Explaining a chronic illness

[pubhealthiscool]

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I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea which explains why I am chronically fatigued. Now, I know this impacted my academic performance but I am a senior now so I didn't have it documented with my school's disability office my prior 3 years. Has anyone else had this situation? How do you explain a chronic illness especially one not as obviously obstructive as say ADHD.

 

[Lucid_Dream]

+1 to this question. I have celiac and am curious about discussing it, since it affected my life greatly.

 

[Goro]

I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea which explains why I am chronically fatigued. Now, I know this impacted my academic performance but I am a senior now so I didn't have it documented with my school's disability office my prior 3 years. Has anyone else had this situation? How do you explain a chronic illness especially one not as obviously obstructive as say ADHD.

For starters, you don't use it as an excuse for poor grades.

Rather you demonstrate who you overcame it, and thus show off your coping skills.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea which explains why I am chronically fatigued. Now, I know this impacted my academic performance but I am a senior now so I didn't have it documented with my school's disability office my prior 3 years. Has anyone else had this situation? How do you explain a chronic illness especially one not as obviously obstructive as say ADHD.

Honestly, I wouldn’t even mention this until after you got accepted. This way gains you two big benefits: #1 not being scoffed at for defending your grades and #2 getting extra test taking time and other test privileges via permission from the office of student disabilities (or whatever it’s called lol)

 

[precisiongraphic]

I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea which explains why I am chronically fatigued. Now, I know this impacted my academic performance but I am a senior now so I didn't have it documented with my school's disability office my prior 3 years. Has anyone else had this situation? How do you explain a chronic illness especially one not as obviously obstructive as say ADHD.

Honestly, I'd do a fifth year or at least an extra semester (if you're getting As this semester and next you may only need one but you'll likely need two) and show your turnaround instead of blaming an undiagnosed health issue. I would only change this advice if someone had leukemia as an undergrad or a car accident where they had to relearn how to walk. Not to minimize apnea affects (or celiac, which I had undiagnosed for most of my adult life, so I know the suck) but as Goro says it smacks of excuses.