Sunday, August 23, 2015

Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.



     I am going to be 100% honest right now and tell you this is a hard post to write.  Not because of anything bad but because of the backlash I might get.  I'm open to your opinions but I will not tolerate negativity. 



     Shawn and I made a choice this weekend.  A choice to allow Braydon to enjoy his life rather than fear his epilepsy.  Braydon will be playing football for Rossview Middle School this year.  His neurologist has told us no football because of the risk of concussion. 

      This was not a decision that we came to lightly.  Ive thought for weeks and I mean weeks.  Braydon wants to play and he is a great kid.  He is extremely respectful, kind, and a rule follower like you wouldn't believe.  I have done my own research and decided that this was one case where mother knows best.  He wants to belong to a team, he wants to play football, he wants to be a kid. 

      I spoke with the coaches of Rossviews team and our immediate family and have received nothing but support which I am very grateful for.  We are very excited about this and cannot wait to start a new journey.  Am i nervous?  Absolutely Am I scared?  Absolutely  Am I thrilled at the smile on his face when he told his best friend?  My heart melted. 

   On an even cuter note, Claudia will be a Rossview Middle School Cheerleader and I cannot wait to see her cheer on her big brother.  I promise to keep you all updated and let you know about his games and practices.  The Fowlers are not allowing epilepsy to rule our lives, we are ruling epilepsy. 


  Here are a few of the links I have used to make my decision.

 

What about group activities or sports?

Children and teens with epilepsy should be encouraged to participate in group and competitive sports, such as Little League baseball, community sports, and varsity sports at school. These activities are usually well supervised.
  • When appropriate safety gear for the sport is used, most children with epilepsy can safely participate without special accommodations.
  • Most important, group activities are part of childhood and foster a sense of "belonging," high self-esteem, and independence. These benefits are extremely valuable, and usually outweigh the risk of injury. 
  • Most potential hazards can be overcome. In fact, players with epilepsy can be found in major league baseball, ice hockey, and other professional sports.
  • Serious injuries in children with epilepsy are uncommon and rarely occur during participation in sports. Believe it or not, bathrooms are much more dangerous to children than playing soccer or ice skating.
http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/seizures-youth/about-kids/playing-sports-and-other-activities

What about contact sports? Again, it depends. If your child is prone to seizures, a loss of consciousness on the football field might be risky. But if the medicine is working and seizures are under control, then the risk of having a seizure on the field is really quite low. Some parents worry about children with epilepsy being hit on the head. There isn't any evidence that the brains of kids with epilepsy are more fragile than usual. For children whose seizures are under control, contact sports are just as safe or risky as they are for anyone else.
 http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/children-sports-safety?page=2

These are just a few and I want to leave you with this...... I'm very happy with the decision made and cannot wait to start a new journey as a football mom.  It may only be one season he might hate it, but I'm super excited we are trying.