One of the common situations that students run into while they’re at school and generally far away from home is getting sick. Most of the time they can get over a case of the flu with the help of medicine. Some students, though, may not have access to a doctor or try to brush off something as the common cold or just feeling a little under the weather.
I can attest to how dangerous this mentality can be. More than a year ago I became sick and thought it was just the routine flu. I fell asleep one night thinking I’d feel better in the morning. I woke up more than a week later in the hospital.
When I asked what I might have done to avoid ending up in the hospital one of the doctors commented to me, “You acted how anyone would have in your situation. There’s really nothing you could have done.”
If there’s nothing you can do about a situation you might as well be prepared for the eventuality. Students should have a plan in place for emergencies like this. I was lucky enough to have friends who knew to contact my mother and immediate family when I became seriously ill. If students opt not to go to an urgent care center or the on-campus Student Health Clinic they should reach out to immediate family and let them know what is going on.
In cases like mine you might find yourself unable to make decisions. And it’s not that I don’t trust doctors, but there’s a lot of reasons why they call it “practicing” medicine. Trusting doctors to make those decisions might not always be the right call.
While I was hospitalized a doctor tried to prescribe some medicine that a close family friend had taken during their chemotherapy. I was barely conscious and would have taken whatever pills they gave me. Luckily I had my mom was there to ask for more treatment options.
A health emergency like mine also causes problems for school. Doctors recommended that I completely withdraw for the semester to recover, treating my illness similarly to the most severe form of a traumatic brain injury.
I missed nearly two weeks of school after finally being released from the hospital, and opted to withdraw from a course and continue on as a full time student. I met with all my professors who were willing to work with me to help me catch up on the work I had missed.
Take your illnesses seriously. Don’t tell a friend to tough it out if they truly aren’t feeling good and don’t just have a mild case of “don’t want to go to class today.” Have a plan in place just in case things go sideways with your health.
Every student’s experience with serious illness is different. For some taking a few months off of school is the path to take. For others, getting back into routine and normalcy is what helps their recovery.
(SUBHEAD 2) Chronic conditions present unique challenges
Elizabeth Chambers
While teachers may be sympathetic about a serious and short-term illness or injury, like breaking a leg or being hospitalized unexpectedly, they may be less understanding about a chronic illness. This is often true of people in general — we expect that people get sick, go to the doctor and get better, not that they get sick and stay sick.
Between 10 and 20 percent of adolescents have a chronic condition, such as diabetes, learning disorders, autoimmune disease or mental illness, according to the National Institutes of Health. With a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease, I have been part of that statistic since I was 15 years old.
Despite being relatively common, a lot of institutions don’t offer specific support for students with chronic conditions. The closest thing is disability support services, which some conditions may fall under if they affect a major life activity like walking, sleeping or concentrating.
Be proactive about registering with this office if you qualify, which at UW is Disability Support Services in Knight Hall. DSS cannot offer retroactive accommodations, so it’s important to get a plan in place at the start of the semester. This could be test-taking accommodations, note taking assistance, deadline extensions, flexible attendance or other accommodations based on your needs.
For students with chronic fatigue or illnesses that flare up unpredictably, attendance accommodations can be a hugely important way to maintain your grades and still take care of yourself. For example, a student might be able to email DSS they will be unable to attend class that day because of their condition. DSS will then inform the professor, which saves the student from getting a doctor’s note every time they are unable to make it to class and allows the professor to work with the student on making up assignments.
Regardless of whether DSS is in communication with your professors, be proactive to communicate with them about your needs. Visit office hours at the beginning of the semester to inform them you may be unable to attend class at times and may require deadline extensions if you do miss class. You don’t have to disclose what your condition is, but informing professors you have one will make them more understanding to your situation and less likely to wonder if you’re just skipping out on class and wanting more time for assignments.
Communicate about absences and assignments too. Even when excused, you are still responsible for your learning and your assignments, in time. No one will blame you for not doing schoolwork while seriously ill, but if you want to pass your classes and eventually earn a degree, learn how to catch up or get ahead on work when you feel well so you don’t fall too behind when you don’t.
Another way to set yourself up for academic success is in your choice of courses. Take the minimum number you are capable of handling (12 credits is still full time), and plan your degree path and other requirements in advance to balance the number of difficult and easy courses you need to take.
Online courses can also be a life-saver. These allow you to work from home, and many allow you to work at your own pace. Do you research and ask your adviser what requirements you may be able to complete online.
By being proactive about your course load, assignments and absences, it’s possible to balance chronic conditions with college.
