Liability Waivers

I am really tired of the fact that, due to fainting, some consider me a liability risk.  I have also been told that I am a liability by several businesses in town. Here is a brief list of places that are scared of me and have essentially told me that I am a liability:

The Gym at a local hospital. This gym was located at the hospital, was about 50 yards from the ER and one floor down from the Cardiologist office. Furthermore, my mother, who is a physician, was with me. There were also many patients, and some had two or three stents, using the gym. I made the mistake of fainting when I was signing up and the manager told us that I was too liability risk.

A local church: I was helping with their English as a Second language class. I explained the situation to the students and most of them had no problem, as I am only out for a second or two. Most of the students were Korean and all had graduate degrees. The first time one of the students saw it, she said, “Here’s my card, if you ever want to try any Chinese medicine, give me a call.” However, the volunteers did not like it. The head of the program accused me of making a scene and told us that we were no longer welcome there because the fainting caused too much commotion.

In my local grocery store, I am not allowed to walk anymore. However, the manager put this in a very good way. He said, “If you use the handicapped cart, we wouldn’t have to bring it to you if you do faint and you would be safer. If you ever need help let us know.”

This brings us to what happened last week, when I discovered that simply walking two blocks from the gym also makes me a liability risk. I was walking home from the gym last week and I fainted in front of a building owned by a local college. Some very nice maintenance men were working there at the time. They asked if I was ok and I said yes. However, I passed out again about a minute and they offered to give me a lift home in their golf cart. (My house is across the street from the college entrance. I thanked them for the ride and really didn’t think any more about it. This is the south, and I thought they were just being nice. Fifteen minutes later, the head of College security and a professor showed up at my door to make sure I was ok. I explained the situation, and happened to faint in front of them. I assured them that this was normal. 30 minutes later, I received a call from my father who informed me that the college had called about it and wanted to know if I was ok.  My father simply said, “We just got a call from the college. What happened and why are they scared?” I also figured out that they did not want to be sued.

My state is known as “tort hell,” and many people sue for anything. I would never sue anyone, because the fainting problem is not something anyone can control. After three years of fainting constantly, I am tempted to have a liability waiver drawn up saying that the fainting is normal and that I won’t sue. I would also love to put a clause in their saying, “I promise not to sue and it is ok to help me.”

I hate the fact that I constantly have to explain this to others. The whole thing is frustrating and I am really tired of it because I often have to calm people who see me faint and prevent them from going overboard. I just wish I could make them realize that I am ok. I do not want to be known as the fainting girl and am determined to do the things I need to do. I am also hoping and praying that I get matched with a service dog in the fall. I have noticed that if I have Max, my father’s dog with me and I faint, no one freaks out.

I am not a liability; I am certainly not defined by the disease. I hate that it scares others.  If waivers would help, I will print them up tomorrow.