I'm Failing My Classes!

[Dizzy Dame]

Hi All,

Before I got POTS, I had a 4.0 and was able to take up to 20 credits a semester no sweat. Since gettting POTS, my gpa has dropped to a 3.2, and if I'm lucky, I only miss about 1/3 of my classes each semester (I'm only able to take 2-3 classes per semester now).

I'm taking a literature class this summer to try to catch up because I'm almost a year off-schedule now. The class is on Mondays and Wednesdays for three hours, and there are (many) days where I'm just too sick to go. In fact, I've been having a bout of bad health lately and have missed all but 3 of the classes for this course! (out of 9)

I don't know what to do. If I drop this class, it's $2,000 down the drain. My professor's been patient, but I can't ask her to continue, can I? I'm so frustrated I want to cry! I have my midterm for this class in two hours and every time I get out of bed, I get crushing chest pain and my heart-rate goes way too high (even on the midodrine). I'm not sick enough to need to go to the ER, but I'm too sick to go to class safely.

I tried calling my doctors office to get a note, but I can't expect my doc to write a letter if I haven't seen him, can I?

Please help! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and dropping out is not an option, neither is online courses (I'm already over $30,000 in debt and darnit I'm going to get THIS degree if it kills me)

[Patricia Gallup]

Why not take an incomplete, you won't lose the money, if your prof is understanding you will be able to finish on your schedule not hers?

I'd have a one on one with your prof. You should find they are very understanding of people with illness, especially if you are registered with disability services. You deserve a degree same as anyone else, profs are humans too, and usually they are very accepting of whatever ideas you have to finish up the course.

Try not to get yourself worked up and sick over this, there is virtually always a way out that understanding universities are willing to help you. You, however, need to make the initiative to not get further behind and deal with the situation immediately.

Also when in college I would never have been able to sit in class 3 straight hours, let alone in summer. Perhaps you could stop going altogether, she could assign independent study of the same caliber as class work, and spend private time with you for testing, going over notes, etc. This has been done before so don't be afraid to lay it on the line and tell her just what you wrote here! Explain that you don't know how your body reacts and this semester it's not reacting well.

[MightyMouse]

I'd also suggest the incomplete--I did that when I had my spine surgeries. My school gives up to a year to complete the requirements before the incomplete becomes a permanent grade.

Also, if you've not availed yourself of your school's disability services, you might want to. They can offer note taking services, letters to go to your professors letting them know they cannot downgrade you for medically necessary absences.

Nina

[Dizzy Dame]

Thanks guys,

I'm not registered with the Dissabilities Department yet, but I'm going to begin to register today. I'll talk with my prof about an incomplete...that way I can finish the course over the rest of the summer and not wear myself out with trying to get to class.

It's good to know that the school should accomodate my disability. I've been worried that eventually they're going to tell me that I'm not "cut out" for university, but based on what you've said, that doesn't seem likely.

[Ernie]

Hi,

I would get registered with disability and get an incomplete.

[ksibert676]

Peace out

[Jacquie802]

Hi Lauren,

Just curious as to how you made out today @ school....

[Dizzy Dame]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to tell everyone how things turned out. I called my professor about an hour before the exam and explained things to her. She was very understanding and told me that all of my absences are excused and they won't affect my grade at all. We decided I'd try to keep coming to class, but if my health still isn't cooperating, we'd do an incomplete.

I also talked to my doctor, who was much more worried about my influx in symptoms than my missed exam. We've scheduled an appointment to discuss adding a med or two for days when my symptoms are so awful, possibly a low-dose beta-blocker for when my heart's out of control. It felt so wonderful that he listened to me and actually cared that I was suffering more than usual. What a great doc, huh?

Thanks all of you for your advice, without your input I wouldn't have gotten the nerve to call my professor,which ended up being a very smart move.

Hugs,

Lauren

[Ernie]

Hi,

Congradulation on succeedi!

[Jacquie802]

Hi Lauren,

Glad things went good!!!

[Roselover]

Hurray Lauren - keep at it - but don't let it kill you emotionally. We have to face that we just don't do things like we used to. That doesn't mean we don't do things.... it just means we do them differently and sometimes it's a struggle to find out what that means. I'm clapping my hands for you for continuing to learn how to do what you want to do with the body that you have!

~Melanie

[nadine]

Hi Lauren-

I think everything has been said, but I do hope you register with the Student Disabilities office. You will be amazed at what they can offer. I am wondering why you haven't before this?

My daughter, like myself and many others on here, had several health problems that she didn't want to disclose to the school when she entered as a Freshman, including CFIDS. She had struggled all through high school with the assistance of Guidance, making adjustments to keep her heavy load on track, including complete home tutoring for a couple months.

She desperately wanted to try to experience college just like everyone else. Well, she tried God Love her, but had two surgeries on top of everything else the first semester of school, putting major additional stress on her. The bottom line was she NEEDED to go to Student Services for help, so she wouldn't lose everything she worked so hard for. She was too far behind to do it on her own. THEY WERE FANTASTIC!!! There were many options available to her, many I had no idea about. It just required a single sheet form from her doctor. They offered incompletes, someone to take notes when she could not make class, she was able to complete many things in the summer, decreased load.

Special testing times, later class schedules, was able to get priority registration, to get class times she needed, on and on. Met regularly with the counselors, to make plans and see how things were going.

Anyway, she did have to come home after her first semester as sophmore, dorm life was too much, as she could not rest and too much illness, etc. She is now home, taking night classes. GPA back up by a point and she can work part time. She misses the college life, but now is meeting many new people that are great connections for the work force and she fits in with all the dift age groups. It was a decision, make the change and complete school or no school. Adjustments.

Good luck to youl