Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Deans (Studies),

I am appealing for a dropped course past the academic deadline in PHIL 310. Due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control in the form of a persisting illness my capabilities have been hindered since March 2013. Over the past year I have complied with and undergone many measures in order to rid myself of this illness. After suffering with my illness for ten months with no confirmed diagnosis, I was referred to a gynecologist who specialized in endometriosis. She confirmed that my symptoms were consistent with endometriosis and placed me on a new medication in January 2014. She was hopeful that this medication, specifically to treat endometriosis would have a positive result. Over the next six months I continued to suffer from more severe symptoms that included extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, extreme uterine and rectal bleeding, severe cramping and the inability to control bowel movements. Due to the continuation of these symptoms my gynecologist suggested surgery as the next course of treatment to remove all endometriosis tissue and insert an IUD that would in turn remove my symptoms. I had surgery on June 25th, 2014 and my surgeon informed me that post-operative pain could last about three months. I endured multiple infections from the surgery as well as two months of post-operative pain when I was informed on August 18th, 2014 that I had an unusual diagnosis. A biopsy confirmed that I did not have endometriosis, but in fact endosalpingiosis. This condition is rare and unusual. I was informed by my doctor that further pain episodes were unknown since not much is known about this condition. However, the success of the surgery and the hormone regulation that the IUD provides made my doctor confident that my situation could be managed.
In September 2014, I was still suffering from post-operative pain but not from the severe symptoms that I had experienced in the past. During October, with the post operative pain gone my symptoms began to resume; however, not to the severity of before. I believed that with my disability accommodations and the continued support from all of my Professors that I would be able to continue to handle a full course load. This is why I chose not to drop the course before the appeal deadline since at that time I was still able to manage my studies. This is my fourth and final year and I was really hoping to graduate which is another consideration that caused me to try and persevere. In November my condition worsened at a rapid rate. I was continuously taking Tylenol 3s and Percocets (Oxycodone) to control my pain which was now worse then ever. This resulted in a trip to KGH due to extreme pain that my gynecologist believes resulted from an ovulating cyst bursting. The letter from KGH stated to take 1-2 days off from school; however, it took me the entire week to partially recover. This final setback caused me to fall so far behind in PHIL 310 and that I was unable to catching up. Professor McSheffrey also supports my decision to drop this course. To ensure that I will not have to appeal to drop another course, I am limiting my course load next semester to four courses. This will allow me extra time by not having a full course load like this semester.

Sincerely,

Laura Latinovich