Completing school with IBD

[Rachael4848]

Hi everyone!
I am currently a full time student at the University of Houston (go Coogs! lol) majoring in Geology. It's my third year and I've hit a few bumps in the road when it comes to having flares in the middle of a semester but have been able to pull through thus far. I am currently having a flare while on azathioprine and probably will be put on humira soon (I need to have a surgery to biopsy a lymph node first).

I have lately lost all drive to complete my education. Which I'm sad about. I've missed nearly 3 weeks of school this semester due to being sick from my flare, I had to have a colonoscopy and I was appealing my medical benefits with the Department of Defense (I am a veteran) because they are trying to take my medical benefits away. Now I'm completely overwhelmed trying to catch up causing me to feel really anxious all the time and making my symptoms even worse! Its a horrible chain reaction and this point I just don't feel its worth it!

I'm writing this post in hopes there are others out there that struggled through their education and can give me some hope that I can do it too! I think mostly I'm in a bad mind frame and need someone to bring me out of it! When I talk to my friends or parents about it all they say is "keep trucking, you can do it" but I don't think they understand sometimes I literally feel like I can't! I know you guys know the feeling so any advice, pep talk, whatever would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks! Rachael

 

[Novice]

I dont have any advice. Im in the same boat as you right now, and i get the same reactions :"you can do it, you always manage" like just because i plough on its actually that easy.

i feel ya. its so hard to keep your motivation and not just give up when it all gets overwhelming...

just wanted to let you know youre not alone.

if its an option for you, you can drop your semester, with a consideration for your sickness, they should just let you finish your classes when youre better, im not sure how it works with every university but its not the same as dropping a class/withdrawing a class where your transcript gets marked with a "w" i think this gets marked with an "i" until you complete your classes at a later date - talk to your office of disability.
i wish this were an option for me sometimes, but i am an international student, so my visa status depends on being enrolled full time - theres my motivation to keep ploughing on lol i dont want to get deported. haha. urgh.

 

[shamrock15]

My crohn's hit me hard in second year. I nearly dropped out, but a good friend of mine really helped me pull through. Talk to your department heads, see what you can arrange to make up time. You may need to put things on hold until your bowels settle down. It took me 8 months to figure out what was going on for me, and I did have profs willing to help out once I knew what the issue was. I did finish, and that was 20 years ago. I have since been back for a B.Ed and now am working as a teacher. It's not the most enjoyable way to get your university degree, but it can be done.

 

[Altair]

Hi!

I'll tell you my experience on that. I am a second year PhD student on Physics (Meteorology and Climate). Now I'm on a perianal flare for more than a year, I have a grant and it is what shamrock15 told you, talk and communicate a lot with your tutor, professors or whatever. It is not your fault so people will understand you change your rythm (and some will even adapt to it).

It also happened to me on my first year in Physics (I had surgery and I lost a semester) and in my third (surgery again and passing only three subjects in a whole year). Still, I could manage to get the degree in 5 years and a half (in Barcelona, Spain, they span 4 years). I know in the USA it is a bit more difficult because it is way more expensive, but I think that talking with the adequate people might ease the situation.

So feel calm and do not surrender, first concentrate on getting healthier and take just the subjects you feel strong enough to beat. I know it is difficult, but you will see that when you manage to do it for the first time getting to the end is just a matter of time.

 

[Amaze]

I am in the same boat. Iv lost my stride for school/college. When im in school i dont care and all i think about is crohns related issues.... sigh

 

[Ckoenig]

I'm in class right now. And here I am... I feel your pain guys. I am in my 2nd year of my graduate degree. I got dx'd in August, and this semester has been the worst of my life. I am trying not to obsess over every symptom and freak out, however mornings like this one. I have sharp chest pains, constipation, and have after 2 weeks of 6mp had flu like symptoms and migraines. Each day is a new challenge and I am trying SO hard to not get depressed and keeping up with school will keep me from being stressed which will make my disease worse. So knowing myself if I let school go or drop out I feel like that will be the end of me. I also work full time, and have 3 kids. I'm on the go all the time. Right now I am barely keeping up and I feel like **** 90 percent of the time. I am just struggling...

 

[kiny]

I missed my university for several months and wasn't allowed to graduate even though I passed the tests.

I went to an "open university" (uni you can decide when to take your exam) and I met many people there, people from all walks of life, people going back to school, people from business, people who got sick, and I realised that not passing the grade wasn't my fault, it just happened, I also realised that the stress others put on me and mostly the stress I put on myself wasn't helping, the world would keep on spinning if I had a degree or not and I would still be around if I had a degree or not.

And I got my degree, but this time I did it at my own pace, I did 2 years over something that took others 1 year, but I enjoyed those 2 years, and I did not allow stress or expectations from others get the better of me.

My point is, there is more to life than a degree, you have a very serious disease, try to take it at a pace that is comfortable to you.

 

[PsychoJane]

Oh... tricky thing. It is really hard to keep the motivation up with the struggle of the disease. I just want to let you know I know what you are going through. I also study geology (or use to). I recently changed to environmental studies (long story but lost a bit of my motivation when my joints started aching and I freaked out that exploration might have been a bit too tricky to handle in these conditions... that and, I don't know if it is the same where you are at but geologist, in general are incredibly healthy folks... It was sometime growing on me...).

Anyway, it's a "one bite at a time" process. If you can allow it, take a light schedule. I've been doing part time studies the whole time. When I'm sick, I'm glad it is that way, so I can generally finish my classes. When I'm healthy, I take that time to enjoy life as much as I can. It balances at the end. If you feel ok with it, maybe you can post-pone some classes that you are now taking for medical reason. Sometime, the stress of the disease and the stress from the classes are well enough to dig all the motivation down the floor. Ease your mind for a time and continue stronger when your health is back. Sometimes the situation requires these momentary changes.

Taking a break, not giving up, is how I see it.

I also have to convince myself real hard these days but I hang to that quote:
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu