How I am Going through College with Chronic Pain
If you are not lucky enough to have parents that can support you as you go through college, it is a lot harder. I won't tell you it is easy because it is NOT.
It is going to be the toughest but most rewarding hurdle you will have to endure until you set off on your career path. That will be your next hurdle but one step at a time! I am still experimenting with this but so far I have been getting tremendous results, but it takes a lot of sacrifices and will power.
The things I read online about others suffering from chronic pain and going to school while working jobs, juggling doctor appointments etc. The respect I have for these people are enormous, I am one of the weak ones that can't do all those, and the people with KIDS that have to go through all that and take care of their children alone, they are the true gods in this world.
I am lucky enough to have parents that will support me while I go to college, and it already is hard so I can't imagine how others are going through this, I hope I will be in a position to help others in the future.
Some things that helped me while going through college was getting lots of rest, and letting everyone understand that while attending school, I may be more fatigued and tired then usual and I will probably not want to go hang out or do anything besides homework, and sleep. Like most people with chronic pain, going out is more of a job then fun for me. I go out to please other people, its a weird bug that I have but once I realized the things I needed to focus on to live a happier life was to let go of the things that caused me stress and embrace the things that made me happy.
Steps in no particular order:
1. Priority one is all your school work, home work everything related to getting your college assignments done.
**Besides your kids and Job.
JOB:
If you have a job that isn't understanding to your college schedule than that should motivate you even more to succeed in your field and become someone better than you are now, which I hope will result in a happier you.
KIDS:
If you have kids, I would speak with the professor to let them know when or if you need extension on your assignments so that you aren't so stressed and rushed on doing your work, which could result in your grades.
What you can do:
Most colleges and schools have a disability resource center or something sounding familiar ask the faculty members at the office. The worst thing you can do is go to school as if everything is normal and your teachers have no knowledge about your chronic pain, they will automatically assume you are a slacker, if you turn in your work late, or answers wrong but you knew the answers you just rushed your homework. Depending on the teachers many will try to work with you but if they hate you then I can't help you there, maybe give them compliments everyday and their attitude about you may change =).
2. If you are asked to go hang out, it is ok to say no and stay home to rest if that is what makes you feel comfortable and stress free, especially if you have not finish all your assignments do not go out, spend that time to get caught up with all your readings and assignments. People with chronic pain are at the disadvantage of having a excess amount of energy to do multiple things in a day.
3. Sleep a ton when you can, if you can. Sleep multiple times a day if possible. When ever you wake up, do your assignments or readings for class.
4. Try to complete all your assignments ahead of time if possible, procrastinating with chronic pain is the death of our academic grades. You will have some days where you won't want to do anything, and by completing all your work ahead of time you won't stress it when you need that one day off to just lay in bed.
5. Its ok if you don't have friends, or lose friends in the process of succeeding in school, trust me you will make more and if you don't, I heard Artificial Intelligence is making huge strides =). If you can get a dog great, my dog has been a great source of emotional support. Friends are overrated and not to sound like an isolated person that hates humans, but the friends that stay with you are the ones that will understand what you are going through and that you can't go out all the time even if you wanted to, due to it not being an enjoyable fun experience but a job that I don't want to go to. The ones that get angry or don't understand that school and your own health comes before anything else won't be good friends in the future as these types are usually only using you.
