talk to me about your "obstacles"

[NStarz]

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Just...wow.

 

[Kyra 6]

From Urban Dictionary:

1. trolling

Being a prick on the internet because you can. Typically unleashing one or more cynical or sarcastic remarks on an innocent by-stander, because it's the internet and, hey, you can.

 

[kernel]

Obstacles is a nice word for excuses.

I haven't had to make any excuses because I've crushed all my obstacles. The same can be said for many others in this forum.


Your negativity is not welcome here.

 

[Conflagration]

An obstacle only becomes an excuse when you use it to defend yourself from scrutiny, IMO.

Well, I have Asperger's Syndrome, or Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, or (please dear heavens I hope not) the both of them. They're so similar that they have a hard time drawing the line... ^^

My family is definitely not normal- my dad has Gulf War Syndrome, my mom and my sister are bipolar, and it wouldn't surprise me if my brother had diagnosable anger issues. But we all get by.

I can understand the anxiety, I think it has contributed to some of my reluctance with shadowing. The whole selling yourself thing isn't a strong suit of mine, unfortunately. It'll be alright in the end, though.

But I don't think I could handle constant headaches or migraines. I have bad headaches on occasion that is typically intensified by stress or bad lighting, but they aren't debilitating. I commend you all for the strength. 😀

But, seriously- if you think we're impressed because you can wave your garden hose around, think again.

 

[nickyfdoc]

So far my struggles have been

Being a high school drop out, getting hooked on drugs (everything hard), being homeless and living on the street and building myself up.

I now am a completely stable, 4.0 student, have a stable job as a vet tech, home, car, my 2 dogs, an amazing boyfriend.

And turning 24. I did all that in a span of 17- now... Got off drugs around 21 for good. I may have been 22.

I could go on in detail, but you get the idea.

My current obstacles would be me being self-defeating...

I don't really have a lot of family support and sometimes I can get really down on myself and feel like I'll never get to vet school for one reason or another (finances, time, feel like I wouldn't do well etc).

Luckily I have a support system, it's just not my immediate family which honestly, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I feel like I have to do everything on my own and to depend on anyone would be a mistake because I can't depend on anyone... though my boyfriend is always there for me and his family is there for me more than my own. Thank god for them coming into my life! Lol.

 

[Kyra 6]

Being a high school drop out, getting hooked on drugs (everything hard), being homeless and living on the street and building myself up.

I now am a completely stable, 4.0 student, have a stable job as a vet tech, home, car, my 2 dogs, an amazing boyfriend.

Wow, talk about starting from scratch! That is an amazing and inspiring story! After all that, I'm shocked that you would EVER doubt yourself!! If you can go from rock bottom to a 4.0 student with a stable job, home and car, I wouldn't worry about making it in vet school. You are obviously highly motivated and self sufficient, and not as likely to take small setbacks as catastrophes. And although I know it is hard to feel like you can't depend on anyone, I guarantee it has made you a stronger person. Well done, and I wish you all the best in pursuing your dream!! 🙂

 

[skipsbarryimage]

For the past 12 years I have been living with a mysterious disease that no doctors could provide me answers for.

Finally, five years ago...I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I am almost constantly bothered by "invisible" symptoms. These range from arthritis to gastrointestinal upsets and many other things. Over the past two years it has started to affect me neurologically.

Example: Today I am having a difficult time typing because I am fighting for control over my fingers. There are spasms, pauses, and inaccuracies when using my fingers. I often cannot focus on anything. Everything is a bit foggy. I will often forget which words I want to use.

Twice during my high school career I stayed home for months at a time. I dropped classes and my GPA suffered as I took tests and did worksheets from bed. For months I couldn't stand the smell of food...I lived off of wheat-thins and smoothies. Being home alone and so sick every day resulted in an extreme social anxiety. The thought of being in class (or worse...on the bus to school) worked me into a panic attack at the thought of being "trapped". Not being able to go lay down or go to the bathroom at the exact second I needed it scared the living daylights out of me. I went to therapy to help get over it, and only attended a few hours of school each day.

I have been out of treatment for about a year now, mostly due to the fact that I cannot find a doctor willing to treat chronic Lyme disease, but also because I have been doing very well recently. I keep an extremely busy lifestyle. I barely have time for myself..which means no time to focus on symptoms. I have recently noticed, however, that when I wear myself down and do not get sufficient sleep that my symptoms come back.

This fall I will be attending my first year of undergrad, studying biochemistry and psychology with intention of attending a veterinarian college or graduate school after.

 

[emacc]

My issues probably started when I was a kid but have escalated way beyond that. Before age 12 I was diagnosed with JRA, a mitral valve defect, heart murmur, iron deficiency anemia, and numerous other vitamin and mineral deficiencies most strangely of which was a sodium deficiency.

Since then I've had constant digestive, neurological, and pain related issues ranging from migraines to shaking to sudden onset numbness and paralysis in my extremities.

Everything levels out for a whole then gets worse near the end of high school. I go to a dozen different doctors and they decide to try and elimination diet. Remove dairy and red meat from my diet, better for a while. Worse again, remove eggs. Better, then finally worse and remove all other meat.

Have now also had an endoscopy an colonoscopy done, been checked for celiac, Lyme, lupus, MS, and everything else under the sun and still no answers.

I'm now trying to combat already terrible vitamin deficiencies on a completely vegan diet, and barely keeping at the bottom of the normal range. And I'm still having symptoms.

So I'm faced with this dilemma about whether or not I'm really healthy enough to commit to vet school right now, because if it gets worse I don't know what else they'll be able to try.

Just frustrating to have done all these tests and still be no closer to an answer. Going to an allergist next to be screened for literally everything as opposed to the limited panel I had before.

 

[felinelvr44]

My issues probably started when I was a kid but have escalated way beyond that. Before age 12 I was diagnosed with JRA, a mitral valve defect, heart murmur, iron deficiency anemia, and numerous other vitamin and mineral deficiencies most strangely of which was a sodium deficiency.

Since then I've had constant digestive, neurological, and pain related issues ranging from migraines to shaking to sudden onset numbness and paralysis in my extremities.

Everything levels out for a whole then gets worse near the end of high school. I go to a dozen different doctors and they decide to try and elimination diet. Remove dairy and red meat from my diet, better for a while. Worse again, remove eggs. Better, then finally worse and remove all other meat.

Have now also had an endoscopy an colonoscopy done, been checked for celiac, Lyme, lupus, MS, and everything else under the sun and still no answers.

I'm now trying to combat already terrible vitamin deficiencies on a completely vegan diet, and barely keeping at the bottom of the normal range. And I'm still having symptoms.

So I'm faced with this dilemma about whether or not I'm really healthy enough to commit to vet school right now, because if it gets worse I don't know what else they'll be able to try.

Just frustrating to have done all these tests and still be no closer to an answer. Going to an allergist next to be screened for literally everything as opposed to the limited panel I had before.

So sorry to hear about your health problems... if you want any recipes or blogs for healthy vegan recipes, PM me! I've been vegan for 5ish years and have never been vitamin deficient 🙂

 

[dmb320]

I recently found this quote:

"Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by *******s." 👍

I know first-hand that anxiety and depression are very real, but have also realized that (in my case) they probably originate from 20+ years of verbal and emotional abuse from my parents. Sometimes you just have to admit your family is cray cray and you should not see them unless it's a holiday ! ha

And surround yourself with people you feel you can vent to that are uplifting !!

 

[dmb320]

I recently found this quote:

"Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by *******s." 👍

I know first-hand that anxiety and depression are very real, but have also realized that (in my case) they probably originate from 20+ years of verbal and emotional abuse from my parents. Sometimes you just have to admit your family is cray cray and you should not see them unless it's a holiday ! ha

And surround yourself with people you feel you can vent to that are uplifting !!

haha, good sensor SDN. the *******s is another name for jerks that starts with A

 

[MysteryCat]

I haven't had to make any excuses because I've crushed all my obstacles. The same can be said for many others in this forum.


Your negativity is not welcome here.

👍

 

[CanHardlyWait]

So far my struggles have been

Being a high school drop out, getting hooked on drugs (everything hard), being homeless and living on the street and building myself up.

I now am a completely stable, 4.0 student, have a stable job as a vet tech, home, car, my 2 dogs, an amazing boyfriend.

And turning 24. I did all that in a span of 17- now... Got off drugs around 21 for good. I may have been 22.

I could go on in detail, but you get the idea.

My current obstacles would be me being self-defeating...

I don't really have a lot of family support and sometimes I can get really down on myself and feel like I'll never get to vet school for one reason or another (finances, time, feel like I wouldn't do well etc).

Luckily I have a support system, it's just not my immediate family which honestly, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I feel like I have to do everything on my own and to depend on anyone would be a mistake because I can't depend on anyone... though my boyfriend is always there for me and his family is there for me more than my own. Thank god for them coming into my life! Lol.

Hey there! I just wanted to throw out a bit of support from a fellow high school drop out. Your story is very similar to mine, thankfully for me I never got seriously into drugs tho (not to say I didn't dabble in them..). You're doing awesome! Don't doubt yourself! It took me much longer to get my **** together. I didn't even start undergrad until I was 26. I am now 33 and starting my 2nd year of vet school. It can be done, you just must be incredibly persistent and the best possible student and applicant that you can be. I can tell you have got what it takes!!!! I wish you the best of luck in everything

 

[MysteryCat]

I am trying to figure out what's at the bottom of all of my struggles right now, and aside from my social anxiety, I'm pretty sure I have ADHD. I fit the bill pretty perfectly, in fact. Has anyone else had an experience finding something like this out well into college? My freshman and sophomore grades seriously suffered. (GPA is rapidly improving now...)

 

[dyachei]

I am trying to figure out what's at the bottom of all of my struggles right now, and aside from my social anxiety, I'm pretty sure I have ADHD. I fit the bill pretty perfectly, in fact. Has anyone else had an experience finding something like this out well into college? My freshman and sophomore grades seriously suffered. (GPA is rapidly improving now...)

go see a therapist if it is a concern.

 

[MysteryCat]

go see a therapist if it is a concern.

For sure. I have an appt already. I just am feeling a little nervous about it and wanted to hear how others have managed this sort of thing. That's all. 🙂

 

[TooLove]

I am trying to figure out what's at the bottom of all of my struggles right now, and aside from my social anxiety, I'm pretty sure I have ADHD. I fit the bill pretty perfectly, in fact. Has anyone else had an experience finding something like this out well into college? My freshman and sophomore grades seriously suffered. (GPA is rapidly improving now...)

I don't think its uncommon at all..at the beginning of the semester, we had a lecture on learning disabilities and mental health in vet school. According to the people over at student affairs, it's quite common for people to make it to this point in their lives with a learning disability. They've learned to compensate for it for the most part, until they get to college/vet school where the sheer amount of information and stress makes it more apparent.

Glad you have an appointment. 🙂 best of luck!

 

[privera3]

I can relate with a lot of you... I used to have severe anxiety problems, which at one point became disabling and affected me during college. But that is something you have to learn to deal with, and in time, you will. Now I'm almost done with my Bachelors and applying to vet school.

 

[catnips]

Wow, it is amazing and inspiring to read how so many people are coping well. 👍

For me, social anxiety issues, and panic attacks. Panic attacks suck, strikes before/during exams often and sometimes even in sleep. I can never relax. 🙁 Which also makes me depressed. For that which a therapist diagnosed me with bipolar disorder and gave me medication for it, which made everything a lot worse. This affected my freshman and sophomore grades terribly.

Then I started meditation on my own, got into volunteering, and let non-supportive, abusive people in my life go. Now, with a supportive husband, and a dog (lol, seriously though) I am doing much better.

Not sure if I can go through to vet school or get in with all the anxiety issues though. Although I am doing better, my organic chem grades are not well (I hope to pass) and I am not sure I have what it takes. It will probably take longer than I hoped since I really can't do everything all at once (vet hours, bunch of science classes...) I also have a form of genetic anemia which does not get better with iron supplements. Thus, I am often so very tired. Excuse, not an obstacle? Maybe, but that's my story.

We will all be okay at the end. 🙂

 

[PinkLonghornDVM]

I was born with numerous anxiety disorders. Once my epilepsy developed (particularly because it's localized in the temporal lobe), that anxiety became exacerbated. Moreover, my medication caused me cognitive impairment, starting my senior year of high school. My dosage finally decreased recently, and my grades are noticeably higher. Unfortunately, because I applied this year, vet schools weren't able to see the extent the medicine affected my cognition, and as a result, I got rejected from a few schools, due to my numbers. Still, some gave me a chance (with interviews), though I'm still in the waiting game (and I'm not going to lie - the waiting, along with my anxiety, really sucks, but you can learn how to cope).

How did I cope during most of college? I didn't, and as a result, I developed disordered eating. It's one of the worst things I ever did to myself, and it could be prevented. How did I cope more recently, during the application process? By going to therapy once a week. I've learned so much about myself during this journey, which made it much easier. When my medicine can't calm me down (like during panic attacks), I take a walk and listen to my iPod, and I try doing guided meditations on Youtube.

Anxiety and it's effects can be crippling. You can't avoid it, but you can adapt. Some schools weren't able to give my a chance, and I'm not surprised by that, but others were. If this is what you really want to do, just keep dedicating yourself. Life becomes much easier when you realize that you have a passion, because then you have a purpose; you can live towards something. If you're in this for the animals, just remember: they don't care what school you go to, how many tries it took, and how twisted your journey was; they only want to be taken care of.

The best piece of advice I can give you during this journey (which I learned from Demi Lovato actually) is that the energy you put into the universe will be returned to you. You can let you're anxiety overwhelm you and emit negative energy to your world, and in turn, your life will be a mess; but it doesn't have to be. You can emit positive energy and remember that not ever obstacle is the worst thing in the world. Having severe anxiety makes this all the more hard, but it's not impossible. It's up to you.

Best of luck! 🙂

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This touched me today more than you know. THANK YOU