I was diagnosed with chronic migraines at the age of 15. It affected my work in high school, but learning to manage it was a relief when I was about to leave for college. I was later diagnosed with low blood pressure and am in the process of being diagnosed with fibromyalgia (yay!). As it turns out, learning to manage it in college is different than high school. Here are 10 things I learned my freshman year of college dealing with chronic illness.
1. It might be a good idea to talk to your professors about it
If you think that this could be affecting class time or exam time, shoot your professors an email. Talking to them about it beforehand might land you on their good side when it comes to working around your schedule, if absolutely necessary.
2. Always carry an emergency kit with everything you might need
I carry around my emergency kit that has every type of pain medicine that has ever helped me, as well as herbal oil that calms my nausea and prescription medicine to deal with nausea and vomiting. I also carry around a salt shaker, granola bar and water bottle for my low blood pressure. Observe what you use when you have an attack and carry it around.
3. You can't pretend it doesn't affect your life
Chronic illness is something for which you've made sacrifices since your diagnosis. You might still have to make other sacrifices, but when you start using other excuses, you let the illness win. Be strong and try to overpower it as much as you can.
4. Explain it to your roommate/friends/etc.
Sometimes you might stay in bed for hours with the lights off, sometimes you might wake up in the middle of the night and run to the bathroom, and sometimes you might need someone to open a bottle of pain medicine because you can't. Having a friend or a roommate understand your needs will make living without your family easier.
5. Knowing your limits helps manage a lot
If you know that the extra cup of coffee will set off an attack, don't do it. If you know that staying up past 3 a.m. will hurt you, know that it's not worth it. Pushing it, even for grades, will make you pay in the long term.
6. Don't put things off
If you're having a good day today, don't push that paper off until you might not be able to write it. Netflix or hanging with friends can be important, but if you do at least a little work now, you'll thank yourself if you have a bad day tomorrow.
7. Allow yourself breaks
Though grades are important, pushing yourself emotionally and physically isn't worth it. You are extremely susceptible to stress affecting your body physically, so take time to relax yourself. Do some yoga or stretch your legs.
8. Have a support system in place
Knowing that there is someone standing behind you cheering you on can be extremely emotionally helpful. When you have someone to lean on, the stress can dissipate and the likelihood of an attack goes down.
9. Try your best to plan but don't expect that to fix everything
Being organized is important, but your illness isn't going to read your planner. It is important to plan ahead and schedule times to relax when possible.
10. Learn your diet
No matter what the illness, your diet can affect it. Too much fat can set my migraines off and too little salt makes my blood sugar drop. I try to plan my meals and eat light when possible.
The most important thing is to be happy and not worry about the next attack. Live your life as well as you can. Good thoughts and daily relaxation can be the key to helping manage day to day life.
