My first official week of lectures is over, and already I can tell I'm going to thoroughly enjoy everything college life has to offer. I've met a few of my former year (who are now in third year) which was lovely, and yet scary too!
Someone asked me about if and how I told people about my list of conversation starters ( Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes, Transplant!!) and the answer is I did. I deliberated about how I would say it to people, as compared to 2 years ago, there isn't anything visibly different about me (except for the OmiGod you're 20?!). I decided to say nothing initially, as although I figured people would know eventually I didn't want them to see "Transplant" or "CF" before they saw me. People tend to react in different ways when one mentions the little fact of a transplant; some offer to carry books, get a chair, do things for you, which although well intentioned is really rather unnecessary. So at first I told nobody.
Until that is, an hour into registration I happened to sit down beside a girl who was exempt from paying registration fees as she had taken a medical deferral. I had already forked out for my fees and wondered whether I had needed to (turns out I didn't), so we chatted and then she basically asked me why I had left two years previously.
"Well...it's kind of complicated...I sort of got sick (duh! Medical deferral...real smooth!) and....well...kind of needed a transplant, which I then got AndNowImAllBetterAgain!" I said.
She was cool about it. It felt good that I'd told one person anyway. Or that I'd told one person one aspect.
Then the whole diabetes thing was easy as I just took out a needle pen and injected myself in front of people, who to my frustration and dismay paid absolutely NO attention whatsoever! Hello!! ASK ME PEOPLE!! Anyway, as it turned out someone else in the group was diabetic too. We now share needles.
And then after telling most everyone about the two (transplant, diabetest) the last bit, the whole CF bit, was like the bow on a tidy little package. It was the explanation for it all. A solution to a complicated equation. You get the idea...
What I found though, is generally most people come into college with something to tell. Not all people, but I wasn't the only person. Some things to some people seem trivial, to others seem huge. And overall, people are so accepting anyway, or else apathetic. I'm not sure...
So for my first assignment we have to draw things that represent who we are. I'm very tempted to put a donor card on the bottom of my sheet, as it is the reason I'm here. But while that matters, does it need to be said? Do I need to draw attention to myself in such a way, will I become known as the 'transplant girl' or will it be that 'wow, I should really go get a donor card'. I guess it comes down to the fact that it's all about me, and I should just focus on that...
