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        Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Cluster Headache Specific >> CH & Schooling
        
(Message started by: blmiller84 on Apr 1^st, 2007, 7:56pm)

Title: CH & Schooling
Post by blmiller84 on Apr 1^st, 2007, 7:56pm

I wasn't really sure where to post this but...

I'm impatiently waiting for a letter to know if I'm accepted into Grad School or not which made me start wondering...

For those of you who had your CH's while still in school (whatever level), how did that effect your performance?

I was diagnosed with them in college. I decided to opt out of a Chem major because I am pretty clumsy when I have one of my headaches (the clumsiness seems to start at the Kip level 4 for me). I figured that wasn't good for working in a lab! After two more switches of my major I ended up with math. I somehow managed to graduate magna cum laude as an honors scholar. I was afraid my last year I wouldn't graduate because I got a level 6 or so headache while taking an exam! I hate how they come on slowly... and then wham, you want to cry and get up and not just stare at an exam asking you to prove theorems. Needless to say, I bombed the exam (45% or so). I was offered extra credit, but that hardly helped. I managed a C+ however.

Ugh... my poor friends who had to see me go through my headaches. Never one higher than a 7... But still.

Now I just wait impatiently... not really wanting either answer. If I'm not accepted, I have to find a job that works with and for me... If i get accepted... I'm afraid I can't do it.

So... how did they effect your schooling? ;)

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by lionsound on Apr 1^st, 2007, 8:09pm

if anything I think they made me work harder.
valedictorian of my high school, pretty decent college ...

I've taken exams with a hurtin' noggin too.
I was an art major so not quite as many exams or library lights, but lots of turps fumes ..yuck.
But hey! you graduated with honors :)...so you know you do what is needed to get through and do well in spite of the pain.

Good luck and I am sure you will do great in grad school!
PF's
-lionsound

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by UN solved on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 12:31am

I went to college full time majoring in computer science. After 3 years of doing very well ... I went from having 1 attack per day to having 6 or more. I withdrew in 03' and still haven't made it back yet. :-/

Goodluck
UNsolved

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by BarbaraD on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 7:29am

Take a note from your doctor - take an explanation from this MB explaining CH to your advisor and instructor and talk to them BEFORE you begin. Go over your condition with them and just tell them that there are times that you are NOT yourself and may need "special" care and handling.

Some instructors are a-holes, but most will go along with you and "help" you get thru. Your advisor can get the door opened and help you a lot with this.

Don't let CH rule your life -- just get a plan B in place. And don't ever be afraid you can't do it -- you can! It might just be more difficult than it would be for someone without CH!

Good luck and lots of hugs

BD

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by chewy on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 7:44am

Three things.

1. Inform and educate your professors.

2. Always sit near the door.

3. Always, always, always have an abortive handy and ready to use.

4 years, episodic cycles the entire 4 years, full time work, full time school, 3.75 GPA

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by Sean_C on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 9:09am

on 04/01/07 at 19:56:43, blmiller84 wrote:

For those of you who had your CH's while still in school (whatever level), how did that effect your performance?

Chronic clusters started in 7th grade, went from an honor student to failing. Left school at 16 because I thought something in the school was causing it. Went back at 17, still couldn't do it, and never looked back.

Back then there was no trex, and all the docs were uneducated regarding clusters, so we were on our own. Trying to stay focused with a full blown cluster isn't an option, you just can't do it. But thats just me.

Cheers,

Sean................................................

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by Judge_Smails on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 9:26am

After years of suffering I was actually first diagnosed with CH when I was at college. My recommendation is to talk to the Dr at the school infirmary - they deal with thousands of patients and will most likely have had prior cases of CH or migraines. For me it was actually good that I was in school during a cycle because I could just walk over to the infirmary and get a shot of Imitrex (this was before injections were available to the general public). I'd say try to get on a good prevent and as others have said, get a note from your Dr and talk to your teachers.

good luck!

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by E-Double on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 9:42am

I started getting consisten cycles during college.
I had them in Grad school.

During both periods of my life I was un/misdiagnosed.

I did not get diagnosed until my 30's.

Until then I managed with excpetion to '04 when things went heywire.
I left my teaching position and built on a private practice so that I could make my own hours.
Chronic since '05 and working fulltime for a major hospital system in NY that has very demanding hours.

It is possible

Listen to Chewey.....he's wise despite everyone else's opinion ;)

Best to you and never let it get in the way!!!

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by Sandy_C on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 12:06pm

I've, thankfully, not had to expererience CH while in school, but the advice you've been given with regard to talking with the profs, and being armed with a quick acting abort is sound advice.

Question, do you have 02? When taking a major test, I would imagine that you cannot leave the room - at least I've never been allowed a potty break mid-test. Can you bring a small 02 tank, with your mask and suck it in without leaving?

Just a thought.

Wishing you good luck. Anyone who can graduate Magna Cum Laude, will do great in grad school.

Hang in, and hang on.

Sandy

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by kcopelin on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 12:15pm

Full time Air Force and full time student in 1985-87. 4.0 GPA and Distinguished graduate from NCO academy. It can be done. It was difficult, but doable, because I was far more stubborn than the average bear. Great advice from all concerned. Go for it! Please don't let CH cast a shadow over your world.
PFDAN,
kathy

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by blmiller84 on Apr 2^nd, 2007, 2:48pm

Thanks for the responses everyone!

In undergrad I had one math professor (didn't actually have a class with him, just a summer research group) who had migraines, so he completely understood and was the nicest person to me! Every time he saw me he would ask how I was and such. Some of my profs, however, were not understanding and just gave stories about how they had to go through such and such with school and they did it so I shouldn't complain... yeah. Great pep talks from them >:(

If I get in to grad school, I plan on printing out that one letter explaining about cluster headaches and handing it to every prof in the math dept the first day I'm there!

I haven't yet found abortives that work consistently for me, my best bet right now is to prevent them, which I'm slowly getting better at (until the evil headache goes and changes on me!). When I get a chance I'm going to try the O2 and since certain colas and sodas make me sick, I'm going to try the taurine supplements instead of drinking red bull.

The reason I said that I was afraid that I can't do it is that I get some discouraged and lose confidence in my ability to do math whenever I get one of my CH cycles. It's a hard thing to fight unless you have a nice group of people who help you through it.

Back to waiting for the mail daily (nothing today! grr...)

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by sandie99 on Apr 3^rd, 2007, 2:55am

I'm a uni student.

I got my first hits when I was working on my BA- degree and it make my studies a lot harder. I did manage to get extension to my then dissertations' deadline, which abled me to finish it and my degree.

Now I'm working on my MA and ch has been causing troubles again. This time around I've had a lot less lectures, which helped a lot. I know that I would been able to finish this degree earlier without ch, now I'm just doing what I can whenever I can. I do admit that writing the dissertation for this degree has been a lot harder and my head has been under so much stress at times that I cannot think streight... so I'm just aiming for getting it done instead of getting the best possible grade.

PF wishes,
Sanna

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by JohnM on Apr 3^rd, 2007, 4:42am

I regularly visited the school "sick bay" with bad HA's and missed many lessons between the ages of about 10-18. I saw Drs and specialists on numerous occasions but they never found anything that would kill the pain or stop them. I was diagnosed as suffering from migraines, but was accused on several occasions of being a lazy lead swinger. That hurt as much as the damn HA's!

I also had a long history of health problems during school with Glandular Fever, Yellow Jaunice, Dysentry and lots more making me miss lots of school.

When I left school at 18 and went to university (I somehow managed good exam results) I was lucky enough to experience a long period of remission. The HA's returned with a vengeance in my mid-20's

John

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by swimchica623 on Apr 3^rd, 2007, 1:59pm

I'm a senior right now....three more weeks of classes and a week of finals and I'll have my BA with a double major in history and classics. This all started last summer for me. I've always been a serious student so I couldn't possibly take my studies any more seriously..lol...it's definatly just made things harder. I missed a lot of classes last semester and I was in the hospital 2 weeks (separate times, 1 week each) getting IVs cuz they were coming so frequently and so severe. My profs have all been mostly very understanding, I think being in the hospital actually helped because they realized this wasn't "just a headache." The hospitalizations were right when I was correctly diagnosed and I didn't have any good preventatives working yet....now I'm on verapamil and a good level of topamax and those have worked really well for me, hits are less severe, I have o2 at home now too. I had to take incompletes last semester but I finished all my work and made the honors roll anyway. I did have to drop my lab science (I only have to take one to graduate and put it off till my senior year!) so I am taking that right now. Yes, it is nearly impossible to do labs when you don't know what the next week will bring! It's much easier to do stuff that you can work on on your own.
I get a little discouraged sometimes, especially when it seems like its never going to end, but I always manage to pick myself up and get everything done. People here have been a great support group for getting me through this year, too. It's TOUGH, but do-able, and makes the end result that much sweeter.
I got hit in the midddle of an archaeology seminar, but the classroom is actually in the same building as the health services!! So once it ramped up and I knew it wasn't going to be just a shadow I bolted out of the room and they were able to give me o2....so glad they were so understanding!
Lisa

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by Rosybabe on Apr 4^th, 2007, 7:29pm

I was valedictorian at High school and then went to college for a Civil Eng. degree, those five years were tough because I had 2 cycles at year, but managed to finish with my generation and with very decent grades, I was a frequent user of the hospital bay at college ;).
Everyone in my class knew I had something in my head that wasn't funny ;;D so they were very supporting.

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by Rockcoat on Apr 5^th, 2007, 5:33am

"how did that effect your performance? how did they effect your schooling?"

USAGE NOTE Affect and effect have no senses in common. As a verb affect is most commonly used in the sense of “to influence” (how smoking affects health). Effect means “to bring about or execute”: layoffs designed to effect savings. Thus the sentence These measures may affect savings could imply that the measures may reduce savings that have already been realized, whereas These measures may effect savings implies that the measures will cause new savings to come about.

(a little something to take to grad school with you)
I know, I'm a smart ass.....

Title: Re: CH & Schooling
Post by blmiller84 on Apr 5^th, 2007, 5:57pm

on 04/05/07 at 05:33:50, Rockcoat wrote:

Well :P

I always mix those two up. And you'd think studying linguistics for about 2 years would have helped that ;)