The Medical Dorm

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...

This week is an especially hard week since I (Nemo) should be just about to graduate college.  However, this is sadly not the case.  I have tried to complete my junior year of college now twice, and next year when I am off for medical leave I will return to try junior year a third time.  Let me tell you that it is hard to be watching people do things that you are never going to be able to do, or be able to do “on time.”  Graduation is just one of these many events that I am unable to fully participate in.  Yes, I am determined to graduate one day, but it will not be with the peers that I started with, or in the field that I intended.  Chronic illness hurts you in more ways than just one.  When you are little you are told that you can be and do ANYTHING.  You are told to shoot for the stars, and when you cannot, it hurts. Chronic Illness forces you to change your entire life to accommodate it.   This week I have seen more pictures ...

When you are a chronically ill there are many sacrifices.  Chronic illness takes over your life, and changes everything.  You become a spoonie.  (Which means that you use spoons as a measure for daily activities they are able to do.  In the spoon theory you have 12 spoons to spend for the entire day.  For example, getting out of bed may cost you one spoon, while making a meal may cost three) You have to change your entire day to make sure that you have the ability to make it through it.  While you desire a “normal” life, however you life does not work that way.  You have days where you cannot get out of bed.  You have days when you cannot eat.  You have days when you are in so much pain, that you do not know what to do.  With these kinds of days, you naturally may be unable to go out with friends, go to work, go to class, etc.  It happens, and all I want is for people without chronic illness to understand that I am sorry. ...