The 'Asda Incident' and Uni Decisions

I was finally allowed home on the Thursday night, almost 3 weeks after being admitted. On the Sunday me and my dad decided to go to Birmingham to the big Asda and also to collect some things from my house I had there. While in Asda I tried on numerous clothes and was feeling fine. Once I had picked my clothes I went to find my dad, as soon as I saw him I started to feel a bit weird, my breathing started getting worse and things started to spin, I managed to get over to him but as soon as I did I collapsed. My legs gave way but luckily my dad caught me, but I had no control over my own body. I was always conscious but for about 5-10 minutes I was all over the place, I couldn’t even speak and people were asking if I wanted water and although I did I couldn’t say anything and I couldn’t even lift the cup to my mouth. I was gotten a wheelchair and managed to sit down but my head kept falling all over the place and I had no control. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life and I think my dad’s too! Anyway eventually I recovered and we were able to get home though we had to go up the hospital to get me checked out but I was fine. Just one of those things, my body was weak and the heat in Asda just meant I passed out!

Another thing I had to decide about was uni, after the ‘Asda incident’ we thought maybe with things as they were it might be an idea to give it up for the year. For a while I sorted out the idea of commuting and getting people to take notes for me in lectures I might miss but it soon became clear that going in 2 days after treatment wasn’t going to be an option and also my treatment days clashed with lectures. I thought I was just going to miss too much time and I wanted to enjoy my second year. So in the end I decided to take a leave of absence for the year. Something I didn’t want to do but was necessary. Since then I am not sure about uni, I may return at the end of everything but I may not, it really depends on how things progress and also where I am in my treatment plan. I doubt I will be back by next September.

I do miss uni and I miss the social life and my independence and most of all I miss my friends but I think it will be harder next year as everyone, or most people I know, return to uni after their placement year and I am still in Burton, at least this year everyone is spread out and in different places, everyone is missing uni, although at least even on placement year you have a social life, I do nothing! But I think next year will be harder. My reasons for not going back are simply that I’m not sure studying is what I want to do anymore…I really don’t know what I want to do anymore, I think I will just know when the time is right and I’m not worrying about it too much right now. I plan to visit uni next year if I can, I hope I can, and maybe even go on the odd night out but I can’t plan as I don’t know! I may get to Birmingham this year for short day visit but I don’t know yet. The picture is of uni.