Abit of background I have cystic fibrosis and this is my second try at college. I tried in the fall but after 12 days ended up getting sick and ignoring it and ultimately got pneumonia and had to drop the semester. I have been here a month this time and everything has been going well but as will happen I got sick. That brings me to my question. about 20 minutes before I was supposed to go to class I had a 101 fever and felt dizzy so I decided to email my professor and skip class [ I even called my parents and got their opinion on what I should do before making the final decision.} She emailed back and said that in order for it to be unexcused I have to bring a doctors note Monday. I am not going to the doctor because 1.I know my body and when I need to. and 2.They will want to admit me to the hospital [over one fever its stupid] and start the whole process all over again. I’m worried about having a unexcused absence though…should I have toughed it out and went to class?
Go to your campus health center and explain that you need a note. My daughter was sick on a day she had a test and even though she ended up toughing it out, the health center offered to make arrangements for her to get her excused from the class and take her test the next day.
You can’t have it both ways. If you want the absence excused you have to jump through the required hoops. If you want to avoid medical care for your illness and not get the requested note, then you will have to take the unexcused absence.
Go to campus health. Get the note. You know your body but the note isn’t for you it’s for your professor, who doesn’t.
Then get registered with Disabilities. Your illness disables you at times and registering will allow you to access the services you’re entitled to. In addition, it means your professors will know, not the exact reason, but that you may need to miss class.
You need to go to the Health Service, and get an ADA exemption. CF is too serious and you know you will have flare ups, so you need an accommodation in place. Good luck to you!
Since this is your second try at college, it seems clear that you will need to go to the health service office and discuss a medical accommodation so you can get the support you need if you are going to get through college. I know many with chronic illnesses want to be in control of their situation and often won’t seek assistance but you have to accept that this approach did not seem to work the first time so please, please, get the support you need.
I actually hate when professors (and employers) require doctor’s notes for minor illnesses. It encourages people to go to the doctor when they really shouldn’t, which drives up costs and clogs doctors’ schedules needlessly.
I’d visit the Office of Disability Services, as has been suggested, but also - talk to your professor! Let her know that you have a serious medical condition that sometimes means you will get sick and have to miss class unexpectedly, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go to the health center (and sometimes that it is dangerous for you to do so!)
But no, I don’t think you should have toughed it out. Your health comes first. And if need be, you can get administrators involved. But the only way for people to help you is if they know that you need help and what kind of help you need - so you have to talk to your professors first.
Agree with visiting the Office of Disability Service at some point. Perhaps you can get an accommodation stating your will have to occasionally have to miss class due to a chronic medical condition so you won’t have to go through this every time it happens (which hopefully won’t be very often).