I hate pool parties!

I hate pool parties. Don't get me wrong, I love parties, and I loved swimming since I was young. But that is precisely why I hated the two of them together. The reason? Epilepsy and water don't go too well together.

To provide some exposition, I had my first seizure at the end of a school day in my fifth-grade class. I barely remember the experience. My heart rate went up, and then suddenly everything went black. I woke up a few minutes later, learning that an ambulance was on its way. It was one of the safest places to have my first seizure from a physical standpoint, but probably the worst from a social.

When I came back to school, I felt different. Like there was a massive label on my forehead that stated "SEIZURE KID" that everyone could see. I felt alone. Don't get me wrong, it's not like my friends from school stopped hanging out with me or ghosted me or anything, but things were just different.

Every time I was dropped off at a birthday pool party, I had to deal with one of the most awkward repeated experiences of my life. My mom would walk up with me to the door. She would knock on the door and introduce herself to the parent at the party. They would always engage in light-hearted banter and would then hit them with the bomb, "I just wanted to let you know that Chris has epilepsy, and while it shouldn't be a problem at all, he might have a seizure and drown in your pool." The light always left the other parent's eyes at that moment. My mom would always end with, "Have fun!" When she left, and honestly, I'm more surprised that she actually meant that.

It should go without saying that I wasn't allowed in pools at other friends' houses. I was relegated to hanging out with the parents on the side as I watched all my friends having the time of their young lives.

I ended up changing to a new school for seventh grade. For those who never switched middle schools, it can be a daunting situation for a time in a person's life full of insecurity and anxiety. That being said, I had a plan. I went into seventh grade with the goal of not letting anyone know I had epilepsy. I knew no one from the school and saw it as a perfect chance to start over and be normal. And honestly, it worked. No one knew who I really was, and I was ok with it. I made a ton of friends and was fairly popular, or at least popular enough to get invited to a pool party.

Of course, it had to be a pool party. It's not like I had any choice of going; it's middle school. I had to make a plan to limit the embarrassment. I strategically went home that night and began to plant my seeds of deception. I told my mother it was a board game party (I'm still to sure how I got that one past her). I packed a backpack with an empty board game box with a swimsuit and small towel inside instead and left for the party with my mom. Luckily for me, she let me go to the door by myself. Mission accomplished.

Once inside, I got changed and went to the pool. This was finally the moment I had been dreaming of since 5th grade, being able to jump in a pool during a pool party. Being able to be normal. All of my friends were in the pool having the time of their young lives… well except for one. Sahil, a kid I'd talked with during homeroom, was sitting on the side with a parent in full clothes. I asked one of the kids why he was sitting on the side. They responded by saying, "Oh, he has seizures. His mom doesn't let him swim."

Then I jumped in the deep end, and no, I don't mean the pool. I went over and sat with Sahil, and it was better than any cannonball ever could have been. That was the first real conversation I had with the person who would become my best friend.

After I met Sahil, I wasn't afraid of being the seizure kid since I was just a seizure kid. After I met Sahil, I didn't feel alone anymore. I guess pool parties didn't end up being all that bad for me.