Yvonne Foong: Fighting NF

Right before coming to L.A. for surgery to remove an Olfactory Groove Meningioma on May 6th 2009, I signed up for an online course through Upper Iowa University. The subject is called, “Intro to Human Services”. It’s a Psychology subject. This must be an uncommon subject since there were only one or two people selling the required text on Amazon – ‘Human Services in Contemporary America’ by William R. Burger. With so few competitions, the book price wasn’t too much different from its original.

And that’s the book I have been reading while lodging at Seton Guest Center after surgery.

I will be on the UIU Independent Study program, at the same time continue to attend lectures through the UIU Malaysia Program at Segi College.

There were many reasons in choosing to study on my own. Firstly, I’d like to be able to discuss issues and policies behind every subject. But the way lessons are delivered in Malaysia makes me feel stagnant, restless, and agitated.

Studying independently gives me more options too. There are still subjects under General Requirement that I have yet to take, but these classes at Segi College are often crowded. This is stressful to me and my health. With so many brain tumors, I’d try to avoid sitting in these classes unless I have to.

Besides, I am also running out of choices. Most of my Major Requirements and all of my Major Electives have already been fulfilled.

The remaining two subjects needed under Major Requirement has a pre-requisite math subject, but I have not been able to study math effectively at Segi given my physical limitations. I can’t see well enough to read off the whiteboard and I can’t hear well enough to understand speech, while classmates can’t effectively type for me what the lecturer is saying when he tries to explain formulas. Heck, even students who can hear don’t get him!

So I hope that one day I will be able to take Math directly through UIU’s Independent Study program instead of waiting for miracle to happen in class.

This subject I am taking right now, Intro to Human Services, will help to fulfill my General Electives. For General Electives, I want to take subjects closely related to Psychology and my career goals. ie. Subjects in healthcare, psychology, neuroscience, and a bit of law. This can’t be achieved by simply studying at Segi because they are not equipped to cater to people of my kind, but those who aspire to be businessmen, accountants, managers, and journalists.

It’s been a long journey with ups and downs. Despite having to raise funds for two surgeries in the past few months, I managed to pull through and earned three more credits, making me a college Junior, and in my third year of a Bechelor’s degree. I know 3 credits was nothing to shout about for a long, four-month semester, but that’s the best I could do to avoid getting too stressed and risk aggravating my brain tumors.

It could have been much worse without friends and acquiantances helping me raise funds for surgeries, while I juggle between managing sales and attending classes.

My new Topaz desktop video magnifier is arriving tomorrow. I’m expecting it to improve my educational experience significantly as I begin to read better.

Really, I am so, so glad to finally find the right vision aid and get to know people at Center for the Partially Sighted. I’ve been having low vision all my life, but it’s only now that I find the much needed hope for effective rehabilitation! I don’t have to tolerate my disability any longer!

Yay! I know I will earn my Bachelor’s degree, go to graduate school, and become a Clinical Psychologist for real!