Kind of surprised...

[Berkshire Road]

So, in my daughter's seventh grade, they have a project that is graded for both Computer Science and Life Science. The students each have to pick a disease and research it (partly online, partly not), then they write a paper for Life Science. Then they use a program with decision-making points, and they lead a (pretend) person possibly suffering from this disease through the process of diagnosis and treatment. I didn't even know about this project until the teachers talked about it at Back to School Night.

A day or two ago I asked my daughter if she had picked her disease. And she said, "Yeah. Yours." Wow. I had no idea. I said, "Do you even know the name of it?" I mean I know she knows IC -- but she said, "Uh huh, it's interstitial cystitis, what do I look, stupid or something?" OK.

I'm just surprised. And, I don't know, a little bit uncomfortable. She asked me to give her pointers to some websites because WebMD was not much help. Well, I'm not pointing her to this site! It's not like it would be hard for her to figure out which posts are mine, even if I took down the pictures. I just, I don't know, I feel like it's a little weird for her to do all this research on IC and then, on the computer model, walk through the life of someone with IC. Will it bring her to a better understanding of my situation, or will it just upset her? I worry sometimes about whether she'll get IC. If she reads that one theory involves genetics, will she start worrying about that, too?

I don't think anyone can answer these questions but I just thought I'd put it out there, and see what the rest of you think.

[tigger_gal]

wow, not only will she learn more about IC, she will teach her teacher about it. word of mouth is the best. I don't think I would want my kids reading my posts either. kudo's for you daughter.

[GriffsMommy]

Carolyn,
I would say it's a great thing that she wants to learn more about your health problems. It shows how much she cares about your health. I don't think I would want her reading the posts either. Do you have more than one computer in the house. You could tell her about the IC network and show ther the patient handbook but tell her you didn't want her reading the message boards because they are more adult topics that you don't feel she should be reading. That would give her the great info from the patient handbook without her seeing any posts at all. Just a thought. Your daughter sounds wonderful and I agree with Cindy, it's always great to get the word out about IC since most people that don't know someone who has it have never heard of it.

[dancemomof2]

That's great! Sounds like a super duper kid.

[Berkshire Road]

We have five or six computers, but... it's not that I don't trust her... hmm, maybe it is that. I could print out the Patient Handbook though, Christine, that's a good idea. And I did give her the ICA website, and the French Interstitial Cystitis Association website (although I strongly doubt that her command of French will be up to that).

Wow, Cindy, I didn't even think of it in those terms, but you are absolutely right. She will teach two teachers about it, plus twenty other kids. So it is good outreach. It's actually more than I've done recently... of course, she will have to stand up in front of a room full of seventh graders and repeatedly say the word, "bladder," LOL. She told me she had thought about that already and that it was worth it.

She is a good kid, we think we'll keep her. :)

[Briza]

Hi
Don't want to make you worry about this more than you already are, but will she be doing any internet research on the school's computers? She might run across the message board that way.

Generally schools require parental permission for internet access, and the teacher/librarian, computer lab monitor is the one who is responsible to make sure that those students who do not have permission do not access the internet for any reason. Assuming your daugther has access at school, you could tell her teacher that she is

1) not allowed to access this message board (though that might clue the teacher or whoever is monitoring, and your daugther, that you don't want your posts read, and if this person were interested or just plain nosey, they might look up your posts, and I don't know if you would want that, I know I wouldn't). I would do this in writing and deliver in person.

2)temporarily revoke her internet priviliges at school and say that all internet research will be done at home. You don't have to give a reason, but if you feel you have to give one, you could say that you don't want her accessing information that could be incorrect or misleading, especially since you have this condition and wouldn't want her to misrepresent it...we all know how much trash there is on cures and such for IC on the internet. This could be done til the project is finished and generally 7th graders forget about things once the project is done...they've got so many other things to distract them...other projects, just school in general, extracurricular activities, boys, friends, dances, etc. The school should have a special form for allowing or disallowing student access to the internet...signed and filled out by the parent and student and on file with the teacher or whoever esle monitors the students' computer use. If there isn't one, then you could type one up or I could FAX you a copy of what my district has, and it is very detailed. It doesn't seem to be a form specific to my district. Then, after all is said and done, you can go the school and change the form to allow internet access.

Having been a 6th and 7th grade teacher for 8 years and overseeing over a thousand science fair projects, I, personally, would be more comfortable with the second suggestion.

Other than that, I'm very proud of your daughter to take such an interest in your condition and spreading the word! And she actually knows what IC stands for and can pronounce it...she should get a big hug for that! :kiss:

[Berkshire Road]

Thanks for the safety tips, Bri. Jack and I are both computer scientists so we are pretty aware of those issues. Anyway, she's done with her research. She had to have two "non-internet" sources, and we only had one useful book in the house, so she decided to interview me for one source. And the funny thing was, she pretty much knew the answers to all her questions before she asked. I guess she's been paying more attention than we thought, or her online research was very thorough.

I just have to share what the little genius did today: She was in Spanish class and they had about five minutes left at the end of class, so the teacher said, "Everyone write down the days of the week in Spanish (no checking in the book); if you get them all right you'll get extra credit. So Susannah grabbed her pen and paper and quickly wrote down the days of the week -- in French. :lmao: It was a major "duh" moment, but the teacher was kind and gave her the extra points anyway... :rolleyes: