{"id":9239,"date":"2010-07-29T11:44:04","date_gmt":"2010-07-29T15:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=9239"},"modified":"2015-12-31T09:16:11","modified_gmt":"2015-12-31T14:16:11","slug":"lindseys-guide-to-surviving-college-with-the-big-d-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=9239","title":{"rendered":"Lindsey’s Guide to Surviving College With The Big D: Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

For me, the studying aspect of college was fairly easy. I have always been a good student. I never really struggled with classes except for a few subjects like Calculus.\u00a0 But I had a much bigger issue looming in the college scene- chronic health conditions. My health matters were, and still are, a constant job in themselves. Even beyond the daily management of diabetes, which is a full-time job, I have issues with insurance payments, finding the right doctor, keeping up with prescriptions, and all those extras that come with diabetes and health issues.<\/p>\n

When I left for college it was especially important for me to quickly get into a good health routine where diabetes came first. More than studying and attending classes, my college life at first was about managing and coping with this disease.\u00a0 After all, if you’re not on top of diabetes, your academic performance will suffer.\u00a0 The ideal situation is, of course, to manage diabetes without it consuming your college life.<\/p>\n

The start of the new school year is around the corner, and it’s time to start preparing. \u00a0Below are a few more tips to help you get ready for college.\u00a0 For more tips see part 1<\/a> and part 2<\/a> in the series, Lindsey’s Guide to Surviving College With The Big D<\/em>.<\/p>\n

-If you don\u2019t take any other tip away from this series, be sure you get this one: develop a system. Study habits are important. So are logbooks, eating schedules, and staying sane. Manage, cope, prioritize.<\/p>\n

-Don\u2019t let your diabetes care slip just because you are in college, but at the same time you have to remember to enjoy the college experience.\u00a0 Have fun and also keep your doctor\u2019s appointments up to date (endo, eye, and dentist). Stay on top of your A1c. Remember that most diabetics experience their worst A1cs during this time because of the stress, the schedules, and being away from home for the first time.\u00a0 Don’t feel bad.\u00a0 Just keep trying.<\/p>\n

-One of my biggest pet peeves with my university was that certain places were \u201cNo food, No drink.\u201d And the university was strict about this. One day, while experiencing a low, I was standing in the lobby of my university recreation center eating a package of peanut butter crackers. I\u2019d walked down three flights of stairs, feeling shaky and unsteady to get to the point where I was eating.\u00a0 A staff member approached and told me that I needed to go outside. I explained, through my weak and shaky state, that I was a diabetic\u00a0 who was treating low blood sugar. I needed to eat- no matter what.\u00a0 It was an emergency.\u00a0\u00a0 A few moments later another staff member turned to me and said, \u201cI have one of those.\u201d He was pointing at my insulin pump. He pulled up his shirt to show an OmniPod. He warned me that even staff members were forced to go to the break room to eat – even for treating low blood sugars. That\u2019s how strict the university’s rules were. I\u2019m not telling you to be rebellious, but I am suggesting that in situation like this, you should put your health first and worry about the rules later. Classrooms and rec centers that say no food, no drink\u2026respect them on a regular basis but for emergencies, respect yourself and respect the D.<\/p>\n

-Drink responsibly. I don\u2019t believe in underage drinking or drinking in excess. It\u2019s against the law: don\u2019t do it. But for those 21 and up (and those that will rebel despite this sound advice), know that alcohol affects diabetes.\u00a0 Keep your drinks to a minimum (my limit is one), check your blood sugar before you drink, two hours in, and again at the six hour mark. Alcohol can lower blood sugar so you\u00a0 may be prone to hypoglycemia (and seizures and comas) after drinking alcohol. This is true even of those carb heavy margaritas and daiquiris -especially if you bolus to compensate for the sugar and syrup. Have a friend make sure you are okay after drinking.\u00a0\u00a0 If you go low and food isn\u2019t bringing up your blood sugar level, you may need to go the emergency room.\u00a0 Also know that glucagon might not help an alcohol-induced low.<\/p>\n

-Don\u2019t be afraid to be a hypochondriac during these years. I went to the ER once and the urgent care clinic more times than I can count. Stress makes colds, skin infections, and plenty of other things much worse. College is stressful. If you\u2019re having blood sugar issues with or without any of those pesky infections, it still holds true that the ER might be the right place to go. Sometimes insulin just doesn\u2019t work. Sometimes the lows just won\u2019t come up.<\/p>\n

-Keep your prescriptions up to date, and don\u2019t forget to order them. Keep an emergency refill prescription on hand at your local pharmacy if you do mail order. Sometimes you just forget. Sometimes it doesn\u2019t get there fast enough. Or sometimes you drop the last vial of insulin.<\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019ve graduated, I\u2019ve had a few moments of nostalgia for my college life. As difficult as it was sometimes, I know that I came out a stronger person because of it. I will be the first to tell you that college and diabetes\u00a0 do not mix well. I will also be the first to say that you can do it as long as you have faith in yourself and knowledge. Use my tips, create your own, and ask others for advice.<\/p>\n

The last three years of my life were about managing diabetes, and yet were really not about diabetes at all. Diabetes falls into the background of my memories. I do, of course, remember the scary lows and the frustrating highs. But most of all, I remember going to football games with my friends, attending classes that pushed my limits, meeting new people, and truly learning who I am and who I want to become. Diabetes will always play its part in my memories of everything, but it is not the defining factor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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