Am I Well Enough For College?

So, this last week I have been at college.

Correction: I was at college on Monday, too ill to go in on Tuesday (and lost the ability to speak for much of the day), in on Thursday, then my limbs stopped working just before I got into my flat, which required Johan to lift me up the stairs then drag me into the flat, lift me onto my wheelchair then get me into bed, while I couldn’t move my arms or legs.

Luckily it was only an hour or two before I could move my arms again, and a few more hours before I could move my legs, but it made life very difficult while I couldn’t move them. For the first time, Johan had to wipe my bottom after I’d been to the toilet, which was something I was hoping he’d never have to do.

Since then, I’ve stayed pretty ill, though I did get my bath on Friday, and was able to sit up for a couple of hours on my computer. I know this is more functioning than a lot of people with severe ME, but still, this is worrying if I want to be able to continue at college, as my body is really protesting it.

I can’t rest at college as I can’t lie down.

Sitting up is now classified as high energy. It makes me feel really ill, and get a lot of unpleasant symptoms, really quickly. To do college, I have to manage it for 2 hours travelling each way, on top of my time at college. It’s often more than 6 hours in a day.

It’s too much.

So, what to do.

I could continue being stubborn, and keep going into college. Either I’ll stay as I am at the moment, or I’ll get worse. Worse means not being able to get out of bed at all, more instances of not being able to move limbs, more losing speech, and maybe new things that I’ve not experienced yet. That’s on top of the tiredness and pain getting a lot worse. I’m already struggling to cope with it, though I’m able to try and deal with it using positivity and plenty of painkillers.

I could give up college. That would mean never being able to finish A Level Computing, as South Tyneside College has discontinued it, and no other college in the area does it. I’m good at it.

Of course, getting the A Level isn’t necessary to go to uni or get a job. I can get there through other methods. It helps a lot though, and it fits my style of learning.

I’m not going to decide now. I’m going to give it another week, talk to my Computing lecturer, and see how things go. I’ll report back next Friday.