Dilemma!

Hi Everyone!
Hope ye are all keeping well!I am just out of hospital where I was in the emergency room for dka.My diabetes is out of control…I have hypos and hypers and after prolonged period of high glucose my body becomes symptomatic of hypos at normal glucose levels.As soon as I hit 180 or below I feel light headed intense hunger and feel like I am hypo.I have been sitting this feeling out and its pretty crappy as I am limited as to what I can do when I feel like this.I am in college at the moment and I am unable to concentrate or study as I try to adjust to normal glucose levels.The good news is my doctor feels I can work through this if I give it my 100%.I feel I should seek time off college so that I can allow myself time and space for this adjusmnet process and when I return and am feeling better I will be able to concentrate better and enjoy college.Just wondering what are your thoughts on my options-Should I keep going with college even though this has proved unsuccessful for the past 12 weeks or should I take the time out?Have any of ye ever been in this situation where diabetes was interfeering with school?(The reason I had dka was because my pump broke down)

Glad to hear you are out of hospital. Highs and lows can make you crazy. I have had Type 1 for 50 years, with onset at age 5. I too, went to college, graduate school and law school. Tension and stress make it 10 times harder. The only person who knows if you should continue is you. It sounds like you want to take a breather. If you do, think it through to get an honest assessment, as to how it will help you to whatever you deem necessary to regulate your control. Think through what the decision means academically. My only similar experience was not really similar. When I was in my summer between first and second year of law school, I was in a very serious car accident, resulting in 107 stitches, a detached retina, and three eye operations. I chose not to take time off, because I wanted to graduate on time. I read 150 pages of law a week, with essentially one eye. If anything, crazy as it sounds, the hardship made me stronger. So at the end of the day, this kind of decision is deeply personal. For me, this decision has to fit you. Not any one else. It sounds more like you are seeking some concrete answers on lifestyle, as in the balance of food, insulin and exercise with very specific plans. I do not know your resources for that. If you trust your doctor, maybe that is a place to start.

Melinda is right in that you have to do what fits you best. In making that decision, recognize there is no right or wrong. In addition to consulting with your doctor, I recommend you talk to your advisor. If you decide to take time off, be sure to figure out the duration of your leave up front. That way you are less likely to delay going back longer than you need to.

Glad you are feeling better, though I know you are not completely healed yet. The problems you had past twelve weeks, were they due to the fact that your pump was not properly working? And now you have been released from the hospital; maybe the worst is over. Does the endo know how long a time it will be before your body adjusts to more normal glucose levels? It may not be a very long time. My decision would depend on whether I would be likely to heal and not feel hypo symtoms at a high glucose level in a week, in which case, I would not leave college, or in couple of months, in which case I might take a semester off. If you feel you need the break and can’t push through, then you should listen to your gut instincts.

Wow this sounds familiar!! I went through this same Dilemma!! I ended up deciding to take the time off from school, but unfortunately never went back (which I regret!) I regret not going back, but I don’t regret taking the time for myself to figure things out. This is when I got on a pump, and regained my life back. Listen to your gut feeling, only you know what’s best!

I’m in my first year of college and since the weather is changing here i get sick like all the time and blood sugars have been horrible the last couple weeks. i dont think you should take time off. just let your body adjust back to normal it will only take a few days. sometimes when this type of thing happens to me i cant tell whether im high or low i just make sure i keep testing and always expect the unexpected. but try to communicate with teachers too. most of then will understand especiallly when you say it will never go away…

I usually wound up in DKA during finals. It was almost like clockwork through the majority of my “full time” college experience. I had a semester where I felt like complete and total crap and was able to (with doctor documentation) take incompletes in all of my classes. I took my finals the first week of January.

As a teacher who is taking classes, I strongly encourage you to talk with your professors to see what they can work out with you. Also, if you have a good study partner, make sure you get their notes for the Christmas break if you are taking the exams in January. Good luck and let me know if you need help starting the conversation :slight_smile:

My daughter is in college and having a lot of issues with anxiety. She works part-time x 2 days, attends classes x 2 days and also does school/work placement x 2 days. She has sought permission to stretch her school work placement through to the spring (with a doctor’s note) which will reduce her school/work placement to 1 day each week, giving her a break day mid week which she needs to keep up with the homework, project part of class studies. It means she’ll be doing her school/work placement over an extended period of time, but she needs the extra breathing room.

Are you able to sit down with anyone in guidance to work out a plan that will allow you to remain in school, with a reduced load until you are back to 100%?