Changing methods may help HAE patients manage their stress
To preserve her health, our daughter is trying a different kind of schooling
Math and I were not friends.
During my elementary school years, I didn’t always have a natural aptitude for math. Whenever I talk about it, I often joke that since I’m a “creative” and creativity isn’t an exact science, a subject like math can be a headache solely because there’s little room for error.
It wasn’t until I had my father as my sixth-grade teacher that I started to enjoy math. In addition to making it fun, my father taught me a simple technique that changed how I looked at math forever.
As I struggled to come up with an answer during a personal tutoring session, my father discovered that my arithmetic was wrong. The problem? I’d faced what I refer to as my “nemesis fact”: the single addition fact that no matter how many times I hear it, I’ll pause to figure it out.
“You were trying to get to 13?” my dad asked as he examined my work.
I nodded in defeat. “It’s 8 + 5,” I responded — my nemesis fact.
My dad sat back in his chair. “How many ways can you get to 13?” he asked. I shrugged, more out of frustration than ignorance.
“Well,” he said as he leaned forward on the table, “there’s 10 + 3; 7 + 6; 9 + 4; 11 + 2 …” He paused when I raised my eyebrows. “No matter which one you use, they all get to 13.”
It’s not like I didn’t know, but at the time, I needed to be reminded that sometimes you can use a different destination to reach a solution.
Taking another road
I relearned this lesson recently.
When our oldest daughter, whom we lovingly call Ladybug, was diagnosed with hereditary angioedema (HAE), we had reached a point when her school absences became somewhat overwhelming for everyone.
When her HAE flares occur, even with preventive or emergency medication, she can feel the effects for several days. If she has to go to the hospital, that’s even more school she’ll miss. Although measures are in place so that students aren’t penalized for excessive absences because of health, the makeup work can become more stressful, especially as they learn new things.
Within the past few months, my husband and I realized that our daughter’s stress was directly affecting the frequency and intensity of her flares. School, once a joy for Ladybug, had become a place of anxiety and insurmountable pressure. We knew something had to change, but what would that look like?
As her parents and former educators, for us, school has a traditional look: in-person studies in a classroom with a teacher engaging a group of students. But we learned that this model doesn’t fit Ladybug’s needs, and we needed a different approach for her to be successful in high school.
This semester, we found an incredible program that allows Ladybug to attend high school virtually, pauses if she has a bad health week, and provides her with the resources necessary to succeed. Is it the way we attended school? No. But as my father taught me, sometimes there are several ways to get the same answer.
As caregivers, we must be flexible in managing all circumstances that affect our loved ones. No matter what those adjustments or changes look like, if they all lead to the same positive results, that’s a success worth celebrating.
Note: Angioedema News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Angioedema News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to angioedema.
About the Author
Leave a comment
Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published.