Hey Gaels,
Just a heads-up: You can expect this blog post to make (brief) mention of hospital visits. I share how I navigate health challenges while at school in the hope that my writing might help someone else in a similar position. However, I know this topic can be difficult for some. If that’s you, feel free to give this blog post a miss, and/or skip ahead to the bottom of the article for a list of resources.
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Almost eight months ago, I made the first of what would eventually become many trips to Kingston General Hospital for some pretty severe pain. As I mentioned in my first blog post, I am disabled. For me, that means pain isn’t entirely out of the ordinary. But this level of pain was highly unusual—hence the trip to the emergency room. To make a long story short, I have yet to solve this pain, but I have figured out many different ways of coping with health challenges while (mostly!) staying on top of my schoolwork.
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, my advice would be to loop in your professors and TAs. Of course, you shouldn’t feel pressure to disclose your private medical information, but you can share just enough to help them understand that you need some accommodations. I’ve come up with a script of sorts that I use with professors and TAs. It goes like this: “I’m experiencing an uptick of pain right now, and cannot attend class,” or “I would really appreciate a few more days so that I can complete this assignment when I’m feeling better.” Feel free to change this script to make it work for you. It might even be helpful to save your script as a draft email so that you don’t have to worry about writing an email when you’re feeling unwell.
I’ve been fortunate that my professors and TAs have been understanding of my situation and have worked with me when I need to miss a class or two because of pain. But if you’re missing more than a couple of classes, or need longer-term accommodations, it might be time to call in Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS). It can feel overwhelming to have to submit accommodations, so, last year, Accessibility Queen’s made a quick guide to QSAS. You can view the accessibility support quick guide here.
There are also things that you can start to do now to prepare you for flare ups in the future. I like to schedule “fake” deadlines at least a couple days in advance of the actual deadlines. Then, I create a work schedule using the SASS Assignment Planner with the fake deadline. This gives me a couple of buffer days that I can use if something comes up between now and the actual deadline.
Also, because I am navigating this pain, I am especially aware of my health in other ways. If you’re not in residence and you’re preparing meals for yourself, I cannot recommend meal prep enough! I’m not suggesting you should make 10 or 15 meals on Sunday night (I’m in awe of anyone who can do that!). However, on a day when you feel alright, it can be helpful to make an easy meal you can then store in the freezer and have on an off day. I’m partial to soup for this reason.
I’m also a huge proponent of a consistent sleep schedule. This can be hard to stick to when you have so many assignments to finish at the end of the term, but setting an alarm for 8 or 9 pm (or later, if that works better for you) is a helpful reminder for me to stop working. Remember, that essay will be there in the morning. Honestly, I share this advice with anyone looking to improve their time management skills—whether they have a disability or long-term health issue or not.
Finally, remember to take it easy on yourself when you do experience a flare up. I know I find it hard to shake the feeling that I could or should be working when I’m trying to rest, but getting your rest is so important. Lately, one of the things that has helped me take my mind off work when I’m resting is listening to podcasts; it’s hard to think about my assignments when someone else is chatting away in my earbuds. My current favourite podcasts include Queery with Cameron Esposito and Don’t Ask Tig. If I could figure out how to leave a review, they would both get 5 stars!
As promised, here’s a list of resources I recommend on health and accessibility issues. Never be afraid to reach out and ask for help!
- Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS)
- Accessibility Queen’s: The Instagram currently features a breakdown of lots of supports available on campus, as well as their contact information
- DNA (Disability & Neurodivergence Alliance) Queen’s
- For mental health and wellness-related supports, check out:
Good luck on your exams; catch you in the new year!
Emma