When you google “health scares” plus “college” you may get a barrage of information on mental health studies, spotting the signs of depression and stress-reducing tips. But what about physical health scares? During my first year living away from my home, I have had quite a few of them. From allergic reactions to ER visits, from eye infections to the common cold, I have been through it all in one year. Two quarters in and the question remains: how should I be dealing with these issues every time they come up? Sure, I live around here. My parents are more than willing to make the drive to UCLA if I need them to. But isn’t the point of living in the dorms to establish my sense of independence? Most of us want to believe that we can take care of ourselves (at least partially). Last quarter, going home for the weekend meant trying not to cough in front of my parents, and talking less to hide my hoarseness. This quarter, having allergic reactions to foods I didn’t even know I was allergic to and making unexpected ER visits meant having to call my parents to tell them about my latest catastrophe. And no Mom and Dad, I am most certainly not trying to give you a heart attack.
When you first move off to college, you have to deal with mental health screenings and making sure you’re adjusting well. Well, I also never really dealt with any serious health problems on my own. Beyond over-the-counter meds and listing my symptoms out, I’m not exactly experienced with talking about insurance plans and taking midnight endeavors to Ronald Reagan Medical Center. When you’re just feeling under the weather with the common cold, it’s fairly easy to take care of yourself. DayQuil, NyQuil and lots of water will get you back onto your feet within a few days. When you catch the flu, it reminds you of the free flu shots in front of the Bruin Bear that you passed by everyday, but didn’t wait in line for. In the last month alone, I have had an allergic reaction, an eye infection that resulted in seeing three different doctors and filling my first prescription in Westwood and a late-night trip to the ER that made my mom ask if I went out to celebrate after my midterm since my wallet was $200 lighter.
Depending on the severity of my health crisis each week, I have chosen a sort of cowardly way out as I usually only tell my parents when the moment has passed, in an effort to reduce the worrying. Moving out of the house meant moving out of most of my habitual routines too. I have tried to be adventurous, going to different places to eat in Los Angeles. A vegan restaurant for a friend’s birthday left me with a swollen face and nauseous in the bathroom. This probably sounds weird, but I guess it took me 19 years to realize I was allergic to cashews. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the only health scare of the last month for me. A week later, I found myself with a last minute appointment at the Ashe center for an eye infection. The first of three doctors whose opinions I’d get for this. The allergic reaction swelling may have gone down, but the eye swelling was just beginning.
And, yet again, that wasn’t the end of it. As my eye mended itself, another health issue emerged. I had three midterms during week 8, and to top it off, a trip to the ER. That Tuesday, right after I had finished one midterm and attended a review session for my second one, I returned to my dorm room only to discover that I may or may not have remembered putting in a tampon a few hours ago. An emergency trip to the ER with my roommate in tow unfortunately left us circling the building as we searched for the entrance. Three hours later, as my roommate completed her enrollment pass on her phone in the waiting room, I walked out $200 lighter with a failed search and a recommendation for a follow-up the next week.
Not even two quarters into college, I have had several unfortunate health scares under my belt. It’s been a long few months, but I made it out alive. Through all of my unfortunate incidents, I would recommend not necessarily doing what I have done in each situation. With late night ER visits and possible eye infections, I waited longer than I should have to tell my parents. I have discovered that moving away doesn’t mean suddenly being able to handle every crisis on my own. Smaller health scares are fairly easy, a trip to Ashe Center for my eye and then the walk to CVS for the prescription. Some are much harder though, such as trip to the emergency room trip in the middle of the night before my midterm. I haven’t dealt with all my health scares as best as I could have, but dealing with things on your own in college is about trial and error. It’s about finding the best ways to remain calm and fall back on your instincts. Our parents taught us how to care for ourselves. All we have left to do now is listen.