The Medical Dorm

** If you want to watch the show The Good Place, do not read this blog post as there are spoilers throughout the post.** We have been watching The Good Place on Netflix and have realized that you really don’t need to die to experience the phenomenon in this show, it is all around us.  Everyone has heard the saying that college is the best 4 years of your life.  Let’s just say that we don’t agree with this statement. The person that came up with college is the best four years of your life was not trying to get through an accelerated medical program while managing multiple disabilities. When you tour a college and look at a school they talk about the opportunities found on campus. There are many degrees, beautiful buildings, and organizations for students to engage in and become well rounded leaders. Similarly, the brochure is diverse and always shows students studying on a sunny lawn. I have never once seen a student studying on the lawn at this school (I have seen peop...

Having a service dog live in the dorm is something that has NEVER happened on our college campus before.  As one professor stated, Nemo is the “trailblazer,” but being the trailblazer can come at a cost. One cost is that almost everybody in the dorm is afraid to ask about the dog because they think it is a hostage situation and that I am hiding him from the RAs. If that were true I would be doing a TERRIBLE job. My door has a picture of the dog as well as a beware of my friendly dog sign. Similarly, the first thing I did when moving into the dorm was introduce the dog to both RA’s. He got his own name tag (Thanks RAs). Similarly, I take him to every class so every teacher (I have) also knows that he is on campus. Items you need to successfully keep a dog in your dorm room. A crate - Sometimes you just have to. For example, if I have to go to fieldwork, I need a place to leave him. Also, it gives him a place to call his own. Now, he doesn’t sleep in there, but...

              I am officially back at school and so is secret agent puppy. He has taken to college life like a pro, although he was raised on a college campus so he really is a pro. Aside from everybody loving him because he is cute, fun loving, and a dog, he does a lot everyday to earn his spot. While people think  am taking my dog because I felt like getting a pet, the truth is, he is the reason I got to come back from medical leave and can go to class.  He has always proven how valuable he is and this week has been no different, in fact he has even stepped it up a notch. I think he knows without my mom I will try to break the rules (he is having none of it).              When I drop something he picks them up because I can't. He braces when my heart rate spikes and I could pass out. He lays across me when my joints hurt to provide warmth and pressure. He tells me when I forget my pills which is good unle...

Now, if you have been on our blog before, you know that we are college students, and often talk about college life. Today, we decided to do that once again. Specifically, addressing somethings people often do not think of when in college. When you are chronically ill, some things just become a part of your everyday life.  Now, I’m not talking about pills, appointments, or restrictions.  I’m talking about the attitudes, and behavior changes.  I can’t tell you how many times Nemo and I have texted, or told each other how determined we are to get something done.  We have had multiple pep talks about graduating, and getting our degrees.  Going in depth about how we are going to let NOTHING stand in our way.  How our future is ours to make, and that we won’t let the doubters, or the administration get in our way.  To summarize the texts, it’s a lot of we can do this, and responses of hell yeah we can.        ...

                                                                              Even though I have spent a year on medical leave, I have been incredibly lucky. This year would have been much harder had I faced it alone, but I didn’t have to. A year ago I first met secret agent puppy. The most nerve-wracking time was flying across country to meet him for the first time. I was so anxious, worried that he wouldn’t like me, worried that his trainers wouldn’t like me. I wanted this to work so badly, because I desperately needed him more than anybody knew.             I have been fighting with my conditions for the past twenty-three years and it gets tiring. There are days where it would be so easy to give up, and feeling alone...

People often ask me (Tremors) what I think my life would be like if I did not have a chronic illness.  They always say something along the line of, how I must have had goals and dreams prior to my diagnosis.  That I was not born with this illness, and that I was diagnosed in high school.  To tell you the truth, I haven’t dreamed much about my life without my chronic illness.  Call me crazy, but I don’t think it does me much good.   Maybe I’m just not that much of an imaginative person.  I did not grow up with a dream school, or a plan of what I thought my life would be.  I never dreamed of how my wedding would look, or where I would travel if I had the ability to go anywhere.  To this day, I do not know why younger me decided against dreaming up my future.  Honestly, I am almost glad looking back.  I don’t want to dwell on what I cannot do.  I do not want to be stuck in the never ending cycles of what ifs, or if onlys.  I w...

Both Nemo and I are college students.  While Nemo is nearing the end of her medical leave, I (Tremors) have been attending college classes.  Now, most would think that being chronically ill, and having a variety of medical problems would greatly limit our abilities.  You might even be thinking why are you two even in college? Even if you don’t think that, somebody does. To answer that, we are both stubborn, and decided that we wanted to be able to prove everyone who said we could not do this wrong.  Now, our classmates have figured out that something is up with each of us.  (Our professors have to be given notices about our accommodations so there are not many secrets) We are not exactly discreet.  For example, Nemo has a service dog, and I show up around campus bald under a beanie.  We have both had to take medications during class, and have both had to miss classes to take a quick trip to the hospital.  Most would think that we would be bar...