Three times. Three times of hearing the same devastating news. Three times of seeing my family suffer. Three times of being deprived my joy and freedom. Three times of being there- confined to a bed. Three times of being hospitalized.
It was one week before Christmas break my freshman year. Extremely worried about my frail physical appearance, my mom took me to the emergency room. After some blood tests, the doctor came in and told my mom that I needed to be hospitalized. Devastated, my mom signed all admission the papers.
Every single day at the hospital, I asked the doctor when I could leave. And every single day his response was the same: "Your vital signs are not stable yet". This endless cycle occurred for 42 days. I could not have visitors besides my parents; I couldn't shower; I couldn't use the restroom unsupervised; I couldn't even get off my bed.
But my biggest frustration was missing so much school. I was so afraid that I would fail my classes, or that I would be held back. That's how I decided to stay on top of school while in the hospital. The doctors weren't very satisfied with my decision; they thought it would be too stressful. I told them I could manage by doing bits at a time. So, they agreed. My mom was in charge of bringing my homework and returning it to school when I was finished. I had to read the textbooks thoroughly and teach myself all the lessons for every class, without any guidance. When I finally understood them, I had to do the class assignments and complete all the homework.
On the 42th day, the doctor came in and gave me the great news: I could go home. I was so excited! But even though I had worked on all the assignments and homework, I was still behind. I had to study and go after school to make- up the tests I had missed; all this while still having to stay on top of what the teachers were currently assigning. It was a huge struggle, but I still managed to maintain my good grades.
However, one month later, I had to be hospitalized again. The same endless cycle was repeated, this time 49 days. This time, I was sure I was going to get held back. All the hard work and dedication I had given- to the trash. I decided that wouldn't happen. So, I followed the same routine as the previous time, with success. I stayed on top of everything. I was so proud of myself, and so were my family members, teachers, and friends.
One year later, the same vicious cycle for 51 more days. This was the end of my sophomore year and I was tired of it. I was missing way too much school. I didn't think I could do everything all over again, but to everyone's surprise, I did. I even studied on my own for the AP World test that was coming up, which I managed to take and pass.
My three hospitalizations have definitely been the most difficult, stressful, and challenging academic obstacle that I have faced. However, they empowered me to never give up. I have learned that to achieve success, one must be determined and remain focused on the goal. I am prepared to face challenges thrown to me, even if it means I have to fight and work hard to overcome them.
