How I got here part two.
I walked through the doors of LCCC in the pathfinders building on my first day. I didn’t know what to expect or better yet who to expect. I thought I would run into some old foes or worse new foes. I was 10 minutes late to class which is never like me I ran to my first class hoping I wouldn’t get yelled at for my tardiness. I had college success which was a class explaining the ins and outs of college mainly for freshmen and not a 2nd timer like me, but it was mandatory, and I had to go. I ended up liking it a lot, there was a lot of open discussions encouraged by my teacher and I felt like I had a fair amount to say, even though most of what I said I instantly regretted. Not because it was bad just because I’m socially awkward and I say strange things sometimes. I know I might have said and done some embarrassing things in that class, but I give myself a break knowing the hardships I had just went through the past 10 years and I just needed some time to adjust and luckily this class was liberal enough to help me adjust to my new environment. Later I found out the professor knew my family and they go way back, and it made me feel more comfortable. I was really worried about going back to college but knowing someone gave me some hope that maybe this time would be okay.
My class after that one was math. Prealgebra because I failed greatly on my math entrance exam. Funny enough I got a 99 in English and a 2 in math which doesn’t surprise me plus I needed a refresher. The day I had to go I was very nervous and didn’t know what to expect but found that it wasn’t so bad. I felt very comfortable in there because everyone else also was bad at math and we all joked about our piss poor algebra skills. It made me feel included and welcome.
I decided I need to join some clubs while at LCCC since last time I didn’t and just focused on my work and got burnt out, so I was excited when I found out about International Ambassador's Club. A club that travels abroad and all you have to do is community service and raise money? I was so excited. I joined my very first semester in Fall 2019 and got involved right away. I ran for community service head and got voted in. I talked with events board at LCCC and did a lot of fun things, like the Halloween party they had at the campus which we made into the Spanish Day of the Dead table for the kids. I was all ready to go to Peru and climb Machu Pichu in Spring 2020 we had one more big community service event and it was off to South America! I got my passport, and I was ready to go, then we know what came next. I was kind of bummed but took the opportunity to take some summer classes. Secretly it broke my heart I would have loved to go to South America, but I will get there one day, maybe at UW? Never too late. My passport sits in my desk collecting dust and one day I’ll be able to dust it off and bring it to another country.
Summer came and so did lock down and I tried to work or do something productive. I worked at a retail store and really found myself missing my in-person classes. Luckily during that time, I started my photography business, and I did very well. It gave me a purpose and I still love doing it. With a little help from friends I built a portfolio and found out I like running my own business so some good things came out of a hard year.
Spring 2021 came, and some classes started going back face to face. I had one online English class and I had math again and I was bummed. I knew this was my last math class and for that reason I was excited. I picked the best math teacher I knew at LCCC She was so kind and understanding. I loved how passionate she was about math and yet so understanding of people with math disabilities. I loved that class we always had the best conversations and my professor said something to me that lit up my heart she knew me when I was getting my G.E.D and I was not the nicest person around that time I had just gotten over an abusive relationship and stint in two adolescent rehabs and I was stressed beyond belief but happy to pursue my education. “You are a completely different person from when I knew you then” she said to me, that meant so much to me. I have been working so hard to change and become a better person than I was then and the fact she noticed the change meant a lot to me.
Fall 2021 hit and it was time for in person classes again! I was so hopeful and little eager to be able to socialize again and I noticed so was everyone else. Everyone seemed just like me lacking a bit of social skills which is me all the time but now everyone was riding the socially awkward wave and I loved it! I fell in love with my Spanish class I felt so comfortable there and I loved my art class because I got to draw and make interesting things. Although I had a hard time, I really enjoyed my Fall semester.
By Spring 2022 the college was entirely open, and I was ready to go. My in-person classes were small which made me more comfortable, and I had a really good time. I was just excited to graduate. Then the worse scenario happened, and I got sick. it started off with what felt like a pulled muscle in the back of my leg and turned into something more sinister. I remember trying to stretch it out but soon a purple mark went all the way up my leg and my lower leg swelled and I couldn't walk. I went to get an outpatient ultrasound and they said it was superficial blood clots. They told me to rest and take Bayer aspirin, but it got worse each day. I went to a doctor's visit and couldn't breathe, and she advised me to go to the hospital. My mom drove me, and I cried very scared of what they might tell me. They did an X-ray this time at the hospital and found out I had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the clots has moved into my lungs. I was having a pulmonary embolism which was a deadly disease where blood clots start in the big vein in your leg and move into your lungs then sometimes into your heart giving you a heart attack. I felt awful shaking, not being able to breathe, my heart beating fast. Luckily, the E.R. did an ultrasound of my heart and it was fine, but my lungs had so many clots they said they had never seen these many clots in a girl in her 20's ever. I was just as surprised too. They advised me to quit smoking and get off my birth control then they started a dose of blood thinners to get rid of the clots. Two days later I left the hospital and never looked back. Eventually after two agonizing weeks the swelling went down in my leg, and I could breathe again.
Then it finally came graduation day! I was graduating with the class of spring 2022. I saw many people I had classes with and some I saw start at LCCC, and I was so excited. I saw my professors even the one's I did online with who I loved having class with. I saw my mom cry because she was so proud of me. I bet she was going through her memories of sitting in the hospital with me so many times versus sitting watching me now graduate and I was glad they were tears of happiness. I am so glad for LCCC the teachers, the clubs, the classes, the students. I made so many lifelong friends and had such a great experience. I am glad that this was my starting off point.
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