THE POWER OF RESILIENCE: How to Cope When You Find Out You Are Not Graduating ‘On Time’ Due to Medical Leave Hannah Brennan
Biting my nails, tapping a foot, shoving unruly hair behind an ear. It was the end of spring semester and I sat, sandwiched between my parents, as my academic advisor asked me one last time if I was sure. Was I sure? Was this the right decision? All I knew was I could not keep on going this way. Two years of college had flown by in a blur of sleepless nights and groggy days. Miraculously, I had made it through four semesters, but I knew in my heart that carrying on like this was not sustainable. It was time for me to step back, take a break, and give myself the time to heal by taking a medical leave from school. Making the decision to take time off was not an easy one. I was wracked with guilt about falling behind my peers, disappointing my parents, and the overall feeling of failure. Expectation dictates that we are supposed to go to college, have the time of our lives, and graduate in four years with new perspective and life experience.
The first two years of my college career had been spent with a constant weight on my shoulders, and so I was unable to take full advantage of experience. What I did not know when I moved down to D.C. for university, was that I was suffering a combination of invisible illnesses. An invisible illness is an illness that impacts a person’s ability to conduct their own life and function normally, and it is something that you can’t see. Most people with invisible illnesses experience subjective symptoms like extreme fatigue, joint and body pain, and headaches. I had been dealing with my symptoms for years, but the transition to college exacerbated my conditions. Upon giving myself the opportunity of a medical leave, I discovered I was living with multiple autoimmune disorders coupled with severe OCD, general anxiety, and depression. Day in and day out I suffered from debilitating symptoms that seriously impacted my daily functions. I dealt with overwhelming fatigue and joint pain and I was frequently getting sick. No amount of tea or coffee could fuel me throughout my classes and by the time my head hit the pillow it was impossible to sleep. I existed in that foggy state that comes
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