Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: April 19, 2017

Associate Dean (Studies),
I am applying for Aegrotat status for 3 courses: History 122, Politics 101 and Politics 110. I am a first year student.
I am unable to write these exams due to the timing of a severe medical illness recently diagnosed as a stomach ulcer. I began to feel off and unable to eat and fall asleep in late February. I thought this would pass but over the next weeks, I developed severe stomach pain, was unable to eat because I was nauseous and felt full quickly, and was having a lot of trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. I missed classes because I could not get up in the morning having just fallen asleep. I had no energy to go to class or do my work because I was not eating. I was not focussing well and was unable to do my readings and homework. When I did get to class, I did not take in the lecture as I was not able to focus.
After a visit from my parents in March I went to the hospital in Kingston on March 26th. At KGH the staff was concerned with my mental health when I advised them that a friend from Toronto had died of a drug overdose on March 5, 2017 while at Northeastern University. Jake¿¿s death was a stressor for me but I was more concerned with my physical health. Dr. Blouin diagnosed me with gastritis and stress and only prescribed pantoprazole. I made an appointment with Student Health Services on March 27 and met with Dr. Farnworth. She gave me a Verification of Illness form (uploaded) for my professors and prescribed me sleeping pills. I gave the Verification of Illness form to my professors/TAs that week.
I thought the pills were working and I was able to eat a bit more but the nausea and stomach pain increased and I had night sweats and was unable to sleep. I stopped eating, I missed classes, did poorly on a Classic¿¿s test, asked for an extension on another essay in Politics 101 and did not do any readings or other homework.
On April 7 my mom took me home to Toronto. On April 8 I went to Sunnybrook hospital and was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer and prescribed 2 antibiotics and a doubled dose of pantoprazole (uploaded) On April 10 my mom drove me back to Queens for an appointment with Dr. Farnworth. She gave me a new Verification of Illness form (uploaded) and set a new appointment date of April 17. Given staffing issues, that appointment date was changed to April 18th. I went back to Toronto. By day 4 of the antibiotics I was starting to sleep better, no longer had the night sweats and was able to eat small amounts regularly. But my focus was still lacking when I tried to do my school work. My mind was not clear. I was still functioning at a very reduced level and focused only on getting well.
My parents drove me back to Queens on April 15th. I have finished my course of antibiotics. I am still on Pantoprazole. I had an appointment at Student Health Services on April 18th. I met with Doctor Nguyen she provided me with another Verification of Illness (uploaded). I have a referral to the Gastroenterology Rapid Referral Clinic at Sunnybrook and will have a date soon for a scope. I know that I will make a full recovery. I also know what signs to look out for in the future and how to manage them before I get sick.
My concern with final exams is that for so much of the second term, I was sick and missed a great deal of the content in all my courses. Because I was not sleeping and eating and was in pain, I was not always able to attend class and was not able to focus when I did. I was not able to do my homework, readings, and assignments. I cannot catch up on the extensive amount of material missed. I have been unable to prepare for exams. Being sick and getting medical help consumed most of my time and energy. I am applying for Aegrotat status in History 122, Politics 101 and Politics 110. I am not able to write these exams.
For Classics 103, I have not completed 60 of my coursework so do not qualify for Aegrotat. My Classics exam will be 50 of my grade because I did poorly on a test that I tried to write while sick. If I do not feel able to write this month, Professor Zaccagnino advises that she is away until early August and that I can write before September 15.
Now that I have a diagnosis and treatment, I will be able to make a full recovery and return to fulltime studies at Queen¿¿s in the fall. I plan to dual major in history and in film. I have always been healthy and this illness took me by surprise and hijacked my second term. As I noted above, I now know the signs of gastritis and what it can do to me, and I know how to properly manage my health going forward.