It’s back to school time! For me (Fionna), accommodations and communicating with my professors have been super helpful! Let’s see what PAC members have to say about managing IBD at college, and how it impacts their routines.

Listen in as I (Vanessa) join PAC members Elise, Leela and Madeline for a chat about heading back to school with IBD.

Hello everyone, it’s Hannah! In early December of 2020, I had my ostomy reversal or takedown surgery to create my J-Pouch. I knew from talking with my doctor some of what to expect: waking up with lots of tubes, feeling tired and sore. But it was through reading articles about other people’s J-pouch experiences (those who just had surgery and those who have lived with their pouch for some time) that I was able to prepare myself for what to anticipate physically after surgery. Looking back now, I realize I’ve learned a lot, that there are things I wish I had known, and that I want to share what I’ve learned so others can know what to expect.  

I am a second-year engineering major. I tend to be a very academically driven person with high expectations of myself. I love my perseverance, but sometimes my own determination to achieve my goals is my biggest stressor. In my mind I set goals for myself constantly. And naturally when I don’t meet my goals, I am disappointed.

These habits manifest in many facets of my life, but particularly in my academic life. I set goals for tests and grades and expectations for interactions. When I don’t do as well as I would like, it can be rough, and I end up stressed out.

High school can be one of the most interesting times of your life. It’s fast-paced and you are faced with new challenges, experiences, subjects and adventures! High school is a challenge on its own and having IBD makes it even more difficult, especially because of its unpredictability. Going through one of the worst flares of my life during high school, I missed tons of school, and sometimes even when I was present, my body was so tired that I could not pay attention well. It was around this time that my school nurse told me it would be a good idea to get a 504 plan.

As co-chair of the Patient Advisory Council (PAC) Advocacy task force, I am excited to announce our new Accommodations Toolkit! Becky and I (with lots of support from the entire PAC and ICN social workers) developed this toolkit as a resource to help patients, parents and providers better understand and navigate the accommodations process.