College Life

DogLuver105 · Dec 4, 2011

<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">I am currently a freshman in college and I have been having difficulties balancing school, fun, and health. I have been doing all my treatments, but when I occasionally stay out late it detracts from my sleep or schoolwork because I have to spend a lot of time taking care of myself, whereas other people don't have to worry about that. I have been experiencing so much peer pressure from my friends to stay and hang out late and every time I explain that I need to go back. They all know I have cf and I vaguely explained what it was, but every time I try to leave at a decent time to walk back to my dorm, they ask what time my classes start and try to convince me that I have plenty of time and can stay to watch another movie or I can just take a nap there. I always say that it's not about the classes, because my classes start at 10:30 on an average day (which is nice), but it's still frustrating that they won't understand my reasoning for going back, even if I feel really bad and need to do a treatment. Sometimes my friends sacrifice their time to walk me back to my dorm, which also makes me feel guilty because theywould rather stay and hang out but instead they come back and work on homework or whatever whileI amjust getting my treatment done.I wish I didn't have these problems to deal with and didn't have to explain cf to everyone. I would rather just keep it to myself but now it affects other people too, and I don't like it. Because I've lived with cf my whole life and my family knew all about it, I think this lifestyle is normal. No one else understands that I literally need a break, or have to skip an event once in a while to keep up or catch up on sleep, homework, or treatments. Overall I think I handle it pretty well, but it's still frustrating. Any advice from people who have experienced this would be appreciated. I'm glad that there are always people here I can talk to that actually understand what I'm going through.

DogLuver105 · Dec 4, 2011

<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">I am currently a freshman in college and I have been having difficulties balancing school, fun, and health. I have been doing all my treatments, but when I occasionally stay out late it detracts from my sleep or schoolwork because I have to spend a lot of time taking care of myself, whereas other people don't have to worry about that. I have been experiencing so much peer pressure from my friends to stay and hang out late and every time I explain that I need to go back. They all know I have cf and I vaguely explained what it was, but every time I try to leave at a decent time to walk back to my dorm, they ask what time my classes start and try to convince me that I have plenty of time and can stay to watch another movie or I can just take a nap there. I always say that it's not about the classes, because my classes start at 10:30 on an average day (which is nice), but it's still frustrating that they won't understand my reasoning for going back, even if I feel really bad and need to do a treatment. Sometimes my friends sacrifice their time to walk me back to my dorm, which also makes me feel guilty because theywould rather stay and hang out but instead they come back and work on homework or whatever whileI amjust getting my treatment done.I wish I didn't have these problems to deal with and didn't have to explain cf to everyone. I would rather just keep it to myself but now it affects other people too, and I don't like it. Because I've lived with cf my whole life and my family knew all about it, I think this lifestyle is normal. No one else understands that I literally need a break, or have to skip an event once in a while to keep up or catch up on sleep, homework, or treatments. Overall I think I handle it pretty well, but it's still frustrating. Any advice from people who have experienced this would be appreciated. I'm glad that there are always people here I can talk to that actually understand what I'm going through.

DogLuver105 · Dec 4, 2011

<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana', 'sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">I am currently a freshman in college and I have been having difficulties balancing school, fun, and health. I have been doing all my treatments, but when I occasionally stay out late it detracts from my sleep or schoolwork because I have to spend a lot of time taking care of myself, whereas other people don't have to worry about that. I have been experiencing so much peer pressure from my friends to stay and hang out late and every time I explain that I need to go back. They all know I have cf and I vaguely explained what it was, but every time I try to leave at a decent time to walk back to my dorm, they ask what time my classes start and try to convince me that I have plenty of time and can stay to watch another movie or I can just take a nap there. I always say that it's not about the classes, because my classes start at 10:30 on an average day (which is nice), but it's still frustrating that they won't understand my reasoning for going back, even if I feel really bad and need to do a treatment. Sometimes my friends sacrifice their time to walk me back to my dorm, which also makes me feel guilty because theywould rather stay and hang out but instead they come back and work on homework or whatever whileI amjust getting my treatment done.I wish I didn't have these problems to deal with and didn't have to explain cf to everyone. I would rather just keep it to myself but now it affects other people too, and I don't like it. Because I've lived with cf my whole life and my family knew all about it, I think this lifestyle is normal. No one else understands that I literally need a break, or have to skip an event once in a while to keep up or catch up on sleep, homework, or treatments. Overall I think I handle it pretty well, but it's still frustrating. Any advice from people who have experienced this would be appreciated. I'm glad that there are always people here I can talk to that actually understand what I'm going through.

scanboyd · Dec 4, 2011

I also over the yrs. have had this problem. What works for me is to do my pm rx. before we go out. Just a suggestion. Other wise I find myself doing a neb. rx at 12:00 am or later. People know that I have CF but they really do not unerstand the time factor. Good luck!!

scanboyd · Dec 4, 2011

I also over the yrs. have had this problem. What works for me is to do my pm rx. before we go out. Just a suggestion. Other wise I find myself doing a neb. rx at 12:00 am or later. People know that I have CF but they really do not unerstand the time factor. Good luck!!

scanboyd · Dec 4, 2011

I also over the yrs. have had this problem. What works for me is to do my pm rx. before we go out. Just a suggestion. Other wise I find myself doing a neb. rx at 12:00 am or later. People know that I have CF but they really do not unerstand the time factor. Good luck!!

CrazyHokieFan · Dec 4, 2011

I was diagnosed my first semester freshman year so I had to adjust to the treatments on the fly as well as college life in general. I wanted to go out all the time and basically what I realized is there's just not enough time in the day to equally balance school, going out, treatments and sleep. Since you can't give up school, treatments, and going out, I usually end up giving up hours of sleep if I want to go out drinking or whatever. You end up adjusting to it and making it work. Freshman year was such a whirlwind of alcohol and adjusting to college life that it's difficult to get on a regular schedule anyway. As you go through college and move out of the dorms and stuff like that you'll see it gets easier to find time to get everything done. As far as your friends go, I had that same problem explaining to my friends what CF was because I had just been diagnosed and I didn't even know what it was at the time. What happened in my case was you just develop your circle of friends and they just get used to what you have to do, whether its showing up late to a party because of the meds, or going home early, or whatever, they just get used to it and over time it just doesn't become a big deal anymore. The peer pressure thing sucks but I just had to keep explaining to them what I had to do and eventually they got it.

Long story short, we've all gone through this and it gets easier over time. It's never going to be ideal, but nothing is with CF. Good luck and enjoy college, it goes by way to fast.

-Tim
Go Hokies

CrazyHokieFan · Dec 4, 2011

I was diagnosed my first semester freshman year so I had to adjust to the treatments on the fly as well as college life in general. I wanted to go out all the time and basically what I realized is there's just not enough time in the day to equally balance school, going out, treatments and sleep. Since you can't give up school, treatments, and going out, I usually end up giving up hours of sleep if I want to go out drinking or whatever. You end up adjusting to it and making it work. Freshman year was such a whirlwind of alcohol and adjusting to college life that it's difficult to get on a regular schedule anyway. As you go through college and move out of the dorms and stuff like that you'll see it gets easier to find time to get everything done. As far as your friends go, I had that same problem explaining to my friends what CF was because I had just been diagnosed and I didn't even know what it was at the time. What happened in my case was you just develop your circle of friends and they just get used to what you have to do, whether its showing up late to a party because of the meds, or going home early, or whatever, they just get used to it and over time it just doesn't become a big deal anymore. The peer pressure thing sucks but I just had to keep explaining to them what I had to do and eventually they got it.

Long story short, we've all gone through this and it gets easier over time. It's never going to be ideal, but nothing is with CF. Good luck and enjoy college, it goes by way to fast.

-Tim
Go Hokies

CrazyHokieFan · Dec 4, 2011

I was diagnosed my first semester freshman year so I had to adjust to the treatments on the fly as well as college life in general. I wanted to go out all the time and basically what I realized is there's just not enough time in the day to equally balance school, going out, treatments and sleep. Since you can't give up school, treatments, and going out, I usually end up giving up hours of sleep if I want to go out drinking or whatever. You end up adjusting to it and making it work. Freshman year was such a whirlwind of alcohol and adjusting to college life that it's difficult to get on a regular schedule anyway. As you go through college and move out of the dorms and stuff like that you'll see it gets easier to find time to get everything done. As far as your friends go, I had that same problem explaining to my friends what CF was because I had just been diagnosed and I didn't even know what it was at the time. What happened in my case was you just develop your circle of friends and they just get used to what you have to do, whether its showing up late to a party because of the meds, or going home early, or whatever, they just get used to it and over time it just doesn't become a big deal anymore. The peer pressure thing sucks but I just had to keep explaining to them what I had to do and eventually they got it.

Long story short, we've all gone through this and it gets easier over time. It's never going to be ideal, but nothing is with CF. Good luck and enjoy college, it goes by way to fast.

-Tim
Go Hokies

CrazyHokieFan · Dec 4, 2011

I was diagnosed my first semester freshman year so I had to adjust to the treatments on the fly as well as college life in general. I wanted to go out all the time and basically what I realized is there's just not enough time in the day to equally balance school, going out, treatments and sleep. Since you can't give up school, treatments, and going out, I usually end up giving up hours of sleep if I want to go out drinking or whatever. You end up adjusting to it and making it work. Freshman year was such a whirlwind of alcohol and adjusting to college life that it's difficult to get on a regular schedule anyway. As you go through college and move out of the dorms and stuff like that you'll see it gets easier to find time to get everything done. As far as your friends go, I had that same problem explaining to my friends what CF was because I had just been diagnosed and I didn't even know what it was at the time. What happened in my case was you just develop your circle of friends and they just get used to what you have to do, whether its showing up late to a party because of the meds, or going home early, or whatever, they just get used to it and over time it just doesn't become a big deal anymore. The peer pressure thing sucks but I just had to keep explaining to them what I had to do and eventually they got it.

Long story short, we've all gone through this and it gets easier over time. It's never going to be ideal, but nothing is with CF. Good luck and enjoy college, it goes by way to fast.

-Tim
Go Hokies

CrazyHokieFan · Dec 4, 2011

I was diagnosed my first semester freshman year so I had to adjust to the treatments on the fly as well as college life in general. I wanted to go out all the time and basically what I realized is there's just not enough time in the day to equally balance school, going out, treatments and sleep. Since you can't give up school, treatments, and going out, I usually end up giving up hours of sleep if I want to go out drinking or whatever. You end up adjusting to it and making it work. Freshman year was such a whirlwind of alcohol and adjusting to college life that it's difficult to get on a regular schedule anyway. As you go through college and move out of the dorms and stuff like that you'll see it gets easier to find time to get everything done. As far as your friends go, I had that same problem explaining to my friends what CF was because I had just been diagnosed and I didn't even know what it was at the time. What happened in my case was you just develop your circle of friends and they just get used to what you have to do, whether its showing up late to a party because of the meds, or going home early, or whatever, they just get used to it and over time it just doesn't become a big deal anymore. The peer pressure thing sucks but I just had to keep explaining to them what I had to do and eventually they got it.

Long story short, we've all gone through this and it gets easier over time. It's never going to be ideal, but nothing is with CF. Good luck and enjoy college, it goes by way to fast.

-Tim
Go Hokies

CrazyHokieFan · Dec 4, 2011

I was diagnosed my first semester freshman year so I had to adjust to the treatments on the fly as well as college life in general. I wanted to go out all the time and basically what I realized is there's just not enough time in the day to equally balance school, going out, treatments and sleep. Since you can't give up school, treatments, and going out, I usually end up giving up hours of sleep if I want to go out drinking or whatever. You end up adjusting to it and making it work. Freshman year was such a whirlwind of alcohol and adjusting to college life that it's difficult to get on a regular schedule anyway. As you go through college and move out of the dorms and stuff like that you'll see it gets easier to find time to get everything done. As far as your friends go, I had that same problem explaining to my friends what CF was because I had just been diagnosed and I didn't even know what it was at the time. What happened in my case was you just develop your circle of friends and they just get used to what you have to do, whether its showing up late to a party because of the meds, or going home early, or whatever, they just get used to it and over time it just doesn't become a big deal anymore. The peer pressure thing sucks but I just had to keep explaining to them what I had to do and eventually they got it.

Long story short, we've all gone through this and it gets easier over time. It's never going to be ideal, but nothing is with CF. Good luck and enjoy college, it goes by way to fast.

-Tim
Go Hokies

imported_Momto2 · Dec 4, 2011

Dogluvr, there is no easy solution. You will have to make choices. This is what starting out in the big bad world is all about. Try not to feel guilty over something which you have no control. What I ended up doing was literally scheduling my treatments, and treating that schedule as sacrosanct. It was my personal feeling in college and grad school that people who would understand and respect my desire to take proper care of myself were really the only people that I would want to have a long-term relationship with anyhow. The other folks didnt matter much. The kind of strength that it takes to walk away from the awkward social situations and take the time YOU need to be healthy, takes practice. And you have to want to develop it. It seems to me that you are working hard on that, so bravo! I know a lot of people with CF who attended college, made poor choices, and didnt make it into their 30's. Not to scare you, but your choices now will most likely determine the length and quality of your life. Be your own best advocate : ) Love and strength to you. *hug* -been there

imported_Momto2 · Dec 4, 2011

Dogluvr, there is no easy solution. You will have to make choices. This is what starting out in the big bad world is all about. Try not to feel guilty over something which you have no control. What I ended up doing was literally scheduling my treatments, and treating that schedule as sacrosanct. It was my personal feeling in college and grad school that people who would understand and respect my desire to take proper care of myself were really the only people that I would want to have a long-term relationship with anyhow. The other folks didnt matter much. The kind of strength that it takes to walk away from the awkward social situations and take the time YOU need to be healthy, takes practice. And you have to want to develop it. It seems to me that you are working hard on that, so bravo! I know a lot of people with CF who attended college, made poor choices, and didnt make it into their 30's. Not to scare you, but your choices now will most likely determine the length and quality of your life. Be your own best advocate : ) Love and strength to you. *hug* -been there

imported_Momto2 · Dec 4, 2011

Dogluvr, there is no easy solution. You will have to make choices. This is what starting out in the big bad world is all about. Try not to feel guilty over something which you have no control. What I ended up doing was literally scheduling my treatments, and treating that schedule as sacrosanct. It was my personal feeling in college and grad school that people who would understand and respect my desire to take proper care of myself were really the only people that I would want to have a long-term relationship with anyhow. The other folks didnt matter much. The kind of strength that it takes to walk away from the awkward social situations and take the time YOU need to be healthy, takes practice. And you have to want to develop it. It seems to me that you are working hard on that, so bravo! I know a lot of people with CF who attended college, made poor choices, and didnt make it into their 30's. Not to scare you, but your choices now will most likely determine the length and quality of your life. Be your own best advocate : ) Love and strength to you. *hug* -been there

JaneCFer · Dec 4, 2011

I am also at college, luckily most of my friends are majoring in the medical specialties and have a clearer understanding of what's going on. It is frustrating not being able to do everything all the time, but I think making a big priority enables you to do more of the fun and necessary. I also have amazing friends and wherever we go we have a blast!

Love and blessings,
Jane

JaneCFer · Dec 4, 2011

I am also at college, luckily most of my friends are majoring in the medical specialties and have a clearer understanding of what's going on. It is frustrating not being able to do everything all the time, but I think making a big priority enables you to do more of the fun and necessary. I also have amazing friends and wherever we go we have a blast!

Love and blessings,
Jane

JaneCFer · Dec 4, 2011

I am also at college, luckily most of my friends are majoring in the medical specialties and have a clearer understanding of what's going on. It is frustrating not being able to do everything all the time, but I think making a big priority enables you to do more of the fun and necessary. I also have amazing friends and wherever we go we have a blast!

Love and blessings,
Jane

bigstar · Dec 4, 2011

I think its not a matter of CF but a matter of personal choices. If you think you should rest or sleep go ahead and do it. Stick to that. No matter what everybody else thinks. If you think youre having a great time, enjoy it even if you have to stay up for 30 more minutes doing a treatment. If youre having a nice time, stay up late on a Saturday, dont feel guilty about it. Dont feel guilty about skipping one treatment if you did all the treatments of the week perfectly and on time. Thats my theory!
Ive been a freshman too and the first semester is kind of hard because you have to learn how to manage your time and be responsible for your health all by yourself. It gets better. But apart from CF everyone has different schedules and ideas about fun. Its not a shame wanting to go to sleep. Support your wants and needs. People are different and you cant always agree on everything. Accept others as they are. Accept yourself as you are and have fun anyways. Dont try to fit in. Theres no such thing .

bigstar · Dec 4, 2011

I think its not a matter of CF but a matter of personal choices. If you think you should rest or sleep go ahead and do it. Stick to that. No matter what everybody else thinks. If you think youre having a great time, enjoy it even if you have to stay up for 30 more minutes doing a treatment. If youre having a nice time, stay up late on a Saturday, dont feel guilty about it. Dont feel guilty about skipping one treatment if you did all the treatments of the week perfectly and on time. Thats my theory!
Ive been a freshman too and the first semester is kind of hard because you have to learn how to manage your time and be responsible for your health all by yourself. It gets better. But apart from CF everyone has different schedules and ideas about fun. Its not a shame wanting to go to sleep. Support your wants and needs. People are different and you cant always agree on everything. Accept others as they are. Accept yourself as you are and have fun anyways. Dont try to fit in. Theres no such thing .

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