Well, I can officially say that I’m done with another year of school! This is a particularly big accomplisment for myself because it’s the first time I’ve made it through a full academic year without being in the hospital since about…7th grade. Somehow I managed to stay away from doctors, nurses, and therapists from September until May. Success.
The significance of this accomplishment didn’t hit me until tonight. You see, in August, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to start school again. I was in the hospital and couldn’t use my legs or arms well. When September rolled around and I found myself in a college dorm, I was elated. But there was always that small voice in the back of my mind that kept me on edge, wondering if I’d make it a full year.
One full school year with no major falls (I only slipped on the ice one time, and my backpack was a nice cushion), no dropped plates or bowls in the dining hall (see, dining hall workers-I told you I could do it on my own), no medications and no appointments. Wow.
Most people go through school and never have to plan for the possibility of having to leave. They take their occasional sick days but it’s usually nothing more than strep throat. My life is different. I have to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
I think it’s good that I took a treatment break this year because it allowed me to dive into my studies without extra distractions. I didn’t have to worry about finding rides to physical therapy or dealing with medication side effects. I only had to focus on the pile of textbooks, not the growing mound of medical bills. And, although my health hasn’t exactly gotten better, it hasn’t gotten terribly worse either. So it’s just stable in that department…which, for now, is good enough.
I feel such a sense of relief now that my finals are over and I don’t have to worry about going back to my school. I’m opening up a new chapter of life, leaving the past behind. We’ll see what happens!
College on Crutches 