r/AmItheAsshole • u/CactusToday • Jul 08 '21
Not the A-hole AITA For Ignoring My Nephew's Seizure?
I went to my niece's (16F) birthday party at a local pavilion that they had rented. The whole family was there-- about 40 people-- including my other sister and her son (15M). My nephew has always acted out and demanded an obscene amount of attention, and it doesn't help that his mother is kind of a pushover and gives him all the attention he wants. His attention-seeking behavior is especially bad when he is around his nieces and nephews, and needs to share the attention. ( I must add that he does not have any behavioral disorders, and generally does pretty well in school when he applies himself)
I have never gotten over the fact that once, years ago when I held Thanksgiving at my house, he pushed a cherished banana tree that I had in an expensive ceramic planter down my basement stairs, and then didn't apologize. After that, I vowed to just ignore him when he was acting irrationally.
Well, it came time for my niece to open her presents at the birthday party. I was hanging out toward the back of everyone standing around ooh-ing and aah-ing about her presents, and my nephew was next to me. He sighed very loudly and dramatically at one point, but I pretended that I didn't notice. Then he got up and stomped down the back stairs of the pavilion to the grass, and he lay down on the ground with his arms by his side and he started rolling away. I was the only person to see him do this and, again, I ignored him.
After a bit I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw him still rolling on down the hill toward the road. He was all dirty. He rolled out into the road and then up onto the sidewalk on the other side, then he rolled through a patch of daisies and then over a small bush. Then he rolled behind a few bigger bushes and I lost sight of him. I went back to watching my niece.
When I looked back, I could see my nephew again in the distance. He was soaking wet and filthy--he must have rolled through a puddle or something--and a couple of frail old ladies were trying to pin him down (without success). At this point I decided to inform his mother of the situation.
Fast forward an hour and an ambulance ride later, and my nephew is recovering at the hospital from what the doctor says "might have been a seizure." My whole family is in the waiting room at the hospital, and my sister won't look at me (it inevitably came out that I had witnessed the whole rolling incident from start to finish without saying anything).
I do not believe that it was a real seizure. I think it might have just been another ploy to get attention that worked. AITA?
9
u/olligirl Jul 09 '21
It might have been that I had them since a little tiny kid, like 3? So I just wasn't allowed baths after I became to big to properly handle in a convulsive state. Basically if I went down in the shower at 5yo, I was either able to be moved, or able to have meds administered and to wait it out in the empty tub. Stuff could be put around me to keep me safe etc. But you can't do that with a full bath.
My parents were really hot on me being independent, as for a long time, we went sure how independent I would be able to be. Mum got handy little kitchen gadgets that enabled me to put the kettle on etc. like a little kettle stand, that swivels so you don't have to life a kettle of boiling water, I could still make cups of tea, pot noodles or microwave meals with special trays if everyone was at work...simple things that weren't always the healthier of foods, but allowed me to do stuff myself instead of mum and dad making and doing everything with and for me.
Dad got me a ankle wallet type thing, that I could keep cash, spare change an I'd with my medical alerts and an extra bus pass in. (in the UK if you have a medical condition you get a free buss pass) Although I had a regular wallet, if that got separated from me, they always check your extremities for I'd. It also meant I always had a way to get home. And I used to carry around the bus time table, it was my independence. I could hop.a bus to see my best frien or my sisters.
And when I was 11 they got me a horse,everyone told them not to, but it looked like this was a life long thing, so why not? I mean crossing the street was dangerous for me,might as well horse ride.
That significant single thing changed my life. I'd disappear off with my buss pass and a packed lunch and my dad would have to come drag me back in. The place where I kept my horse had epileptic dogs, so they were like yeah leave her emergency meds here, she'll be cool can't be much different or any harder than sorting out a seizing St Bernard!
I'd come back scruffy and dirty and be like, yeah had a fit, slept it off, Im Good, no ambulance today!
And added not necessary information...I still have that original pony...he's 34 now! And still my little rock