I’m really frustrated right now. I suffer from migraines and have a medication that stops them, but it has to be taken right away. When I first got this medication, I spoke with my school about carrying it with me since it needs to be taken immediately. Normally, medications are kept securely in the office, but I requested an exception. They said no, citing safeguarding issues, but assured me that if I had a migraine, I could call for an emergency office response. They promised to make it a priority to bring my medication and a glass of water.
For a while, this system worked well. When I raised my hand to ask for my medication, someone would arrive within three minutes. But today was a whole different story. At the beginning of the year, the office staff had emailed all my teachers, instructing them to call for emergency help as soon as I mentioned having a migraine. This information was also in my medical file, but today’s substitute teacher apparently didn’t read it or overlooked key parts.
When I told him I had a migraine and needed my medication, he dismissed me, saying I was probably just imagining it and to wait 10-15 minutes. I remained calm and explained that I needed my medicine immediately for it to work. My boyfriend supported my request, but the teacher insisted that the medication would work whenever I took it and accused me of trying to disrupt the lesson. I begged him to check my medical file, but he claimed he had already looked and found no mention of migraines or medication.
He then turned his back on me and ignored my raised hand for nearly five minutes. Frustrated and desperate, I got up and walked to the office myself. By that point, I had been experiencing a migraine for at least 20 minutes, and it was too late for my medication to be effective. Now I’m in bed, close to tears, knowing I’ll face two days of pain that could have been avoided if the substitute teacher had just called for help when I asked.
To make matters worse, I just received a message saying I have an internal exclusion—basically, I have to sit in a room alone in silence with no breaks—and an after-school detention for leaving the lesson without permission. I reached out to the person responsible for issuing punishments at my school, thinking there must have been a mistake. They responded that regardless of the reason, leaving the class without permission is unacceptable.
I apologize for the length of this post, but I’m feeling overwhelmed and don’t know what to do if this happens again. Also, I apologize for any typos or grammar mistakes in my message.
I’m really sorry to hear about what you’ve been through. It sounds incredibly frustrating and painful, especially having to deal with a migraine while also navigating misunderstandings with school staff. Your health and well-being should always come first, and it seems like you did everything you could to communicate your needs.
It might be helpful to reach out to someone in a higher position at your school, like a school counselor or the head of your year, to explain what happened. Make sure they understand the urgency of your situation and the importance of having your medication accessible. If possible, speaking with your doctor for support could also strengthen your case, as they could provide a note or clarification about your medication needs.
If you haven’t already, consider asking for a meeting with your parents or guardians and school staff to create a clear plan for what to do in case of a migraine in the future. It’s important that everyone understands how serious this is and that you have a reliable way to get your medications when you need them.
In the meantime, take care of yourself during this time. Allow yourself to rest and recover, and don’t hesitate to lean on your friends and family for support. You deserve to have your health prioritized, and it’s important to advocate for yourself. Hang in there!