It can be more than you think
Erin Ogden, a sophomore at NW, was playing golf last year when she twisted her back. Later that day, she jumped out of her bed and herniated a disk. She went to the emergency room, but they were not sure what happened, so she returned to her room in Fern and tried to deal with the pain.
She then called her mother who, along with Erin, contacted the hospital and the wellness center to figure out a plan of action. They easily scheduled an MRI and X-ray. Erin had to miss a lot of class due to this injury and she was worried because it was about two weeks before finals. However, Northwestern faculty showed grace.
“They were really nice about it,” Erin remembers. They excused Erin from classes and gave her ample time to catch up on class work. Erin got her back surgery shortly after school ended in May last year.
Ignoring it won’t make it go away
Brandon Ogren, a senior at NW, had mono last spring. He was sick for over a month. When he first got sick, he continued to go to class for the first week. He then made an appointment at the wellness center where he had blood taken to determine his illness.
He found out he got mono and began to make arrangements with his professors. Even though he got out of going to class, he still had to make sure that he did the reading and the assignments for each of his classes.
While his professors were accommodating, his workplace was not, and Brandon was still required to either work or find a replacement for each shift. Brandon tried to get a lot of rest and took vitamin C.
“I drank a lot of Naked,” said Brandon. Brandon’s sickness affected his productiveness and made it hard for him to catch up toward the end of the semester.
1. Talk to your R.A.
– They can contact your professors for you to let them know about your absence from class.
– They can also take your temperature and determine whether you should be in isolation.
2. Make an appointment at the wellness center.
– Michelle Van Wyhe is the nurse on campus and she can diagnose you and give you a prescription.
3. Get your prescription.
– Meds can be purchased at Dutchmill Pharmacy, Fareway Pharmacy or at Wal Mart in Sioux Center.
4. Get some rest.
– Stay in the dorm and get some rest. In college, it is easy to overwork yourself which can make you more sick.
