I managed to complete that school year, but only by the most extreme of a close call. I'd missed so much school, I would have been possibly expelled if it weren't for the doctor's excuse. By the time that school year ended, I had about half the class credits needed to graduate. But there was just no way I could keep this going for another three or more years. (At 19 years of age, I had only that much time left before turning 22 and no longer being able to stay in school) So all summer long I had to think on what I would do when school resumed.

During that summer, the financial problems I and my dad had peaked, becoming worse then ever. We could no longer afford cable, and my dad's truck broke down frequently; adding more debt and a lack of transportation. Not only that, but from years of going to bed after certain TV programs, my body's sleep pattern had been disrupted largely by the loss of the cable. So I ended up sleeping most of the day, every day.

While the debt I found myself in grew, so too did my back problems. Now I could not even walk to my bed or get my own food by myself because my balance had gotten so bad I had to use both hands at all times on a wall or counter for support. Even a short walk from my room to my computer desk, no more that 15 feet, was becoming too much. The problem lied with the Scoliosis causing the nerves to my legs to no longer work properly; my legs had lost movement and mos feeling.

At the same time, my teeth were becoming a problem of immense importance. Due to a dental procedure I had done when I was 12- years old, my teeth were too sensitive to the chemicals in toothpaste to brush. Attempting so had the equivalence of pouring rubbing alcohol on an open wound. Needless to say, they began chipping and loosening, a problem that still persists and embarrasses me.

You may wonder why I didn't do anything about these things with my doctors sooner. But the thing is, I told them all frequently about these things from as early as I could detect the problem. Why things got so bad is my doctors (and dentist) worked at Riley Hospital for Children, and were in such high demand their schedules were always booked full, making it very difficult to get an appointment. Another issue was that without cable, we also did not have a phone to get calls to remind us of upcoming appointments, so we often missed them. But we were doing all that we could.

The summer dragged on and everything seemed to get worse. As if all wasn't bad enough, my grandfather was hospitalized around this time from bloodclots. Just as he was released, he had a heart attack and passed away. Because of which, I deeply regret that we drifted apart as I grew up.

To get to my E-mails so I could keep in touch with my doctors and family, my dad got me a laptop with WiFi to use with our neighbor's wireless router. This was a definite improvement, as now I could talk to my girlfriend online while staying informed better with my doctors. But it was also one more monthly bill to pay.

My mother, sister, grandmother, and uncle all came to visit in the week before school resumed. They came earlier than expected, and because I had so much going on at home then, (physical therapy, speech therapy, and trying to get our landlord to build wheelchair ramps for us along with my health problems) I couldn't spend as much time as I wanted to with them. However, I managed to invite my girlfriend to the upcoming Church Picnic so that everyone could meet her, which was a definite plus. It also strengthened our relationship.

And then, school was back in session, and I'd made my decision on what to do. But it was not one that was favored outside of me and my small group of friends.