Let me preface this by saying a few hopefully obvious, but still very important, things. First of all, I am NOT perfect (or anywhere close) when it comes to doing any of these things– chronic illness is hard, complicated, and certainly throws you for all kinds of loops. Second of all, chronic illness is not “one size fits all.” My conditions, and my experiences with said conditions, are not going to be the same as anyone else’s, so these tips should not be treated as universal. None of them are specific to anything I have, nor are they in any way intended to be or serve as medical advice (I am a humanities double major– no one should be taking medical advice from me) but if they do not apply to you, do not use them. Having developed several chronic conditions in college, and having some worsen significantly, I have experienced somewhat of a trial by fire situation in learning how to manage college life when your body is throwing curveballs at you left and right, though. Without further ado, here are some of my tips for managing college with chronic illness!
- Have pain management tools, as much as possible, on you as often as you can. This may seem obvious, but honestly, to me, it was not. Maybe it is the way I tend to organize my things and the “push through” mentality I have only recently started to break down, but I never used to carry pain management tools on me– tending instead to just think that I could deal with them in the morning and at night. Not only did this become physically impossible as my illnesses worsened, but there is just no point to that! There is no prize for pushing through pain for no reason. No one will come hand you a gold medal for it. If you have medications, supports, products, or anything else that helps you manage your pain, bring it with you! Obviously, this does not apply to every pain management tool, but if it is something you can bring along with you on your way to classes, events, or anything else you may be doing, bring it. I have a zipper pouch on my keychain where I keep a dose or two of all of my as-needed medications, and it has saved me so many times where I otherwise would have had a debilitating flare-up. This is also not to say you should avoid resting and listening to your body appropriately if it is telling you to rest– please do so if you can– but I know as well as anyone that we can’t always do that.Â
- Set alarms, reminders, whatever you need to remember to take breaks and manage your illnesses. This can be as simple as an alert to remind you when it’s time to take medications, or as complicated as a detailed symptom log– whatever your needs may be! I know there are tools and technology that can help with pacing for certain conditions, but I also know they are not always affordable or accessible, so even if it is as simple as a phone reminder or a sticky note on something you know you’ll look at, something is better than nothing. Naturally, everyone’s illness is different (even two people with the same conditions can often be impacted in drastically different ways), so there is no universal approach to managing your illness or symptoms, but I find just reminding yourself to do the basic things you need to do can make a huge difference!
- Draft emails and prepare yourself for flare-ups. Several of my chronic illnesses cause activity-limiting flare-ups, and one small thing I have found that has been hugely helpful is preparing for the worst, rather than best, case scenario. I know that sounds pessimistic, and maybe it is– but accepting that every day is not going to go to plan and working with it when it doesn’t, rather than planning for everything to go well and for my body to behave and then panicking when that does not happen, has made a huge difference in my stress and ability to recover from bad days. For example, after one too many embarrassingly misspelled emails to professors sent with a debilitating migraine, I decided to draft an email template I can quickly copy and paste in the event of a migraine causing me to miss or be late to class. Now, I don’t have to worry about having coherent thoughts when I am in so much pain that I am trying not to double over. Ideal? No. Something I use or intend to use often? Definitely not. But I know migraines are a fact of life for me, and they’re going to happen sometimes whether I like it or not. Better to be prepared and be able to adapt when they do!
- Be as flexible as you can! I know this is much easier said than done, especially as an avid to-do list maker and Google Calendar fiend, but please try to give yourself some grace and be open to the fact that, sometimes, you might be able to get more done than other times. I also know this is not applicable to all situations, and flexibility is sometimes impossible– but sometimes, it is necessary to set priorities and accept that you can’t do everything under the sun. I hate skimming readings, having to forgo optional club meetings or events, or prioritizing important assignments over those that may be less critical, but I have also been saved by accepting that, sometimes, that is reality. Fun? No. Sometimes needed? Yes.Â
- Let your friends know how to help you (if you are comfortable doing so). I will not pretend I’m a pro at this. I am, and always have been, very stubborn about asking for and accepting help from anyone. Sometimes, though, community is key. Obviously, everyone has their own lives, and friendships are a two-way street. But if you’re down with a flare-up or need to go to CVS, and you have a friend you trust who may be willing to help, it is okay to ask, and it is equally okay to say yes if someone offers to help. I cannot tell you how many times an offer to drop off a takeout container from the dining hall or fill my water for me when my body is having an absolute temper tantrum has saved my day. Again, this is not applicable to every situation, but it can make a big difference.Â
One last note– if you qualify for and don’t already receive them, it may be a good idea to look into what your school offers for accessibility accommodations, and figure out if there is any way they can help you! There is ZERO shame in doing this– you deserve help, and you deserve to learn in ways that are accessible to you.