Comments on Michael's Meanderings: My abnormal kid.

Funny how the written word can be so easily misund...

2009-12-04T06:35:42.242-08:00

Funny how the written word can be so easily misunderstood. I have epilepsy, and I thought this was a great post.

Oh! Nice to learn about another northern blogger!...

2009-12-03T09:43:45.816-08:00

Oh! Nice to learn about another northern blogger! Thanks for sharing your comment.

Hi Tara, I think you may have misunderstood. We...

2009-12-03T09:43:26.120-08:00

Hi Tara,

I think you may have misunderstood. We do treat Jade like a normal kid as much as we can. We don't pamper her or assume that she will never live up to her "full potential." Quite the opposite, we're doing everything we can to help her be as "normal" as possible. We have a determined, considerate, happy, curious kid (which, I guess, isn't all that normal these days...).

There are some things that we have no choice but to do differently, though. She's on the ketogenic diet to control her seizures. When we're out and there's food around (at a birthday party, for example), she can't have any of it. We need to watch her like a hawk to make sure she doesn't eat anything that isn't part of her special diet. That's not normal. There's nothing we can do about that right now, though. Kids ask why she can't eat food with them and we have to explain so they understand. The other kids know she's different and, right now, they need to know that she's different because if they didn't, it could compromise her health.

That won't always be the case and I'm looking forward to that day.

hey...although i like the style of your blog, i ha...

2009-12-03T06:32:29.738-08:00

hey...although i like the style of your blog, i have to take issue with this last post.

i developed epilepsy when i was 12 and now, 20 years later, i still have to take medication to control the seizures. however, the worst thing, by far, is not that loss in consciousness (in a usually embarrassing fashion) but the fact that i was/am treated differently - both positively and negatively.

don't do this to your daughter. please. treat her like a normal kid as much as you can. without that, she will never be a normal adult.