Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Stephenson:
This is a letter of appeal to allow me withdraw from all of my classes for the Fall 2019 semester, past the deadline. The classes are PHYS 242, PROF 210, MATH 280, and MATH 231.
My appeal is based on extenuating circumstances relating to my health, which were unforeseen and which have severely affected my ability to study. Shortly after returning to Kingston in September of this year, I began experiencing an intense and debilitating brain-fog that made it difficult to focus. I would become exhausted after studying for relatively short periods of time. I was ultimately diagnosed with the onset of clinical depression at the beginning of October.
When my symptoms first appeared, I thought they were caused by stress. I tried to address them on my own by abstaining from alcohol, exercising more, staying hydrated, and meditating. It did not occur to me that I was suffering from depression. Things continued to deteriorate and I was having more and more difficulty focusing on my studies. After roughly a month into the semester, on September 30, 2019, a friend became very concerned about my overall well-being and she took me to the Emergency Department of Kingston General Hospital. The physician I saw ran some tests and he advised that I should return to the hospital if the symptoms worsened. After two days, my friend took me to the hospital once again as my symptoms did in fact become worse.
On the second visit to the hospital I was seen by both a physician and a psychiatric social worker. It was there that I was diagnosed with depression. They helped me set up an appointment with a doctor at Student Wellness Services but because I would not be able to see the doctor there for over two weeks, they advised me to go to a walk-in clinic the next day to get a head start on medication. I followed this advice and I was prescribed medication, which I started on it immediately. The physician at the walk-in clinic told me the medication would start to work within 4-6 weeks from that date. This was on October 6, approximately 4 weeks from the deadline to withdraw. Given my condition, I did not think I would be able to continue with a full course load so I decided to withdraw from 2 classes, PHYS 206 and PHYS 213, immediately. This left me with PROF 210, PHYS 242, MATH 231, and MATH 280.
My first appointment with my physician at Student Wellness Services was on October 23, 2019. He adjusted my medication, which I am continuing to take. He recommended that I start seeing a counsellor, in addition to regular appointments with him and I have had regular sessions with her as well. I was also advised to get regular exercise, to limit alcohol consumption and get plenty of rest. I did all of these things. Both my doctor and I were hopeful that I would be healthy enough to be back to ¿¿normal¿, or at least close to it, by mid-November. I have always been a strong student and I expected that I would be able to catch up on my studies.
By mid-November I was still not back to ¿¿normal¿, but I continued to believe that I could get there and successfully complete these courses with accommodation. With the assistance of my counsellor, I filled out an Academic Consideration form that would give me the opportunity to have extra time on assessments, change dates of assessments if possible (within the limitations of the course), and occasionally be absent from class. I also discussed this with my professors. Unfortunately, my symptoms became worse. I was having even more difficulty focusing and processing information. Some days I awoke feeling intense sadness and despair and there were times when it was difficult to summon the energy to talk with other people or even get out of bed.
I have continued to follow my doctor¿¿s advice and my treatment plan diligently. I have also started seeing a private therapist. Recently, my symptoms have abated somewhat and I remain optimistic that I will recover from this illness or at least be able to manage it effectively if I continue to follow the advice of my healthcare team. Unfortunately, my symptoms have not yet subsided to the point where I am able to finish the semester. Looking back, I was overly optimistic. I did not fully appreciate how complex depression is and how profoundly it would affect all facets of my life.
It is my intention to continue in my program. I will need to repeat these courses next year. I plan to return home to Yellowknife for at least the balance of the semester as my support network is there. I will be following up with my family physician in Yellowknife to ensure I continue to have access to medical and psychological treatment while I am away from Kingston. I will also confer with my healthcare team about whether I can realistically continue in the winter semester and still succeed academically and if so, what course load I should carry. Regardless of whether I return next term or in the Fall, 2020 semester, I will ensure that I have appropriate healthcare supports in place so that I can achieve academic success. I plan to work closely with my support system in Yellowknife and in Kingston to ensure that I am taking the necessary steps to recover as swiftly and fully as possible. I¿¿m continuing to fight my symptoms with proper self-care and the techniques that my counselors, therapists, and physicians have recommended. I have found these techniques to have helped improve my well-being and outlook on life. I see myself as being able to recover and being capable to successfully complete my studies in the near-future with all of these factors in play.
Thank you for considering my appeal. If you require further information, please contact me.
This is a letter of appeal to allow me withdraw from all of my classes for the Fall 2019 semester, past the deadline. The classes are PHYS 242, PROF 210, MATH 280, and MATH 231.
My appeal is based on extenuating circumstances relating to my health, which were unforeseen and which have severely affected my ability to study. Shortly after returning to Kingston in September of this year, I began experiencing an intense and debilitating brain-fog that made it difficult to focus. I would become exhausted after studying for relatively short periods of time. I was ultimately diagnosed with the onset of clinical depression at the beginning of October.
When my symptoms first appeared, I thought they were caused by stress. I tried to address them on my own by abstaining from alcohol, exercising more, staying hydrated, and meditating. It did not occur to me that I was suffering from depression. Things continued to deteriorate and I was having more and more difficulty focusing on my studies. After roughly a month into the semester, on September 30, 2019, a friend became very concerned about my overall well-being and she took me to the Emergency Department of Kingston General Hospital. The physician I saw ran some tests and he advised that I should return to the hospital if the symptoms worsened. After two days, my friend took me to the hospital once again as my symptoms did in fact become worse.
On the second visit to the hospital I was seen by both a physician and a psychiatric social worker. It was there that I was diagnosed with depression. They helped me set up an appointment with a doctor at Student Wellness Services but because I would not be able to see the doctor there for over two weeks, they advised me to go to a walk-in clinic the next day to get a head start on medication. I followed this advice and I was prescribed medication, which I started on it immediately. The physician at the walk-in clinic told me the medication would start to work within 4-6 weeks from that date. This was on October 6, approximately 4 weeks from the deadline to withdraw. Given my condition, I did not think I would be able to continue with a full course load so I decided to withdraw from 2 classes, PHYS 206 and PHYS 213, immediately. This left me with PROF 210, PHYS 242, MATH 231, and MATH 280.
My first appointment with my physician at Student Wellness Services was on October 23, 2019. He adjusted my medication, which I am continuing to take. He recommended that I start seeing a counsellor, in addition to regular appointments with him and I have had regular sessions with her as well. I was also advised to get regular exercise, to limit alcohol consumption and get plenty of rest. I did all of these things. Both my doctor and I were hopeful that I would be healthy enough to be back to ¿¿normal¿, or at least close to it, by mid-November. I have always been a strong student and I expected that I would be able to catch up on my studies.
By mid-November I was still not back to ¿¿normal¿, but I continued to believe that I could get there and successfully complete these courses with accommodation. With the assistance of my counsellor, I filled out an Academic Consideration form that would give me the opportunity to have extra time on assessments, change dates of assessments if possible (within the limitations of the course), and occasionally be absent from class. I also discussed this with my professors. Unfortunately, my symptoms became worse. I was having even more difficulty focusing and processing information. Some days I awoke feeling intense sadness and despair and there were times when it was difficult to summon the energy to talk with other people or even get out of bed.
I have continued to follow my doctor¿¿s advice and my treatment plan diligently. I have also started seeing a private therapist. Recently, my symptoms have abated somewhat and I remain optimistic that I will recover from this illness or at least be able to manage it effectively if I continue to follow the advice of my healthcare team. Unfortunately, my symptoms have not yet subsided to the point where I am able to finish the semester. Looking back, I was overly optimistic. I did not fully appreciate how complex depression is and how profoundly it would affect all facets of my life.
It is my intention to continue in my program. I will need to repeat these courses next year. I plan to return home to Yellowknife for at least the balance of the semester as my support network is there. I will be following up with my family physician in Yellowknife to ensure I continue to have access to medical and psychological treatment while I am away from Kingston. I will also confer with my healthcare team about whether I can realistically continue in the winter semester and still succeed academically and if so, what course load I should carry. Regardless of whether I return next term or in the Fall, 2020 semester, I will ensure that I have appropriate healthcare supports in place so that I can achieve academic success. I plan to work closely with my support system in Yellowknife and in Kingston to ensure that I am taking the necessary steps to recover as swiftly and fully as possible. I¿¿m continuing to fight my symptoms with proper self-care and the techniques that my counselors, therapists, and physicians have recommended. I have found these techniques to have helped improve my well-being and outlook on life. I see myself as being able to recover and being capable to successfully complete my studies in the near-future with all of these factors in play.
Thank you for considering my appeal. If you require further information, please contact me.