One November afternoon during freshman year, my world around me faded. Words slowly turned into nonsense. My grip on my pencil loosened. I dropped to the floor. I had suddenly lost consciousness in class, waking up to find myself surrounded by the paramedics and the gazes of my classmates. Soon after a series of medical tests at the hospital, I was diagnosed with Neurocardiogenic Syncope, the condition of an overactive nervous system which leads to sudden blood pressure drops and fainting. Although my family's support and encouragement gave me solace, I was absolutely terrified of what might come.
Not only did I have to combat my condition, but because of passing out, my heart weakened to the point where actions like eating and moving were now done in extreme moderation to prevent faint-inducing heart palpitations. I knew exercising would alleviate my palpitations, but my inability to be as physically active as before demoralized me. To combat my problem, I taught myself counter pressure techniques as a countermeasure to moments when I would feel dizzy. …show more content…
Time that would be dedicated to resting at the end of the day was instead used to keep up the grades I would previously get. However, no matter how hard I worked, it was not enough to compare with the educational capacity I once upheld. After failing to meet the high academic standards I set for myself, I was consumed by frustration. Why, after the time and energy I sacrificed, did I not meet my expectations? My emotions drove me to take the time to deeply think about my situation. In the long run, would it be wise to keep living like this? What would happen to me if I was overwhelmed one day? Is there a way out? The conclusion I reached was a simple solution to a complicated issue: rebuild my