Impact on Acedemic Performance free essay sample

It’s eight o’clock on a Tuesday night. Dance is just ending. I think about checking my phone to see if I have a message from Mitchell, the guy I really like. The instructor dismisses us and the text from him is angry. Great we’re in a fight. Normal sophomore drama. Walking out to the car, my mom asks if anything is bothering me. â€Å"No. Everything’s fine. Can we get Arby’s?† I say, trying not to cry. As I un-wrap my Beef ‘n Cheddar, my phone goes off. Please don’t let it be him yelling at me. I’m shocked to see it’s a text from my friend. â€Å"Is Mrs. Fischer alright? Elise has a Facebook status saying she loves her?† I ask my mom about it. They have been really close for years. And my mom says, â€Å"Yeah she’s fine. I just talked to her yesterday. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact on Acedemic Performance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I should give her a call when we get home.† I walk through the door, give my dad his food, and my mom goes on the computer. The phone rings. At that moment I knew things aren’t okay with Mrs. Fischer. My mom walks into the kitchen she picks up the phone. She screams and drops the papers she was carrying. As she was crying, I hear her say into the phone, â€Å"No. That can’t be true! I just talked to her yesterday. No.† By then I knew what happened. My mom, still on the phone, says the words that shook me. â€Å"She killed herself.† Emotions run through my head; sadness, anger, frightened. At this point, the fight I am having with Mitchell no longer matters. I start dialing the number of Mrs. Fischer’s youngest daughter. Voicemail. I have been close with her since kindergarten. Crying I leave her a message, â€Å"I’m so sorry. I can’t believe this. I love you so much and please call me right away.† Within five minutes, my parents are on their way to the Fischer’s house. I go up stairs and crawl into bed. Why did she do it? The woman who has been a second mom to me is now gone. Tears stream down my face. Hours pass and the clock now says three in the morning. Have I really been crying for this long!? How will I function in school tomorrow!? I eventually wake up to my alarm. Please say that was a bad dream. But that really happened. Focusing in school was nearly impossible, as was staying awake. That dragged on for months. Every day that passes, a memory of Mrs. Fischer goes through my head. I keep asking myself the same question: Why? Everyone else does too. Her family is still in mourning. But spending more time with them helps with the pain. And speaking with one teacher that knows how the loss has affected me makes things easier. Happy memories make the tears go away, but also come back. I’ve began accepting her loss and this makes my day easier. I no longer fall asleep in class and my grades are stronger. *** It’s another Tuesday night at eight o’clock and dance is almost over. The text that might be waiting for me doesn’t matter. A guy that I really like is mad, but that isn’t important, either. The last breath and finishing my routine is my focus. Looking back in the mirror, the song finishes. Why the sudden change? My mind still wanders back to the Tuesday night two years ago. Mrs. Fischer leaving us made me realize living for today and enjoying every bit of life is the most important thing. A tear runs down my cheek and a smile forms. That amazing woman made me a stronger person. Impact on Acedemic Performance free essay sample My sophomore year started out great. I was on the girls’ gymnastics team and had recently received my driver’s license. But as second semester got underway, things changed. It was the home gymnastics meet. I was ready to perform, when something started feeling wrong. Thinking it was just my nerves, my coach and I decided I should sit out to relax and pull myself together. Although the setback, I performed my routine successfully. However, the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach was still there, and it seemed to be getting worse. As the weekend went on, I seemed to be feeling better. Monday came, and while sitting in my third hour class, the dreaded feeling returned. This time it was much more intense. I tried to stay focused on the lesson, but this was not easy; I knew something wasn’t right. Two weeks later, it hadn’t improved. In fact, it had gotten worse. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact on Acedemic Performance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Twenty to thirty trips to the bathroom every day had been added to the list of symptoms. I was missing school and gymnastics practice almost every day, and a trip to the doctor resulted in an initial diagnosis of a stomach virus. Eating had become a chore, as was simply getting out of bed. I was losing weight—about ten pounds already—and energy, and my family and I doubted that this was just a stomach virus. After three weeks, I had only left the house once for a doctor visit. This appointment led to many tests, all of which came back negative. Nobody knew what was wrong with me. I was consumed with feelings of frustration, sadness and loneliness, as my days and nights were filled with tears and unanswered questions. My mom made several telephone calls to try to find a specialist that would see me; all said they would not see me until I’ve had symptoms for six to eight weeks. It had now been four. My days consisted of sleeping, going to the bathroom, and crying out of frustration and pain. I could no longer lie down in bed because of the increased pain, which left me trying to sleep in a sitting position. Persistent, my mom found a specialist who said I would need a colonoscopy/endoscopy. I would wait another week for this procedure, during which time I was given some medications to make me more comfortable. But things worsened. Dehydration and additional weight loss caused fainting episodes, ultimately resulting in multiple trips to the Emergency Room. After the procedures, my doctor said, â€Å"You have Ulcerative Colitis†. I didn’t know what to think. I felt relief knowing what was wrong, but I was also scared. The doctor proceeded to tell me that I would be put on medications that would control the disease; however, one of them (Prednisone, a steroid) would potentially come with some harsh side effects. At the time, the side effects seemed very insignificant. I would have done anything to feel better. I wasn’t worried. Over the next week, things seemed to improve. However, a week later, I hit another bump in the road. I had horrible reactions to one of the medications, including vomiting and joint pain. My doctor ordered a change to my medication, and the disease was somewhat controlled through the rest of the school year and summer. The steroids packed an emotional punch, but the disease symptoms were definitely better and more tolerable. I tried my hardest to stay focused on things I could control and think less about the things I couldn’t. The known side effects of Prednisone were now weighing heavily on my mind. I did not realize how emotionally difficult it would be to ignore the weight gain, extreme fluid retention, and mood swings. It caused me to ask myself which one was worse – the symptoms of the disease or the affects of the medications. My junior year brought a fresh start, a new year, and hopefully a new me. But in November, my medication stopped effectively controlling the disease. The symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis returned, and so did the desperation, sadness, loneliness, worry, and anger. I then started a different medication, Remicade, which required a visit to the hospital every four weeks, to receive an IV treatment. After completing the first series of treatments, I saw no improvements and it seemed like I was sicker than I had ever been before. It was the day I stepped on the scale and saw 92 pounds that my mom knew I had to be taken to the hospital. I stayed for two weeks, during which time I received IV treatments of steroids and pain medication. As one final non-surgical option, my doctor suggested we combine the last two medications in hopes that, together, they would do the job. I finally felt better and I was sent home to continue the new medication plan and receive daily nutrition via an IV. A couple of weeks went by and I was feeling better. I was going back to school, after being gone for months. Things, once again, seemed to be improving. My school schedule was modified, as my energy level was very low. As I was finally getting used to my new schedule and being back to school, things got bad again. We needed to consider surgery. As a surgeon explained to us, there would be two separate surgeries with eight weeks in between. The first surgery would involve removing my colon and creating a â€Å"new† colon, using my small intestine. The second surgery was to get everything reconnected. I was terrified, but I knew it was the only answer and my only option to get back to normal. The surgery was scheduled for the following Monday. After the surgery, I stayed in the hospital, recovering, for five days, and was then sent home to heal. Eight weeks of healing was filled with tears, anxiety, frustration, fear, and anger, but I had to stay focused on healing so surgery number two could be completed. When I was sick, it was impossible to go to school; recovering from surgery was different. It was decided that the best solution would be an online class, and some homebound schooling to get me back on track. My teachers were willing to give so much of themselves in an effort to make sure I was able to successfully complete my junior year. This made me realize how important it is to recognize when I need help and then to actually get help however I can. When this recovery time was finally over, I found myself back in Madison at the hospital ready for the next phase of the journey. Surgery number two was much easier, only taking one hour instead of five. Having Ulcerative Colitis has taught me so much. I am a much stronger person than I ever thought I could be. Throughout my experiences, I have found both physical and emotional strength. I pushed myself, with the help of the people who love me, through situations I never thought possible. I am determined and I now know I can do anything I set my mind to. I have learned to pay attention to the important things in life. My family and being healthy are, by far, the most important things to me. Bringing a positive outlook to every situation I am faced with is important to me, as well as going at them with a â€Å"never say never† attitude. Ulcerative Colitis, and all that I have experienced because of it, has shaped me into a stronger, more optimistic, and more confident person. Although I have had to adapt to changes along the way, I feel resilient and I now choose to face challenges head on, knowing they are all just part of my life.