Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

My name is Ben Cochrane, and I am writing to request a credit standing for three courses, PSYC 100 (Fall 2022), PSYC 100 (Winter 2023) and STAT 263 (Fall 2023).

For my first and second years at Queen’s, there were two extenuating circumstances that prevented me from performing my best in classes. The two circumstances involve changing medications to treat inattentive type ADHD and stealth dyslexia, and a rare condition called Cold Urticaria.

I was diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD and stealth dyslexia late in high school. During my first year at Queens, I continued to use a prescribed medication called Adderall for my recently diagnosed ADHD. In my case, the side effects were a complete loss of appetite and an inability to sleep. I lost 30 pounds in my freshman year. Low energy and constant insomnia as well as being on the wrong medication made it incredibly difficult to manage my studies and adjust to my first year at university away from home.

My father is a military pilot and our family moved from a posting in Colorado to Ottawa in 2021. When we moved back to Canada, we had to switch to a new family doctor. During the 2022-2023 school year, my family and I made several attempts to discuss changing medications. Unfortunately, our new family doctor felt uncomfortable treating ADHD and told us that I would have to see a psychiatrist to change medications. He informed us that the wait list in Ottawa is between 1-2 years due to the non critical nature of my problem. I did find a psychiatrist in Ottawa who suggested that we ask our doctor to do an e-consult so that we could be seen sooner but our doctor felt that he did not have the “skills or scope” to manage my ADHD and that this put him in a “precarious situation”. I have attached a copy of our requests to change medications made through an online appointment portal as well as a background letter I wrote in July 2023.

In the summer of 2023, I reached out to the Queen’s Student Wellness center to ask if they could help find a psychiatrist in Kingston and they referred me to Dr. Weiss, a doctor who has experience with treating ADHD, on campus. Before the 2023-24 school year began, I was able to meet with Dr. Weiss. He prescribed a non-stimulant medication called Strattera. Strattera typically does not affect appetite or sleep and being on this medication has been a significant improvement over Adderall. While it was a huge relief to find Dr Weiss and be on the right medication, the process of determining the right dose of Strattera can take some time. ADHD medications need to be titrated and we began this process at the beginning of this school year during the fall of 2023. I began at a very low dose and worked my way up in 2-4 week increments. At the low doses, the medication was not strong enough to help with my inattentive ADHD symptoms. At too high a dose the medication can cause side effects that outweigh its benefits. As well, at each up-dose there is a 3-5 day period of nausea as my body adjusts to the increased amounts. It was not until the end of the fall 2023 semester that I finally settled at the right dosage.

The second extenuating circumstance that affected my performance in classes is a condition called Cold Urticaria, otherwise known as a severe allergy to the cold. This condition caused ongoing reactions from mild to severe throughout my entire first year at Queen’s. I lived in the Brant House residence and a simple walk from main campus to west campus for my classes at Duncan MacArthur, would leave my face completely swollen and my body covered in red hives/welts. These reactions were severe enough to interfere with my normal daily activities and a reaction would leave me exhausted for the remainder of the day. These symptoms were another issue that we brought forth to our family doctor, who had no experience with Cold Urticaria and told me on several occasions that I would simply outgrow it.

During the summer of 2023 before returning to Queen’s, I began seeing an allergy specialist, Dr Yang. At our first appointment, Dr Yang told me that extreme exposure to cold could have caused life threatening anaphylaxis. I now get monthly Xolair injections at the Queens’ Student Wellness Center to treat the condition. I have not experienced any issues with the cold since.

In short, being on the wrong medication for inattentive type ADHD and stealth dyslexia as well as waiting for the treatment my Cold Urticaria drastically hindered my ability to perform to the best of ability in my first three semesters at Queen’s. I would like to request a credit standing in my two PSYC 100 (Fall/Winter 2022-2023) and STAT 263 (Fall 2023) classes.

Going forward, I will continue to see Dr. Weiss to monitor my ADHD medication and have regular check-ins with my allergy specialist, Dr. Yang in Ottawa. I also regularly see an ADHD counselor to solidify strategies that aid in dealing with my ADHD while in university. Currently, my Cold Urticaria is under control with the monthly Xolair shots and my doctor has a plan for weaning me off the injections as my symptoms continue to improve. As well, I have met several times with my academic advisor who recommends that I try a reduced course load this semester. I’m optimistic that I now have supports in place to help me find success in my classes.

Thank you for your consideration,
Ben Cochrane