A Healthful Journey to Academic Success by Ria

A Healthful Journey to Academic Success by Ria - January 2022 Scholarship Essay

I was dizzy, I was exhausted, but I kept going. I kept pushing myself in school, and had trouble concentrating on tests. Something was wrong. During my sophomore year, I was diagnosed with ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenia), a rare blood disorder in which my body attacks my own platelets. This had additionally caused anemia, which prevented oxygen from flowing effectively through my brain; this explained the brain fog. My health was definitely affecting my daily life as well as my schoolwork.
2021 took me on a journey of learning how to take care of my health. Prior to diagnosis, I was always going 15-20 hours a day, 7 days a week. I had theatre, music, dance, National Charity League, choir, church, volunteer commitments, as well as keeping my grades up. I rarely had time to sleep, I ate on the run, and I was always a bit stressed about something. After being diagnosed with ITP, I tried to continue with my extracurricular activities – dance, theatre, music – but I had to cancel many of those days. There were days where I could not get out of bed, those days I would have nose bleeds for 3-4 hours and then feel completely drained. To add to this, COVID hit, which made doctor visits more difficult. At the beginning of COVID, I was at the Mayo Clinic getting a second opinion, after that everything started to shut down. However, there was an advantage to the down time - I was able to take the time to work on my health.
Throughout 2021, I learned how to manage my health better. At Mayo clinic, in addition to hematologists, I saw a doctor that looked at the bigger picture and had given me much direction. During 2021, I made lifestyle changes that effected my well-being. I learned to manage my stress - when to push myself and when not to. I learned to manage my sleep with regular sleep patterns – and definitely more than 5 hours of sleep a night. I spent some time outside daily to bring my Vitamin D levels up. We eventually found a medication that has treated my ITP effectively, so my body feels great. My anemia equally subsided, so my brain fog cleared and I was able to think clearly. With renewed energy and attitude, my grades went up. Going back to school part-time during COVID was really helpful, as this allowed me time to get back in the groove of going to school, managing my stress levels, and staying on top of my work. It is even more exciting to go back full time for my Senior year, now that I have everything under control. I have returned to participate actively in classes and be involved in community and extracurricular activities.
During 2021, I also realized that I am more than my autoimmune disease. I am a unique person. I am a fighter, I am a survivor. I am part of .003% of the population that have this rare blood disorder. Through involvement in various organizations, I found that there are other kids out there that have the same and similar disorders - I am not alone. I have found organizations that specialize in ITP with people and doctors who tell me that there is hope to go into remission and stay that way. I have spent a lot of time researching my own blood disorder and have become involved in the Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA). I have participated in several webinars with younger children with the same disorder, so they can talk to an older child and know everything is going to be OK! This year I was featured in the opening video to PDSA’s annual conference with over 670 participants from 20 countries.
I have lived with this disorder for two years and feel so fortunate that my experience has been relatively positive. Beyond my prognosis, which is positive with my lifestyle changes and treatment, I have been in caring surroundings with a great medical team. I have seen how much difference nurses can make – not only in their clinical responsibilities, but also on how they interact with patients. Nurses are often in the front line with patients and families. They have to interact well with people and need to be able to understand their patient. From dealing with my autoimmune disorder, I understand the importance of this empathy. I want to pursue a nursing career because I am captivated with the medical field, the atmosphere, and the role of the nurse. I want to be part of this community that helps people and go beyond my immediate community to help underserved populations. I want to change the lives of those in need. In this past year, I have learned how taking charge of one’s health can change one’s life.
During 2021 I learned how to improve my health, which impacts my immediate and future academic success. Continuing this journey gives me drive and passion for further academic success through the next 4 years in pursuit of my nursing degree.