<p>So, I have had a ton of medical problems over the last several years. I though they would have been controlled by now, but instead they have become more and more of a struggle to cope with. To give you an idea of how severe some of my medical issues have been, I had to take all of 2007-2009 off school to have 3 surgeries and several other medical procedures performed. I've been back in school now consistently for 1-1/2 years, but my grades are suffering due to everything (my GPA went from 3.7 down to 3.2 and I'm pre-med). The biggest problems are palpitations with tachycardia and fatigue along with hypoglycemia (I'm not diabetic, but my blood sugar drops low all the time)... I'm finding I fall asleep studying, but that never used to be a problem. Anyway, not to turn this into a sob story, I'm curious how others with chronic medical conditions have coped with college demands. How have you learned to balance everything, including the constant exhaustion? Any suggestions you might have would be extremely helpful at this point. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Have you tried checking your diet? Sometimes a food that may not agree with you can make things worse.</p>
<p>Also, i know for low blood sugar its a good idea to have a snack on hand (like stashed away in a backpack) if you start to feel unwell.</p>
<p>Make sure you get enough sleep every night, try to stay on a schedule. Stress management is also very important</p>
<p>Can you get any accommodations from your school due to your conditions to maybe take some of the stress off.</p>
<p>Same is the case with me…I also suffer from low bp nd sugar level…I am so depressed ;(. Medicine is so tough please give me suggestions and help me out how to manage my social and university life I can’t manage my routine everything is so tough ;(</p>
<p>My heart goes out to you. My youngest sister suffers from Crohn’s disease. And I had a medical condition myself that got especially bad last semester. Is there anyway you can talk to the student office of disabilities (disabled resources center?). I know my sister was able to come up with a plan, a 504 plan, that states that she is required to have specific accommodations and that her teachers must work with her. She is a senior in high school so we have been working with her to figure out how this all changes in college. From what I know, 504 plans are covered by law in high school, but in college, you have to seek the accommodations yourself. By going to the disabilities office, you can figure out what paperwork you need to have done and request specific accommodations (like if taking a test is exhausting for you, then maybe they can allow you to take it online from a testing center). I went to the office last semester and with the documentation of my doctor I was able to overcome a few problems I ran into because I missed several exams in one class. Ultimately I ended up withdrawing from 2 of my classes and dropped to part time. I waited until halfway through the semester before I realized I couldn’t handle the work and I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long because I probably could have avoided withdraw. </p>
<p>I think the most important thing to realize is that you can do only what you can do. Stressing yourself out trying to get things done will only make things worse. It may help to visit your professors during office hours and let them know what is going on. Most of the time they are willing to help you or work with you. Last semester was horrific for me and with the help of a kind professor I was able to work things out. </p>
<p>Also, is there anyway you can take some of your classes online? or maybe just try taking classes part time? I know that’s not probably what you want to do, but 4 pre med classes at once is difficult for anyone and can really take a toll. It might help having one or two classes online so that you can work at your own pace and take time out if you need to.</p>
<p>I know this sounds silly and counterintuitive (it won’t work on days when you are super tired or feel really sick) but going for a brisk walk or light exercise helped me. The little bit of fresh air and exercise on days when I was feeling ok helped me out. I also would do things in “bursts.” Like if I had an assignment due in 3 days I broke it up into several little parts and worked on a part. If I wasn’t feeling well, then I gave myself enough time to try to get it done. It didn’t always work but it helped. Sometimes I was in so much pain I couldn’t, so I would just take a day off. I think the killer thing for me was my exams. I was just so exhausted studying and then taking them that I never really figured out a way to conquer them. </p>
<p>My sister does the time chunking with her social life. She hangs out with a friend for a few hours. Then she comes home, tries to rest for a little bit, then start a small chunk of studying.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine what you’re going through, just know that you have people who support you. Don’t ever give up.</p>
<p>I really appreciate all the feedback here! </p>
<p>Icedragon, I do carry a snack with me at all times, which helps some. I have altered my diet over the last 6ish months to see if it helps, and there have been pros and cons to it. I gave up coffee (for example), which made my stomach feel better, but I am way more tired than I used to be. </p>
<p>Danlo87, I try to sleep as much as I can… I have a rotating schedule for my job, and I am unfortunately not really in a position to leave it for the sake of having a set schedule. I’m going to try to just have afternoon classes next semester to see if that helps, since mornings are the hardest time for me.</p>
<p>Kcdunlap & biologynerd, I will check into getting accommodations at school. That never crossed my mind for some reason- I guess I just assumed it was all for learning and physical disabilities rather than other medical issues. It may end up being my saving grace for the semester though. And I’ll try going for walks and everything you suggested. I really appreciate it!!</p>
<p>I’ve had diabetes for about three years and I went to community college pretty much that whole time. For one thing, I ALWAYS have sugar tablets in my pockets and do what I have to do for my disease - I check blood sugar when I have to, inject every time I eat, etc.</p>
<p>Since studying requires you to sit still basically, I took frequent breaks and did jumping jacks and stuff like that. I would also go on a lot of walks, which I still do. It’s really just juggling activities - when am I going to study vs. when am I going to do what I need to do for the disease?</p>
<p>In my opinion, health comes first. You can’t kill yourself over grades. It’s just a matter of finding that proper balance. Maybe you can’t put in as much time into schoolwork as you’d like to… but you’ve just got to do your best. And if it’s really so much of an issue that it’s severely affecting your grades, talk to your professors about it.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you!</p>