HELP! I have to repeat a year of high school for medical reasons.?

Question

I have been absent from my private high school since February 25th. This has been because I have severe unexplained body pain and fatigue. My doctors are still clueless as to what is wrong. I might have to repeat 9th grade since I have missed so much school. Will this affect my chances of being accepted to a college like Georgetown or Brown university?

Answer 1

My daughter missed over 100 days of her 10th grade year. She had the same symptoms as you and more. The chances are that, NO, you will not need to repeat a year, BUT you need to work with the school and your doctors to get a 504 plan. This goes into your school file to show that you are under doctor's care and will show any accommodations that the school needs to make for you. I suggest night school. summer school, and maybe look into some on-line courses to help you make up credits. Colleges look at grades and attendance, but they will also look at what you're doing to correct the problems. It's imperative you have a release signed with the school and your doctor so they can share information. I wouldn't be so worried about college entrances as I would be about the Becca Bill. Without the proper documentation, you could end up in juvy and you will end up in court with your parents. Get your medical documentation and keep the lines of communication open between you the school and your doctor. Good Luck

Answer 2

No -- if you can keep great grades, it will not affect you a bit. It will go down in the records that you were held back for medical reasons. You might want to have your parents contact the school board, though, if you disagree with the school's decision to retain you in grade nine. BTW -- it seems as if chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia could be the issue. Ask your doctors and never give up until you get a satisfying answer. Been there, done that. I know what you are going through. I missed twenty-eight days in seventh grade and thirty-four days this year in eighth grade due to severe health problems. I got all A's every quarter, semester, year, etc. and graduated with an average grade of 97.6, in the top four of my graduating class of sixty-five.

Keep in there, good luck in all you do, and I hope this helps! ;-)

Answer 3

It sounds to me like you have a combination of CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (or CFS) and FIBROMYALGIA (or FMS). I recognize the problem because my niece has FMS and is on upwards of 12 pills a day, and my former brother-in-law had CFS before he passed on from a heart attack in his sleep (I don't know if that is connected to it, however, or if it was a just a family inherited problem).
Anyway, CFS has no cure because it is so hard to diagnose, and can evolve over time or hit all at once. The main symptoms are: profound/prolonged periods of exhaustion that are not relieved by rest (when my brother-in-law COULD sleep, he'd do it for days on end), flu-like symptoms (could explain your body pain) that do not go away in a few days, and it can occur following a cold, flu, or viral infection, and before/after a period of high physical or emotional stress.
Chronic pain is also a sign of Fibromyalgia (FMS), as well as anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, going days without sleep, no energy, etc. NSAIDS, antidepressants, anticonvulsant medications (like dilantin or depakote), muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, and pain medications are some treatments of FMS. It is not unusual to take up to or more than 12 medications a day.
Talk to your doctor about this, and have him/her do some testing on you. Then, see if it is possible to be home-schooled if this is going to present a problem of actual in-school attendance. If so, and you are able to study like you should, I see no reason why you couldn't go onto college (though the illness might prove a problem there, too).

Answer 4

first off you shouldnt be taking another year, and the school should have been giving you work to do at home to cover for the loss time, having the medical reason so i'd fight that and you might have to do summer work but fight that because its not right.. and if u dont fight it ur letting them take that slide and they shouldnt win..

SECONDLY - and i know this isnt in part with what ur expecting out of the responses.. the doctors have no idea what u have??? i have 2 people in my family that has the same severe unexplained body pains and fatigue.. they have lyme disease, theres meds for it and they are ok... BUT you should be doing research on that as well.. because any reasoning and a doctors note for ur school is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT because your school arent doing there jobs either helping a student out, which is what a school is for right, YES and always.. but do some reasearch on whats going on with you too.. ask about lyme disease and MS.. i would also look into another doctor.. the 2 people in my family have gone through numerous amounts of doctors to come with a diagnoses.. and i know ur in 9th grade and you may think your too young-but one of those people in my fam are almost as young as you with lyme disease..

so check it out doin research, ask questions, fight this school repeating a grade thing you have many reasons to allow them to waive that but do the work!, and at least look for more doctors, a specialist or whatever.. and last but not least, GOOD LUCK! :)

Answer 5

Many colleges not only look at your grades but your attendance. When it comes to illness colleges most likely won't care. my advice would be to keep your grades up and try not to miss any more school.

I know how you feel in the 10th grade I missed over 30 days because I had unexplainable pain. Best of luck to ya.

Answer 6

I would do summer school and stick with your school. Repeating a grade WOULD be a waste of a whole school year... Would you really want to still be in high school when all of your friends are graduated? Plus, switching shools is a pain.

Answer 7

No it won't.

Get a note from your doctor, photo copy it, and give a copy to your student resources counselor to keep in your file. You were absent for a valid reason, and then returned to finish.

That's the advice my daughter was given anyways.

Kudos to you for your determination!

Answer 8

I don't think so, as long as you keep your grades up.

However, why weren't you keeping up with your school work while on leave? Perhaps if you are held back, I would look into summer school or get a tutor.