What do you say when (well first of all when you're going to be tripled for your freshman year in a double-occupancy dorm room, in a suite where 4 rooms share 2 showers, but that's not really the issue) when your two stranger-roommates, after speaking a bit over Facebook, send you a message in which they do not want to be in the top bunk of the bunk bed?
I really don't want to go low one night, reach for glucose tabs, and fall 6 feet to the hard tile floor. So I told them (again, via Facebook message) that I've got a chronic illness and that I just cannot sleep on the top bunk. I'll have to have the bottom bunk, or the unbunked bed.
I don't want to have people judging me already, saying I'm spoiled or like to make "drama"-- that's so far from the truth! I just want to get along.
you are in college, you're suppose to be adults. adults who are roommates and live together do not discuss this kinda stuff online. set up a time to sit down with them in the room and talk about it. if they don't know much about type 1, bring some information with you and tell them why you need to be on the bottom bunk. be polite.
if at the end, they are still bugging you about it, go and talk to the housing department. explain the situation, maybe having a supervised discussion with the housing department and your roommates will help. if not, maybe you can switch to another room OR your roommate who doesn't want the top bunk can have the option to move instead.
It really is tough. Of course, I've never been in this situation before, so I'm trying to handle it the best I possibly can. Hopefully, we won't have any problems, and they will be respectful and understanding. I'll have to wait and see how they react. Unfortunately I'm going to school 400 miles away so we can't get together before school starts. But I'm planning on talking to them right after we arrive about how my life is a little different.
If they're mature adults, then they should be able to accept me. Roommates are there to support each other. Not to completely take care of or be in charge of one another, but to be there. I hope mine will be there, in that way, for me.
There's a couple of thoughts I had when I read this...
1) why do these two get to decide amongst themselves that you get the top bunk. ?
2) your concerns are interesting. I slept on the top bunk in college and didn't have any problems. You can get all sorts of compartments, etc. to store glucose tabs or meter or whatever up in your top bunk.
Obviously this is for you to decide, but just be sure your reasons are valid and there really isn't another way. If you decide maybe diabetes isn't a hinderance and you just don't want the top bunk... by all means, seems to me you have just as much of a right to the lower beds as your roommates.
If you decide that diabetes does require your needing the bottom bunk, I think the options the others gave above about talking to the girls off-line first and then asking the housing personelle to help you all figure this out. I'm always very cautious of using diabetes as an excuse if there is another way.
I hope you are able to figure this out. Not a fun way to start your college career.
Just explain the situation, and work it, make sure they understand why and if they do they will respond better (hopefully!) Also, keep in mind if they don't & your having a hard time you can always request a change!
Senior year, my roommate and I took turns (We shared a room in an on-campus apt with 3 bedrooms). So, fall semester she had the top and then spring I did. I'm scared of heights but I learned to live with it! I didn't love it, but I survived...
Do you have a CGM, so it can alert you before you get really low at night? That way you don't pass out in the top bunk & fall out -- then you should be ok. (:
Maybe explain, it's much easier with my D to be on the bottom, but if this is a big concern for you to be on top, let's at least take turns, b/c I'm making a sacrifice too.
I hope it works out better in person -- good luck!
my freshman and sophomore year i had top bunk... but our beds weren't bunked. our furniture was stackable to create more room in the dorm. our beds were bunked on top of the desk and dresser. i couldn't sit up in bed without smacking my head on the ceiling :o) i never worried about being low. we didn't even have ladders to climb up to the bed - we had to climb on the furniture and hoist ourselves up. on our beds there was a small, low railing on the side to prevent you from rolling off the side.
if you are concerned about it, you might have to further and explain to them about diabetes and what low blood sugar is. if you just explain it as a "chronic illness" they might be confused about what that means, and can't understand why being on the top or bottom bunk would matter. i'm sure if you take the time to explain to them the basics they will have a better understanding. you even might feel brave once you get to school and try out the top bunk. there isn't much to be scared of :o)
I can also give testimony that low blood sugars + top bunk doesn't always = falling out. I had a top bunk (or a "loft bed"...which is a top bunk without the bottom bunk, like C explained) freshman - junior years. I never once fell out!
The others have given good advice. Talking to them in person, when you're all there, is a good plan - or maybe talking on the phone (vs. Facebook) beforehand woudl help, too.
another thing you could do is create a mini pouch and put it next to your bed on a specific corner etc, so you can just reach and get it if you feel a low bg!
At least hearing from you all that you never had any problems makes me feel better. It turns out that one girl wanted the bottom bunk/unbunked bed because she wants to study there but that as long as she could sit up up there it would be fine. I told her she could always do her hw on my bed anyway. I guess I could see how first sem goes and then if I don't have any problems with nighttime lows, I may switch to the top after a while to be fair. I'm trying to get away from those pesky lows anyway, so hopefully I soon won't have to worry at all! At least since we're tripled only one of us has to be up really high, and even so the triple may be resolved by the end of first semester. In that case I would only have 1 roommate and we wouldn't have to bunk the beds.
I did get a bedside caddy that tucks between the mattress and the bedframe, which will be a helpful place to store glucose tabs, granola bars, etc.
Oh and Sarah, I do not have a CGM. I am not really ready to try it yet, especially since it is another needle and another site and another device to learn how to use. I will someday though :)