USA
Heart-to-heart advice for young people coping with chronic pain
Article Review from Fibromyalgia AWARE Magazine (Feb-May 2003)
by Diana Karol Nagy
Laura Kalbach shares some advice for teens with juvenile fibromyalgia or any other chronic pain disorder. Kalbach is in 10th grade, and has fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.
She says that a student's guidance counselor can be a big help in dealing with your disability.
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Kalbach suggests a "service contract" with the school, so that accommodations can be received all school year. (Note from your Guide: This is often referred to as a "504 Plan".) You will most likely need medical documentation of your condition.
Some things Kalbach suggests for your plan are:
access to an elevator
extra time between classes
an extra locker, so you don't have to carry all your books at once
an extra set of books for home
class notes from the teacher if there is a lot of note-taking
access to a computer for long written assignments
extra time for tests if you become fatigued easily
regular meetings with your counselor to help out with any problems
home tutoring arrangements for extended absences
a note on file to excuse morning tardies for the whole year, in case of difficult mornings
Kalbach likes to arrange her school schedule in the summer. She visits her counselor a few weeks before school begins to plan out her classes. Some suggestions she makes here are to:
Schedule a study hall first thing in the morning, if this is a difficult time for you; or schedule it last, if you tire by the end of the day.
Find out which teachers are more likely to be supportive.
Think about how far apart the classrooms are, and think about locker placement.
If physical education (PE) is a requirement, find out if adapted PE or a "contract" PE class is available. Contract PE is where you can earn PE credit for an agreed upon physical activity, in or out of school.
Kalbach says it's also important to stay active outside of school, both physically and socially. However, she cautions against over-doing it. If you work, consider a job that is not physically taxing.
If your peers tease you, Kalbach suggests either remaining neutral or using humor. Finding friends who support you is important, she goes on to say.
"Do not be afraid to ask for support when you need it. Always keep physically active in order to stay in shape for the more difficult times. Most importantly, know yourself and what is right for you."
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For more information on Fibromyalgia AWARE Magazine or to subscribe, see the National Fibromyalgia Association's website at: www.fmaware.org
This article review is not intended to be an endorsement for Fibromyalgia AWARE Magazine or the National Fibromyalgia Association. It only serves to provide information about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome to health care consumers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Article Review from Fibromyalgia AWARE Magazine (Feb-May 2003)
by Diana Karol Nagy
Laura Kalbach shares some advice for teens with juvenile fibromyalgia or any other chronic pain disorder. Kalbach is in 10th grade, and has fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.
She says that a student's guidance counselor can be a big help in dealing with your disability.
Advertisement
Kalbach suggests a "service contract" with the school, so that accommodations can be received all school year. (Note from your Guide: This is often referred to as a "504 Plan".) You will most likely need medical documentation of your condition.
Some things Kalbach suggests for your plan are:
access to an elevator
extra time between classes
an extra locker, so you don't have to carry all your books at once
an extra set of books for home
class notes from the teacher if there is a lot of note-taking
access to a computer for long written assignments
extra time for tests if you become fatigued easily
regular meetings with your counselor to help out with any problems
home tutoring arrangements for extended absences
a note on file to excuse morning tardies for the whole year, in case of difficult mornings
Kalbach likes to arrange her school schedule in the summer. She visits her counselor a few weeks before school begins to plan out her classes. Some suggestions she makes here are to:
Schedule a study hall first thing in the morning, if this is a difficult time for you; or schedule it last, if you tire by the end of the day.
Find out which teachers are more likely to be supportive.
Think about how far apart the classrooms are, and think about locker placement.
If physical education (PE) is a requirement, find out if adapted PE or a "contract" PE class is available. Contract PE is where you can earn PE credit for an agreed upon physical activity, in or out of school.
Kalbach says it's also important to stay active outside of school, both physically and socially. However, she cautions against over-doing it. If you work, consider a job that is not physically taxing.
If your peers tease you, Kalbach suggests either remaining neutral or using humor. Finding friends who support you is important, she goes on to say.
"Do not be afraid to ask for support when you need it. Always keep physically active in order to stay in shape for the more difficult times. Most importantly, know yourself and what is right for you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information on Fibromyalgia AWARE Magazine or to subscribe, see the National Fibromyalgia Association's website at: www.fmaware.org
This article review is not intended to be an endorsement for Fibromyalgia AWARE Magazine or the National Fibromyalgia Association. It only serves to provide information about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome to health care consumers.
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