Abscences due to inspecific health issues

[vergil96]

Okay so I have a question. I have zero idea what I should be doing. I'm ill. I don't have any specific illness. Today I had a bunch of weird symptoms and fainted. I sleep 10-11 hours a day recently and undereat. I try to glue myself together with coffee, perhaps I drink too much coffee to function at all. Perhaps I'm dyhydrated. I have just a few classes until the end of the term. The next term I will have half the current number of classes. I want to just pass the classes and presence is required. I can get a sick leave form a doctor, but I don't know how I should handle the situation with the teachers and how to make sure that I'll get the points I need for management classes. Should I write emails? What should I write in the emails? The system doesn't predict that someone can get ill for a long time and that there is no single diagnosis that can be made.

 

[Judge]

I once knew a coworker with perhaps similar symptoms. When he would stand up, he'd faint. Lying prone he could remain fully conscious. He was understandably alarmed about it, and went to several doctors who just couldn't figure it out.

The last doctor he saw diagnosed him relatively quickly. Suggesting he increase the potassium that his metabolism seemed to lack. BTW, bananas are a good and simple way of upping your potassium.

After that he was back in the office working his usual self. A success story that wasn't complicated. But with such symptoms you never know what you may be initially dealing with.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Are you on a ramen and coffee diet, with fasting in between?

When I was in school I made myself terribly ill from this. My daughter also would come home from college during breaks, really sick and fatigued.

Protein is the most important nutrient. Every cell is made from it. You need to be eating some form of protein with every meal. Meat is best, as it is assimilated easiest into the body- you are what you eat!!

Also you need at least 1/2 gallon of water per day. Eight, eight ounce glasses is the minimum.

Your bodyweight/ 16 is the calculation for how much water, in ounces, your organs, brain, blood vessels, etc need to function properly.

Caffeine is an astringent. That means it pulls water from the brain, the kidneys, the cardiovascular system, etc. It causes vascular constriction. That's a fancy phrase that means it narrows your blood vessels.

A little caffeine can be good for you. But a diet of caffeine beverages will cause heaps of health problems.

You need to focus not on people. You need to focus on your studies. You need to perhaps take 2 mg of melatonin at 8pm each night. School is for school.

Do you have a meal plan with your school? Set a goal to eat breakfast and dinner at least, every single day. Lunch is optimum too, but a few bites of an energizing snack is acceptable. Think oranges. Or veggies with hummus. Minimum.

You are building a life for yourself in school. You are building a future. You can't just force yourself through it. That cliche is only in movies and it never works for anyone. You need to, for the sake of your body and your future, take care of your health so that you can be an efficient learner and worker.

 

[Kalinychta]

Okay so I have a question. I have zero idea what I should be doing. I'm ill. I don't have any specific illness. Today I had a bunch of weird symptoms and fainted. I sleep 10-11 hours a day recently and undereat. I try to glue myself together with coffee, perhaps I drink too much coffee to function at all. Perhaps I'm dyhydrated. I have just a few classes until the end of the term. The next term I will have half the current number of classes. I want to just pass the classes and presence is required. I can get a sick leave form a doctor, but I don't know how I should handle the situation with the teachers and how to make sure that I'll get the points I need for management classes. Should I write emails? What should I write in the emails? The system doesn't predict that someone can get ill for a long time and that there is no single diagnosis that can be made.

To find out why you’re ill you should see a doctor. As for how to handle school if you’re too ill to continue this term, contact an academic advisor at your school. They’ll be able to answer your questions.

 

[vergil96]

contact an academic advisor at your school.

There is none

 

[vergil96]

I tried to email someone last term, she was a psychologist and she was rude to me

 

[Kalinychta]

There is none

Yes there are. There’s no such thing as a college or university that doesn’t employ academic advisors. Go to the Student Services building.

 

[vergil96]

Yes there are. There’s no such thing as a college or university that doesn’t employ academic advisors. Go to the Student Services building.

I'm sorry, I don't understand the assumptions you're making, because there are no academic advisors or Student Services at my university. Perhaps you're assuming I'm from the US, UK or Canada. I'm not.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

We have our students contact the instructors. Our instructors have an office phone with a message recorder. We also give out the cell phone number so that students can text. Keep in contact with the instructors and keep them abreast of the situation. Don't leave them in the dark.

There are specific circumstances in which tests and labs can be made up. However, if it is a prolonged absence and you are unable to do assignments at home and turn them in (file attachment on an e-mail), then you simply miss out on those points and risk a lower grade, or you may be forced to drop the class as a "withdrawal" on your record (if it is early enough in the term).

At any rate, maybe best to see a physician, perhaps get some labs drawn, etc.

 

[vergil96]

I did see a doctor (or rather family, I come from a family of doctors), it's "just" hunger and dehydration.

 

[Outdated]

Perhaps I'm dyhydrated.

This can be a much bigger problem than you think, especially if like me you have low blood pressure. As you dehydrate your blood pressure drops more and more. It's been a problem with me all my life because I often don't realise I'm thirsty and I forget to drink.

Drink water, just plain water.

 

[Kalinychta]

I'm sorry, I don't understand the assumptions you're making, because there are no academic advisors or Student Services at my university. Perhaps you're assuming I'm from the US, UK or Canada. I'm not.

Look up the term “academic advisor” online and figure out what the equivalent in your country is called, because all colleges and universities have them no matter where you are in the world.

 

[vergil96]

Keep in contact with the instructors and keep them abreast of the situation. Don't leave them in the dark.

I have email addresses. But what should I write? I'm just exhausted to the point of possibly ending up in the ER after collapsing.

 

[vergil96]

Look up the term “academic advisor” online and figure out what the equivalent in your country is called, because all colleges and universities have them no matter where you are in the world.

I tell you that there is none. There is nothing like that, you can just contact the deanery about formal issues. They just deal with finances, assigments of classes and grades, formal sick leaves, student IDs etc. It's not possible to email them just "to chat and figure out". You either have a formal issue or you don't. The teachers are approachable, but I have no idea what I should tell them so that it doesn't come across as whining or that I get my point through.

 

[Kalinychta]

I have email addresses. But what should I write? I'm just exhausted to the point of possibly ending up in the ER after collapsing.

Well before you write anything shouldn’t you go see a doctor and find out what’s wrong? That’s going to be the first thing whoever you email is going to want to know: what your diagnosis is. If you’re not willing to see a doctor I don’t think I’d bother emailing anyone, because you’re not going to get out of class just because you don’t feel good; you’re going to need a documented medical reason, and even then it’s going to have to be serious enough to warrant your absence.

The doctors in your family said your symptoms are from hunger and dehydration. Are you not eating and drinking enough?

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I have email addresses. But what should I write? I'm just exhausted to the point of possibly ending up in the ER after collapsing.

Just keep it concise. "Having some health issues. Under the care of a physician right now. Will keep you posted." If they respond back and you are able to have a brief discussion about assignments that may be due, then address that.

In the mean time, focus on getting better. Get yourself rehydrated with water, with a small pinch of salt added. NOT sugary drinks. Nothing with caffeine.

Sometimes eating too much, especially carbs and fruit sugars, can cause an inflammatory response and electrolyte imbalances and make you feel even worse. Even if you are eating a small meal once a day with good fats and protein, you should be fine. Just focus on getting properly rehydrated. The food intake can be ramped up later when you're feeling better.

 

[Tom]

You can't just ignor things and expect solutions anyway. If you want the grades, eat and drink properly and attend classes. Are you unconciously sabotaging yourself?

 

[Aspychata]

Water consumption very important. Too much caffeine, means not good quality sleep, you can't function on no sleep. Protein is important to power thru day, and breaks, stretch, walk to bathroom and back. If you can get up early, then just meditate on finishing up classes. You are almost done. I had appendicitis, and attended school for two weeks even though l felt really rundown. The teacher told the entire class about it. Any ways, you are almost done. You could just ask to reschedule tests, if you can get a doctor's note just saying you are just wiped out with being ND?

 

[Slime_Punk]

Undereating can cause electrolyte imbalances (if that's not obvious), and we need fuel. What's causing the undereating, though? I'd investigate that part of it first, honestly.

I mean, it sounds simple on the surface (again, obviously... I hope) but I'd be concerned with maybe not having an appetite or whatever is driving it. Serious problems can cause us to stop eating, so that part might be worth seeing another professional about. Your health matters, even though it's hard for a lot of us to get help on this front.

 

[vergil96]

This can be a much bigger problem than you think, especially if like me you have low blood pressure. As you dehydrate your blood pressure drops more and more. It's been a problem with me all my life because I often don't realise I'm thirsty and I forget to drink.

Drink water, just plain water.

I got told to measure blood pressure and it turns out mine is low too, so yeah, same problem.

Are you on a ramen and coffee diet, with fasting in between?

Fortunately not ramen any more, eating food not prepared at home gave me all sorts of issues, so yes, I cook and include meat and vegetables and don't fry on lots of oil. Home cooked meals have a lot better ingredients.

Caffeine is an astringent. That means it pulls water from the brain, the kidneys, the cardiovascular system, etc. It causes vascular constriction. That's a fancy phrase that means it narrows your blood vessels.

Oh, I knew that caffeine is a diuretic and that it causes quicker dehydration, but if it causes also blood vessels to comstrict, that can explain the dizziness and fainting.

You need to perhaps take 2 mg of melatonin at 8pm each night. School is for school.

My sleep is fine, luckily. I go for walks everyday and sleep at regular times and 9 hours.

Do you have a meal plan with your school? Set a goal to eat breakfast and dinner at least, every single day. Lunch is optimum too, but a few bites of an energizing snack is acceptable. Think oranges. Or veggies with hummus. Minimum.

I eat two times a day at worst, but that's too few times for me, I feel best with 3 or 4. I need to eat more regularly, but I somehow can't figure out how to do everything and be on time.

For example, yesterday I woke up after 11 hours of sleep (I don't think I woke up in the middle), had to sit for a bit with a coffee and I was already shaking from hunger, because the previous meal was a large dinner (rice, meat, vegetables) at 7pm. I ate scrambled eggs with 1.5 slice of bread, rode the stationary bike to wake up, took a shower and I had to get ready and leave. I have classes in the afternoon. I began classes at 3.30pm and finished at 6.30pm. I ate pasta with chicken near home at 7pm and 2 sandoches for supper and didn't have the strength to do much else in the evening: shower, film, read something, went to sleep. Someone told me to pack lunch (the same rice meat and veggies as 2 days ago) on the previous day, because the scrambled eggs and 1.5 slice of bread until 7pm seemed to be the problem according to him.

Lunch is optimum too, but a few bites of an energizing snack is acceptable. Think oranges. Or veggies with hummus. Minimum.

I'll think about it, thank you. It seriously didn't cross my mind that a snack might be worth eating at home or taking.