Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 3882
Submitted: October 12, 2017 at 2:30:01 PM
First Name: Meghan
Last Name: Flather
Student Number: 5214190
Email: 4mf11@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BA
Plan: Psychology
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the 21-day or one term deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To whom it may concern:
I was advised by the distance education team to submit an appeal to drop my failed courses from the last term I attended as a result of extenuating health circumstances.
After several years (since 2013) of acute symptoms with no apparent rhyme or reason, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and Postural Orthostatic Tychardia syndrome (POTs) at the Mayo Clinic in September of this year. They are still trying to determine what my autoimmune disorder is a result of (i.e. an underlying autoimmune disease), but they have been able to through specific testing (called a Tilt Table test) determine I have POTs.
Postural Orthostatic Tychardia syndrome is a form of dysautonomia which causes extreme fatigue, brain fog, tychardia, shortness of breath, and inability to stand or excessive, and many more symptoms which can wax and wane. More than 80 percent of people who develop POTs are young, otherwise healthy women. There is no cure for dysautonomia, and researchers compare the disability seen in POTs to those with congestive heart failure. Symptoms can get worse with time, and on average it takes 6 years for a diagnosis, as patients are often told it is anxiety or all in their head. One reason people with dysautonomia are hard to diagnose or not taken seriously is because they can look very healthy from the outside, despite being very unwell on the inside.
It has been a very frustrating process the last few years, as I would go from doctor to doctor, emergency room to emergency room with no diagnosis or help. I now have a team of specialists including a neurologist and cardiologist who will assist me with my treatment regimes and making sure I continue to get the best care to improve my symptoms as much as I can.
I hope to continue my studies at Queen's University and complete my Psychology degree, but this time with my full capability.
Sincerely,
Meghan
I was advised by the distance education team to submit an appeal to drop my failed courses from the last term I attended as a result of extenuating health circumstances.
After several years (since 2013) of acute symptoms with no apparent rhyme or reason, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and Postural Orthostatic Tychardia syndrome (POTs) at the Mayo Clinic in September of this year. They are still trying to determine what my autoimmune disorder is a result of (i.e. an underlying autoimmune disease), but they have been able to through specific testing (called a Tilt Table test) determine I have POTs.
Postural Orthostatic Tychardia syndrome is a form of dysautonomia which causes extreme fatigue, brain fog, tychardia, shortness of breath, and inability to stand or excessive, and many more symptoms which can wax and wane. More than 80 percent of people who develop POTs are young, otherwise healthy women. There is no cure for dysautonomia, and researchers compare the disability seen in POTs to those with congestive heart failure. Symptoms can get worse with time, and on average it takes 6 years for a diagnosis, as patients are often told it is anxiety or all in their head. One reason people with dysautonomia are hard to diagnose or not taken seriously is because they can look very healthy from the outside, despite being very unwell on the inside.
It has been a very frustrating process the last few years, as I would go from doctor to doctor, emergency room to emergency room with no diagnosis or help. I now have a team of specialists including a neurologist and cardiologist who will assist me with my treatment regimes and making sure I continue to get the best care to improve my symptoms as much as I can.
I hope to continue my studies at Queen's University and complete my Psychology degree, but this time with my full capability.
Sincerely,
Meghan
Documentation
Professional Letter: Neurology Subsequent Visit.pdf