Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom this may concern,

My name is Colin McDougall, I am studying sociology, and my student number is 10104431. I am submitting this appeal in hopes of dropping SOCY 235 and SOCY 273. I will also be requesting extensions on incomplete marks from fall courses SOCY 210, SOCY 389, SOCY 309, and SOCY 226.

The extenuating circumstances surrounding my appeal are those of a rather significant nature. Throughout the last three years at Queens University I have struggled in a variety of ways, mainly physically. I have had excruciating back pain for the last three years of my life, on and off, but overall at a consistent rate. Last year I fractured my tibia and that was misdiagnosed for seven months, thus leading me to submit an appeal late in second semester. Issues with my back continued throughout the summer and into the 2016 fall semester and this current semester in 2017.

Attending class has been one of the more difficult tasks over the years. My back problems would completely debilitate me, so I would wake up and hardly be able to move. I found throughout the years that there were good days and bad days, so I would attend class if it was physically possible even if I was in excruciating pain. This became unbearable eventually, and the constant strain on my joints was causing damage and worsening the symptoms. Eventually this took a mental toll on me. I am at school to get a degree and have struggled throughout the years due to unforeseen, extenuating circumstances. I was always an energetic person that loved to be outside and moving around so when I would go weeks or months where I would barely leave the house, it started affecting me in other ways. You totally lose the routinized day and the drive to work. In terms of this year specifically I was having really bad pain to the point where I could hardly move and I hadn't left my house in weeks. That was all throughout late November and essentially up until I finally got a diagnosis and started medication other then the rare days where I could walk with a limp. I made it to as much class as I could in first semester but it was not sustainable at all. The pain I would put myself in just from going to class would the effect my ability to complete school work. Sitting in chairs for long periods of time caused extreme discomfort. My focus was no longer 100 percent there. As time went on with pressure from parents, and pressure on myself to achieve goods grades I started stressing because I was behind on material and I didn't have notes due to not being able to go to class. Whenever I would try and sit down to work I would just have mental breakdowns overthinking everything and the expectations so that would stop me from completing stuff. Most recently on March 17, 2017 I slipped and broke my fourth metacarpal in my hand, something I still have a cast on for.

It was not until this semester in March that I got a final diagnosis. I was diagnosed with a form of spinal arthritis, called Ankylosing Spondylitis. It has an affect on sacro - iliac joints and vertebrae causing severe chronic pain and constant discomfort. With AS you are more susceptible to fractures and other joints can become involved as well. My knees and ankles have both been effected over the years. With bad cases of AS it becomes nearly impossible to move some days.

I have attempted to remain positive throughout this long process of pain, lack of success educationally, and misdiagnosis. I would like to succeed to my full capabilities and have more of a fair shot at education. As things got harder for me I began to see Chuck Vetere at the Student Wellness centre. Chuck has helped out a lot with listening to me and guiding me through certain steps this year. Chuck recently arranged a meeting with the Queens accessibility services, where I spoke with Jay Harris. I was unaware of this service throughout my time here and it would have made things much easier.

All this being said, with the diagnosis came medication. The medication is a self administered injections every other week. Two weeks after my first injection which was on the 12th of march, I began to regain full range of motion and I no longer was going to bed with stiffness. Now that I have medication that allows me to function properly again I want to strive for greatness at school.