# Exams



## Sar (Apr 9, 2003)

Hello,Just wondered if anyone has any words of advice. i have my final uni exams next week. and I am really not very well. by ibs gets to bad during these stressful times, the pain is bad and make me faint and the pain killers i have make me go to sleep. I have been in hospital a lot recently cos of the pain.Just wondered if anyone has any words of wisdom?Sarah xx


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## StressedStudent (May 3, 2003)

Hi Sarah,I'm in Uni too but only in 2nd yr.Is there a disability service in ur university?I take my exams in a room with other people with disabilities such as dylexsia and other stuff.What I'm trying to say is that I'm less stressed out taking an exam in this room with 8 other people than I am in an exam hall.Since ur doing ur finals maybe they'll make provisions for you. i.e. give u a room to urself.Last year during my exams, another student who was doing her finals complained that the fan in the room was too loud and they offered to give her a room to herself because she was doing her finals.I think you should try your best at getting provisions for your ibs because these are your final exams. I'm sure a room to yourself will lessen the stress for you.If worse comes to worst, you may be able to strike a deal with your lecturers since these are your finals:Explain the situation to a lecturer who teaches you or supervises your dissertation or a lecturer you know. Then ask him or her to ask one of their collegues to supervise you in their office or something, so you'd be doing the exam with just one person in the room. Remember to make the point that these are your finals and you do not want to let the IBS affect you in any way. If one lecturer doesn't work, try another.But only resort to this if there is no disability office in your college...if there is, I'm sure they'd make the provisions for you.(If they don't, sue their ass for discrimination!!)If you're still worried, just think: F**k them, it's YOUR finals..Best of Luck in the exams!!Kevin


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## Sar (Apr 9, 2003)

Hi,thanks for your reply.I am going to fo my exams in a diff room, as the hospital wrote a note to the uni explaining. when im stressed and the ibs stats up no way can i do a four hour exam with a couple of trips to the toilet!!!so im going in with dyslexic peopleStill dont know how i am going to cope with the pain and dizzyness and so on. im not very good at managing the stress/ibs thing.Sarah xx


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## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

hi sar, i know how you feel. i'm waiting on a letter from my specialist to give into the uni about ibs and how it effects me, because the letter my doc wrote was mistaken for a nurses one and because he wrote the date he first saw me with the symptoms and the date he saw me when writing the letter, she said that doesnt mean its ongoing or something, even tho the letter clearly says i have chronic diahoea and need special provisions! i would have argued with her but i know my specialist can write me a letter!i know i'll feel beter when im in a seperate room for the exams. but, it's the revision. i fall asleep in the afternoons after taking my low dose anti depressant sometimes and find it hard to concentrate sometimes. im getting better and have done a good 4 hrs today, which is 4 hours more than any other day! ive been off uni now for 3 months. ive tried to keep up with all the work and have handed it in etc, but i guess i wont know until the exam results come out how well ive managed the ibs. im trying to get better at managing it. how long have you suffered with ibs for?


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## Sar (Apr 9, 2003)

For over 5 years, although, but when i think back, maybe even longer than that. but it has become since i have been at uni and now i am doing my exams i am in such a mess i can't tell you!im trying to learn stuff for lectures i could not make from being ill, and like you, with the medication, in my case a very very strong pain killer, sends me to sleep. me exams start on monday i have one everyday for 1 week then 2 the week after then i have cartered insitute exams to do, i dont think i know enough to pass and im scared i've just messed up 4 years of my life at uni!!Sarah







xxxxxxxxx


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## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

trying to catch up with stuff from lectures becomes a living nightmare doesnt it? ive done ok with one subject but family law has become a joke basically. im beyond the point of laughing because i have no idea how i'll pass! 40% is pre seen - a scenario but u dont know the question. ive done all the notes etc for it and i do understand it, just need to memorise. the lecturer hasnt been good either - wont tell me what to revise so im stuck with literally 15 subjects to try and pick the ones that will come up!and i have a pre seen property exam and the questions are hard. need to start on all that tomorrow. i need to make lists etc of what i need to do because that helps me. do u live in uni accomodation? i have my own flat so at least i can be left alone. but feeling ill is horrible and all i wanna do is sleep in the afternoons.


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## Sar (Apr 9, 2003)

I live with my boyfriend, he is ok most the time with things, but thinks i exagerate it, which i dont, i normally do the oposite.it is better than living in a shared house which i have done in the other years thou, but last year i was on placement and i had to live by myself and i hated it!it scared me to be ill by myself as i often pass out with the pain.You sound like you prefer it thou?i totally undestand where you coming from with the sleeping thing. lolx


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## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

i much prefer living on my own. i have done for a yr now. i moved out of the student house i lived in because i didnt like the girls there. its hard tho cause ive quit work so ive got no money. need to get a summer job - no idea which firms take in students during the summer or whether i'll be ok. i know that anti depressants can take 6-8 wks to have full effect so im not giving up just yet. have u tried an anti depressant?


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## Sar (Apr 9, 2003)

How long have you been on them for? have you them to help? did you become depressed and then your ibs got bad or was it the other way around?


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## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

my ibs came out of nowhere. my specialist agreed too. nothing stressed me or anything which bought this on. i got low and down because the pain never went away and it was disrupting every day life. i couldnt go out because of it. it's really helped dull the pain. ive been on them for 3 weeks now and it can take 6-8 weeks for them to have full effect so im not giving up. i think its alsos helping control my bowel. sometimes the anxiety and stuff u get because of ur ibs can make things worse, so i needed to try and break the vicious cycle. it's a recommended treatment for chronic ibs


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## Sar (Apr 9, 2003)

im not sure about taking anti-depressents, as i dont see myself as depressed, although i am very very frustrated!!do they have any side effects?


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## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

i dont see myself as depressed either but they can really help the anxiety which comes with ibs and the ibs pain itself as it alters serotonin in the gut and blocks pain receptors. also helps u "manage" it better. im on cipralex which has the least side effects as its the newest SSRI out there. its called LEXAPRO in america. i had some nausea for the first 2 weeks and 2 occasions where i got preety sweaty. it affects ppl in different ways. im one of the only ppl i know who has had any side effects. only lasts for a max of 14 days and my sickness subsided after a few days anyway. worth it though. im suprised you havent been suggested this. i asked my family doctor what the long term options were because i had tried every spasmodic and nothing worked to dull the horrible tummy ache i was getting. he knows eveyrthing about my medical history and knew this wasnt something i had had a history and knew i wasnt exaggerating so we agreed this was the best way forward for me. my university doctor also said the drug is very effective too.


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## Sar (Apr 9, 2003)

the doctor has never suggested it and i guess I didn't know enough to ask about it as i dont seem myself as depressed, but i never thought it would help like you say it does.


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## Vicky19 (Mar 17, 2003)

neither did i. when i first read about it i thought "dont be stupid....i'm not depressed" but then i read a lot about it and found out how it all works. definitely look into it. i never knew the effect it can has. also, sometimes with ibs symtoms because u get anxious about them, they can sort of not get better because of that. this can really help that. email me if u want - would be good to chat to other uk'ers who know exactly what uni pressures etc are all about. vicky###hanson.net i clicked on ur name but couldnt see an option to send u a private message! probably me being thick!


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