Moving to college, or away from home, is a big change. There is a lot that goes into making that transition comfortable and successful. There are millions of posts on the internet about learning to manage time, learning to navigate a new city, and how to organize dorm rooms. One thing that I do not see a lot, and was very important in my move, was how to manage my medical information. 

I moved to college within a month of having a major surgery, and proceeded to face tons of complications while I was there. I had to learn how to find new doctors and take care of a host of new symptoms. While this may not be the “normal” college experience, I have found it is the experience of many people who live with chronic illness, especially invisible or rare diseases. I wanted to share tips on keeping organized so that you can manage your health on a daily basis and are prepared for emergencies. 

*This is not medical advice. It is important to talk to your doctor about your individual situation.

1. Write a “book”: Make a folder with all of your medical information that you would need to take to a new doctor. If you do need to go to a clinic or ER, you will have all of your information in one place. Include pages with a list of your diagnoses, your current medications and allergies, a scan of your insurance card if you do not keep one with you, and explanatory information about your conditions if they are rare. Another helpful thing to have is a letter from your doctor about emergency treatment you may need. Emergencies do not always happen, but when they do, it is nice to have a clear letter that will help health care providers understand your situation and take your concerns seriously. Your “book” is also a good place to keep your doctor’s contact information. 

2. Scope out the campus: Every campus has a health clinic, but not all of them are prepared to do the same things. Learn what medical resources they are prepared to offer you before you arrive on campus. In my situation, I found that it was more helpful for me to establish with a specialist in the area who could help me with more complicated flair ups in a way that the campus clinic was not designed to do. It is always better to learn this before you need medical attention. Your campus clinic should be able to recommend local doctors/health care systems if you need medical providers outside of their clinic. 

3. Make a medicine cabinet: Everyone takes the basic bottle of ibuprofen and bandaids to college. But as a person with a chronic illness, you most likely have prescription medication as well as some over the counter essentials for flair ups. Buy new over the counter medications/supplements to take with you. This way you have some at home and some on campus ready to go. For your daily prescriptions, ask your doctor if it is possible to get a 90 day supply instead of the typical 30 day supply. This will make it possible to only go to the pharmacy once or twice a semester which can be a huge help, especially if you do not have a car on campus. 

4. Keep an emergency card: Keep an emergency card in your wallet with contact information and anything an EMT might need to know in an emergency. This will give you peace of mind as you move to a new environment and start spending time with new people who are not aware of the type of medical attention you might need in an emergency. The Loeys-Dietz Foundation has a great template on their website. 

The bottom line is: managing health away from home for the first time can be intimidating (for both kid and parent) but you can set yourself up for success before you step foot on campus. Talk to your doctors about your concerns, learn what medical care you have access to at school, and use all the resources you have access to to make a plan on how you will manage your health, deal with flair ups, and handle emergencies.