Affecting school grades

[ukchick]

Just wondering how many people have experienced this horrible thing affecting school grades.
My daughter came home again telling me that she was unable to complete a test due to a soaking wet paper! She is a bright girl but is so distracted also with the anxiety of people possibly noticing her hands, she's not even aware half the time of whats actually being taught.
She said that someone noticed them being wet a few days ago, she was crushed and it was another thing to add to her decreasing confidence.
I feel so sorry for her....

 

[SilentBird]

I did well at school until anxiety kicked in. Your daughter is a bright kid, give her a hug and tell her she is. It's great she has such a caring mum.

 

[Waybuloo]

Tell your daughter that when she gets out into the real world, school grades rarely matter.

When I did exams I was always wrought with anxiety, especially when I sat in those big exam halls with students all around me. I couldn't concentrate other than on my intense shaking and my self consciousness. What I did was study very hard leading up to the exam, made sure I knew my material very very well. Perhaps you could try do a mock exam with her at home, sit her down in a bland setting and sit behind her. You could time her, say 5 minutes and tell her to write a response to a short question you give that is related to her exam content.

I was bright and perceptive with an ability to focus on details. I didn't fail and did quite well in the exams. Your daughter might do very well too.

I would suggest that you get her to see a doctor or psychiatrist about the Hidrosis.

 

[ukchick]

You're right,we have a dr's appointment today as it's getting to the point where I think she needs that support for her well being.
I appreciate your idea of studying extra hard at home for exams but again, when she actually sits down to write it, the only thing on her mind is her hand sweating!
We are slowly going down the list of things to help ie. medication,lotions,wipes,roll ons etc and now just waiting for an ionophoesis appointment at the local hospital (even though I have a Hidrex machine at home that hasn't worked for her), this is for the end of May and they will be using Robinul powder in the water.
Hoping and praying that works for her......
Thanks for your suggestions

 

[Waybuloo]

My suggestions were mainly to get her desensitised with the situation and pressures of exams and not take them so seriously. But I get what you are saying that the problem of sweaty hands seem to be prevalent regardless of setting. I had an episode of having sweaty palms when I was a teenager, to the point of having dry, cracked skin. It didn't last long and I had no idea why it went away.

How long has she had this problem, and was this a result of any stressful external event happening in her life? When and where does she tend to get the sweats? These would be useful questions to ask her and the answers to which would be useful for the doctor to know.

 

[Sprawling]

I don't think it's about how bright she is, it's the anxiety from hand sweating. When my hands are under control, anxiety dissipates, otherwise it's the same as if I was young again. Some people have a great knack for not letting the sweat not bother them. For the rest of it's a constant battle that just doesn't go away no matter how much positive reinforcement we receive. It's just not the societal norm to have dripping hands in any situation. The best we can do is share this problem with our peers, then again it took me over 40 years to be comfortable telling others about my sweaty hands.

 

[Soy Sauce]

I remember the wet test papers all too well. The curling pages. I've ruined a few pages of tests or notes because they became so wet that they ripped or the ink became smudged to the point that they were illegible.

After a while, I would use my sleeve to cover my lower palm while writing or I'd have a handkerchief or paper towel or something to place under my palm so it wouldn't make contact with the paper and soak it.

Let your daughter know that there are many people with HH like hers, who've been able to find ways to keep it under control and live a normal life. Back when I was her age, I didn't even know what HH was, let alone know about things like iontophoresis, glycoppyrrolate or extra strength deodorants like driclor. I thought it was hopeless. School can be rough, even without having a condition like HH. All she can do is work on finding small ways to help her get through situations like the unfinished test situation. Glycopyrrolate, dark colored clothing that will hide sweat, keeping something in her pocket that will absorb her sweat so she can put here hands in her pocket when they become really sweaty, placing something under her hand when writing. Little tricks like these. Hopefully, iontophoresis will work for her eventually.

 

[SweatSweatGoAway]

I'm sorry for your daughter . I remember hating those scan tron tests. I had to lift my hand up so only my knuckles would touch the paper (even then, sweat would still make its way on the paper). If I were you I would bring this matter up with the teacher. From experience, I find that people are very understanding if you present the matter appropriately. Maybe tell the teacher to allow your daughter to have a towel between her hand and the paper? Sigh, memories of stressful/embarrassing hyperhidrosis times are coming to me as I write this...

I hope the iontophoresis works for your daughter. Whatever you do, don't let her get ETS at such a young age. Wait till she can make a more matured decision. I ended up getting ETS at 18, and although it definitely helped with the social aspect, I do have side effects. I should have probably made a more whole-hearted attempt at iontophoresis, but I was too fed up with everything at the time. I even had a good machine (Idromed) that my parents bought me, but after school I was so depressed that I just didn't care about anything in life. Sorry I'm going a little off topic, but GL I hope for the best.

 

[Gaucho]

hey

the last 3 years at highschool i also had really bad grades, because i never did my homework, because i was afraid they would lough. if there was a oral essay, i would not go and suspend, it was just impossible. I somehow managed to get my degree, but with really really bad grades. wile i was sitting in class i was only thinking "please don't ask me, please don't"
in some way it affects the future, because you won't be able to chose the university you may want to because of too low grades. School and learning in general isn't for me.

I wish your doughtier the best, i really hope she manages it.

 

[ukchick]

I also had ETS at 16, I agree it made things quite a lot worse for me too. Funny enough during one of our first trips to see the dermatologist it was one of the first things she offered my daughter, I was quite horrified to be honest.
The GP we saw on friday wants her in therapy as she is just so low and in pain( some of the pain is her constantly moving about in her chair to find a better position to hide other parts of her body that sweats).
We'll keep going and going, I'm determined to help her find something that helps.
Thanks everyone x