Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: March 28, 2019

Associate Dean (Studies)
Queen¿¿s University
Kingston, ON

Subject: Request to drop two courses past the week 8 deadline

Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing you to appeal to drop two of my classes, PSYC 236 and PHAR 100, past the normal drop deadline. It is very upsetting to me that I am at the point where I need to drop these courses as I truly enjoyed both the content and the professors. However, my health conditions this semester have severely limited my ability to study and attend lectures and I strongly feel that the best option for me at this point is to drop these courses. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to explain my situation.

I started second semester of my second year at Queen¿¿s on a very good foot and I felt very confident of both my academic abilities and my physical health condition. However, on February 4th, 2019, on my way home from class I experienced extreme stomach pain that would not go away, and I had to call an Uber because I was unable to walk home the rest of the way. I spent almost all of February 5th in bed with stomach pain that did not decrease. I have Crohn¿¿s Disease, which was largely in remission, and any occasional ¿¿flare ups¿ I did experience would typically last 30 minutes, but this had lasted for a day and a half. On February 6th, I took a taxi to the Kingston General Hospital Emergency Room to get medical assistance as I had never experienced a flare up anywhere near this length or severity of pain. Blood tests and a CT scan revealed that the inflammation in my intestine was extremely high, which was the cause of my severe pain. It took 5 full days to recover in the hospital before I was discharged on February 11th, 2019. While I was in the hospital, I prioritized feeling better as soon as possible so that I could make a full recovery and return to my studies. I took all my newly prescribed medications and asked many questions to the healthcare professionals. During this time, it was very hard for me to get as much work done as I wanted to, as I was in severe pain or discomfort for most of the time. Because of this unforeseeable setback, I dropped PSYCH 215 while I was in the hospital so that I would have more time to catch up and focus on my remaining 3 classes. As I left the hospital, I was prescribed a high dose of Budesonide which is a potent steroid to help with the inflammation. Even after I had left the hospital, I still suffered from fatigue and occasional relapses in the pain which continued to affect my ability to complete assignments and attend lectures. Due to these ongoing symptoms, I traveled to Toronto to meet with my GI specialist, Dr. Hilary Steinhart. He prescribed a more aggressive steroid treatment plan, which reduced my inflammation. However, we suspect that this dosage may have prompted my regular migraine headaches which I experienced shortly after starting the new treatment. To alleviate these headaches, I would have to lay down in a dark room to wait for the pain to subside. These headaches combined with my stomach pain made it impossible to catch up and stay on top of my assignments. I missed a test worth 30 for PSYC 236, as well as group project work in PHAR 100. The reason I was able to stay on schedule with ANAT 100 was because it was an online course and I could do all the modules from my hospital bed or my bed at home, and there was very little group work. I did not drop PSYC 236 and PHAR 100 because I believed that once I was out of the hospital I would be back to health, and I would able to catch up. However, because my full recovery was not immediate, I was forced to recognize that this was not achievable, and I would have to drop courses.

In terms of my future, I am committed to putting my health first so that I can achieve my full academic potential. I plan to register with QSAS as well as schedule regular follow ups with my GI Specialist in Toronto, and the GI team at Kingston General Hospital. I have adopted a Low Fiber, Low Residue Diet that was recommend to me while I was hospitalized, and I have started eating 4-6 smaller meals a day. In addition, I have started keeping a journal of my flare-up occurrences and their possible triggers so that I can better learn which foods or habits to avoid. I am also taking steps to ensure my academic success by taking 2 online classes this summer. I am confident that I will be successful in these courses as I am choosing not to work for May and June.

While I am upset that it has reached the point where I need to drop classes due to my health condition, I am confident and committed to getting my health back on track and recovering academically. I respectfully request that you allow me to drop these 2 classes so that I can focus on ANAT 100 and my health.

Thank you so much for your consideration,

Simon Lindberg
Student ID: 20063098
16srl3@queensu.ca / (647) 549-2783

Contact:
Dr. Hillary Steinhart-
GI Division, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave, Toronto ON, MSG 1X5
Phone: (416) 586-5121 Fax: (416) 586-3174