray for death than have that scale of pain? Do you have any idea how helpless and scared we feel? There is only enough energy left in your body to keep breathing… Nothing else!

And this is only the tip of the iceberg!

Next time you are tempted to say someone with Hydrocephalus is faking…you better think damn hard about that before you open your pie hole!

I am an adult living with this condition, and I can tell you…giving birth to 3 children does not even come close to the kind of pain I experience when my pressure is high. Not forgetting to mention the fear I live with daily. Also, a little kid has not reached the maturity level to deal with all this yet (but they do) … They sure as hell don’t need you to make matters worse. With that said though, these little Hydro Warriors have learned skills of survival that a healthy adult could not even portray.

Finally, if they are “faking“, which I highly doubt, then let them be. Life sure hasn’t dealt them the best hand and they deserve a break…even if it is from ignorant uninformed people. If you have made this grave mistake, the least you can do is become informed and educate yourself a little more about Hydrocephalus and its symptoms. I guarantee your next encounter will be that much more humane. Have a read of my eBook – you might get some understanding of what we have to deal with.

In fact, there are many conditions, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. People who endure pain and discomfort silently, but bravely carry on, and try to function as part of this society. A little patience, compassion and mindfulness  will go a long way… Besides, you never know if, or when, life will deal you a dirty hand, and the roles are reversed.