[Fire_Star]

Hi,
I have a meeting with the university disability officer tomorrow and was wondering if anyone had suggestions so I can get the most out of the meeting. Also, how do you handle study during episodes?

My doctor was suppose to write a letter with recommendations for the officer but the letter she did was dodgy so I don't really know how to go forward with anything. All I know is I currently can't handle the workload of one of my courses because it's always changing how things are being done, so it's making me trip out.

I'm currently going through mixed episode and I don't have the option to do study part time or take the semester off due to other things. :-(

[grizmom]

I never made it to college, so I don't know what advice to give on the studying. As far as the appointment, the only advice I can think of is to be as honest as possible so they know how to help you. Best of luck to you!!

[IndigoRose]

Is there a way for you to take some of your courses on-line?

[Fire_Star]

Unfortunately, no. All my courses require me to do activities on campus due to the equipment need or the criteria set. I have seminars and field work I must complete. I do field work for 16hrs a week which is really tiring me out as I'm currently having my med dosages messed with so my productivity is crap, hah. I'm hoping I have a good enough reason to be allowed to cut back some of the field work as I can do most of it at home anyway.

[gravyyy]

ugh.. hopefully it'll work out Fire STar, but is there the option to take an incomplete at the end of the term if you're not done with all of your field work. I'm working on my Master's degree and during one rough semester with my mood and med changes I explained to the professors that I was ill and what was going on and why I wasn't able to complete all of the course work and they were very accomodating. I got an incomplete for both courses and just had to have the course work finished and turned in by the end of the summer term. It was so helpful. I think if you're just honest and tell them about your meds or even give them handouts from the internet (from like Drugs.com or whatever) on the side effects maybe they'll understand better. You have to realize that the disability services deals with cases like yours all the time. It's nothing new for them to have to try to accomodate someone with a mental illness. Hopfully they'll be understanding but my advice to you, like I said, is just be honest with them. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[IndigoRose]

How did the meeting go?

[Fire_Star]

So the meeting was okay. The disability officer was lovely.

During the appointment we called the main coordinator for the course that was really being impacted. She wasn't particular nice and I got upset. She ranted on how everyone at the moment is trying to work from home (instead of field work) by saying they have the flu. Everything she said at the start of the conversation was making out I was trying to lie to her even though the disability officer was talking to her! You'd think that would show it was a legit situation but no.

After that the disability officer tried to get her off her rant about student's having the flu but then the coordinator was pressuring the officer to read out all my medical documentation to her over the phone. After she said she'd e-mail it, and not do it over the phone the coordinator pretty much said she won't discuss anything at all until I get letters from my pdoc and regular GP (even though i got one from my GP already). Sigh.

But we have a face to face meeting next week and the disability officer is going to come with me to prove to this woman that I am actually sick and trying to set up things to get the best project outcome; not cause I'm fricken lazy. ><

Even once we get through to her, she's going to be the one to discuss my situation with my field supervisor and that makes me uncomfortable. I rather the disability officer be involved but at the moment is sounds like the coordinator isn't thinking the officer needs a chance to speak to them. I really hate this course. ><

[IndigoRose]

I'm sorry you weren't met with an awful lot of empathy or compassion, but clearly you're not trying to dodge your responsibilities, ya know? Nor do you have "the flu". UHH! Frustrating. I think it's probably best to let the medical stuff speak for itself.

[Fire_Star]

Got my ammo now - have letters from my GP and my pdoc so I'm going to take this course lady down. :P

[grizmom]

Originally Posted by Fire_Star

Got my ammo now - have letters from my GP and my pdoc so I'm going to take this course lady down. :P

Go get 'em!!

[Fire_Star]

****ing hell - so the meeting was fail.

We went in, gave her the letters to read over that she requested. She then asked to keep them. The disability officer said it's not normal practice as it's not required if the disability office has it. But then the course lady went on how the info in it will remind her what i need support with so I said she could kept my docs though I didn't want her to have them.

The we somehow started talking about my timetable. I was saying how i don't have time to change things. But then the course lady said i have no classes Monday. I knew i did, but my memory is bad at the moment and was totally blank on what I do on Mondays so just got teary and agitated. She the course lady then said she wants to speak with the disability officer so to "not upset" me and put me in another room.

So i missed the whole meeting about me. Brilliant.

After they were done, the disability officer gave me a summary. Pretty much, the course lady won't accommodate me the way my pdoc, gp and the disability officer is recommending. I can't do less hours of field work, she's making me do everything the same regardless. She said that the course has 'built in support'. I'm sorry, but get ****ed, I will not answer "what problems do you have" in the weekly survey in regards to my health when I don't even know which academics are reading my ****!

Her suggests won't work and if they didn't kick me out of the meeting, i could have told her so. She wanted to change days, rooms I'm in at the office and drop courses. I have reasons why all those can't work in my situation, but hey, she thinks she's been helpful now. ><

Rage.

[grizmom]

Well that sucks! I would be so flaming angry! I'm sorry that she was so cold and uncompassionate. Best of luck to you

[IndigoRose]

I'm sorry I'm reading this late, I've been battling migraines the last few days.

I'm disgusted with the results of that meeting, and I wasn't even there! I wish I had the perfect advice for you Fire Star, but I don't. I know what I would do in the situation, but clearly you & I have different academic & professional fields. I have been lucky to do a lot of my major stuff on-line and I tend to do my field work solo because it's pretty much a solo profession. I do however think she's being awfully hard on you. Clearly she doesn't get it. Clearer still, she doesn't want to. Either she's ignorant or she's in denial. Either way, there's got to be an agreement you can all come to. Maybe not today or this week, but soon. Have you considered talking to her privately?

I totally understand not wanting her knowing your whole life story, I've been there, but she may need a larger shove to meet you halfway. Give yourself a little time to think on it, and then go from there.

[Fire_Star]

Well, for now I'm going to leave her be and try to talk to my field supervisor. She's somewhat aware I have a condition but not much details, so hopefully if I can make her understand, I can work out going home earlier on my bad days with her instead and she won't report it as poor conduct to the course manager.

I might go back to talk to the course manager but I'm not stable at the moment and everytime I've dealt with her she's triggered me so it's not worth it for my health. Maybe I'll just do it via e-mail. :/

[IndigoRose]

Some people just have a gift for triggering others. I think an e-mail is actually a good idea.