Insta: authormakaylaspencer
College Dropout
I started having symptoms in my freshman year of high school. I missed a lot of school and almost didn't graduate because of my illness. It was during my senior year of high school that I started writing again. Mainly during study hall when I had nothing else to do. Thankfully, due to my decent grades, I graduated on time and headed off to college in the fall after working as a server all summer. Everything was going smoothly at first. I attended class, did my homework, made friends, and got a taste of what it was like to be an adult. All was well, until late September/ early October when I ended up in the hospital due to a major flare-up. By then my doctor and I had guessed that I had POTS, but due to lack of a diagnosis, I was gaslit and belittled by the hospital staff, told I was fine, and sent back to campus. Then the October slide hit (for some reason POTS symptoms tend to get worse in October and last until spring) By this time, I decided to start using a wheelchair to get around, which helped a lot. I missed class frequently, either due to passing out or the automatic doors being broken. (My dorm didn't have them at all, which made it challenging to get in and out if no one was around.) My grades dropped dramatically, to the point where I faced an Academic Release due to my GPA being so low. I was miserable, both physically and mentally, and extremely stressed out. So, after finals and Christmas break, I decided to take a break in the spring and possibly come back in the fall. Around that same time, I quit my waitressing job because I was no longer capable of being on my feet for that long.
Change of Plans
As it turns out, COVID hit that spring and sent everyone home anyway. My mental health didn't get better during quarantine until I met my husband. We met online and met in person two weeks later. A few months into our relationship, I let him read what little of my story I had written. He loved it and asked if I planned on getting it published. I said I didn't think it was in the cards for me since it cost money and I was unemployed. He promised that he would help me get my book published because there was no point in finishing it if I wasn't going to share it with other people. Instead of going back to school in the fall, I ended up getting a job at my high school as an aftercare monitor and working on a manuscript. The job fit my needs well, as I didn't have to stand the entire time and it was only for three hours a day. That November, I got engaged and decided that going back to school just wasn't in the cards for me at that time. I finished the school year and let my boss know that I would not be returning for the following school year because I was getting married and moving three hours away. The summer flew by, and before we knew it the big day was here. I married the love of my life on a terribly humid, stormy day and became Mrs. Makayla Spencer.
An Idea Is Born
A few months after the wedding I finally had my suspicions confirmed. I have POTS. After six years of bouncing from doctor to doctor, being poked and jabbed, and told it was all in my head, I finally had a diagnosis. During those six years, I read countless books to try to escape mentally, but not a single one had chronic illness representation, especially in my favorite genre, fantasy. So, I decided to write one. After many rewrites and nearly ten years of making change after change, my manuscript is finally in the editing stage. I'm no longer using a wheelchair. (Thanks to my diagnosis I finally got the help I needed.) And I'm a stay-at-home wife and mother.
I sincerely hope that my story provides comfort for those in a similar situation. Know that you are not alone and don't give up hope.
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