After quite a few setbacks, Christie needed to slowly transition again to her research not as soon as however twice. This pressured her to make a tricky determination that may form the remainder of her profession.
In 2019, Christie Yu started finding out pharmacy on the College of Sydney, and he or she was immensely excited for all times’s subsequent chapter. “I transitioned nicely into college, each socially and academically,” Christie says.
“That was till I turned very sick. I used to be vomiting for a number of days and have become delicate to gentle. I couldn’t get a blood check from the GP as a result of I used to be so dehydrated, so Mum took me to the emergency room.”
It was then that she was recognized with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.
Christie had to immediately suspend her studies to begin treatment before requiring a stem cell transplant.
Two years after her initial diagnosis in 2021, Christie made her first gradual return to her studies amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
While it was challenging returning to university after both a stem cell transplant and developing graft versus host disease (GvHD), lockdown restrictions forcing classes online actually helped Christie with her transition as she didn’t have to attend university in person.
“I returned to university in the second semester of 2021. Since universities had to adapt to lockdown and moved most courses online, I decided to try part-time continuing my pharmacy degree to help pass the time.”
Christie was also granted additional time by her university to submit assessments, which aided her transition.
Shortly after, however, Christie began to experience further complications.
Christie was forced to take a further year off university to focus on her health and adapt to a mobility disability after complications following graft versus host disease treatment led to using a wheelchair. This eventually put her future career in doubt – and she was faced with a tough decision.
“I talked to the pharmacy dean and he explained the university was about to change the degree – where if I failed or missed a course due to health reasons, they may not be able to provide that class [again] if there weren’t sufficient college students.”
“This may imply I’d have to start out the diploma from scratch. He was additionally aware of my immunosuppression, the place seeing sufferers [as part of my studies] might be dangerous for me.”
Returning to her research in pharmacy was at all times the aim for Christie throughout therapy, however elements exterior of her management pressured her to judge whether or not this was nonetheless potential.
“I wasn’t positive if being a pharmacist was achievable or fascinating for me anymore. After accepting my actuality, significantly with my ache ranges, I made a decision to vary programs.”
Christie remained on the College of Sydney however transferred to psychology, as a result of it was science-based and had much less lab necessities.
“It was a very laborious option to make,” she says. After returning to her research for the second time in 2023, Christie continued to obtain extra help from the College as she adjusted to utilizing a wheelchair and balanced different well being points.
“Incapacity companies helped facilitate timetabling wheelchair accessible class and examination rooms, alongside evaluation deadline changes to make sure I might return safely and cozy again to review.”
However whereas she’s content material along with her determination and the help she’s receiving, she will’t assist however take into consideration the usual ‘college expertise’ that she feels she’s going to now by no means have.
“Being unable to undergo the diploma with the identical cohort has been a bit of lonely. It does make me really feel I missed the perfect uni expertise I envisioned, however I’ve come to phrases with that.”
We requested Christie what methods and practices she put in place to assist her transition again to review.
“I modified my research to part-time, after which reassessed the examine load earlier than the census date. I used to be additionally capable of request an ‘educational plan’ from the uni’s incapacity companies division each semester, and so they organized evaluation deadline changes and wheelchair accessible rooms for every class.”
She additionally progressively elevated her contact hours, beginning with 2-3 hour visits and slowly build up from there which helped handle her ache and vitality ranges.
Christie is at present within the second yr of her psychology diploma, along with her well being points not as prevalent.
“At present my well being points are much less salient, though I occasionally expertise a flareup of some form. I nonetheless assume I can’t do full time as a consequence of ongoing fatigue and ache points. However I’m having fun with psychology so much. For the longer term, I hope to be in a profession that I discover fulfilling and significant.”
For others aiming to return to review whereas dwelling with blood most cancers, Christie has this recommendation.
“It’s undoubtedly potential, even with ongoing points like incapacity or fatigue. Survivorship normally might not be what you imagined or anticipated, and it’s regular to grieve that. For examine, it might be about not having the ability to examine full time, or graduate with your folks, or having to vary your diploma.”
“Realistically, returning to review might be not going to be linear, regardless of how unfair that’s. However as I discovered, there’s numerous help out there.”
When you have any questions on returning to review whereas dwelling with blood most cancers, the Leukaemia Foundation is here to help. You can give us a call on 1800 620 420, or submit an enquiry form via our website.