You share
games and toys with your friends.
You share snacks and pizza with your
friends. You may even share rides to
school or to team practices with
your friends. But should you share
information about your bleeding
disorder?
As you
become good friends with another boy
or girl, you may decide you want to
tell your new friend about your
bleeding disorder. It’s your
decision who you tell and how much
you want to talk about. Here are
some tips on what you can say.
Just the Facts
You know
more about your bleeding disorder
than your friends ever will. Don’t
feel like you have to tell them
everything. You don’t need to
explain how often you infuse or how
many trips to the hospital you’ve
had. You and your friends may talk
about these things later. In the
beginning, you can keep it simple.
Ask Others for Advice
If you
want to tell your friends but are
nervous about what to say, talk to
your parents, your teacher or the
staff at your hemophilia
treatment center. Ask your
brothers or sisters—or your friends
and the older kids at your bleeding
disorders camp this summer—when they
told their friends about their
bleeding disorder and how they did
it.
Here are
some examples of things to say to
your friend:
“I
have hemophilia, which
just means my blood doesn’t act
like your blood. When I cut
myself or fall down, it takes me
longer to stop bleeding so I
have to take special medicine.
And sometimes I get nosebleeds,
too.”
“You
know when kids have diabetes and
they sometimes have to get
shots? Well, it’s like that. My
blood needs special medicine to
help stop the bleeding.”
“It’s
not contagious, which means you
can’t catch it from me.”
Remember,
everyone has something they have to
deal with. Some kids have food
allergies. Some kids need glasses.
Some kids have bleeding disorders.
Telling your friend is your choice.
You may even find that your friend
has something to share with you,
too.
Learn More
Your
friends can read “How to Deal
with Hemophilia” at
kidshealth.org.
The material provided in Headline
News is for your general information
only. GLHF does not give medical
advice or engage in the practice of
medicine. GLHF under no
circumstances recommends particular
treatment for specific individuals,
and in all cases recommends that you
consult your physician or treatment
center before pursuing any course of
treatment.
