Stories of overcoming adversity? I need some inspiration

[Semantics]

First I'd like to say hello. I have been browsing to forums for little over a year now. Took make a long story short. I have transitioned out of the military (navy) and have decided to make a career shift to nursing. I began going back to school for the first time in 7 years.

With two daughters (5yr old and 8 mo) and a wife who is active duty, the challenge of school was a wake up call. I was able to successfully complete the first semester of pre-req's. However, I have had to revaluate my schooling situation since my wife is about to transfer duty stations. To add to the uncertainty and stress of school we found out that number 3 is on its way (I guess we were that 2% that birth control dosent work for). Never in my life did I expect to be the parent of 3 kids at 26 all while trying to restart a career. With my wife's sea duty on the horizon I will become, for all intents and purposes, a single parent. I have no idea how I am going to make this happen and would love to hear how some of you over came difficult situations to make it to your goals. Single mothers or fathers please chime in. Thanks in advance.

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

Laura your story was truly inspiring. Thank you for posting it.:heartbeat

[danigirl58]

first i'd like to say hi to everyone reading this. i think every one of us that has gone through school especially nursing school .... and making it out sane...... have had to overcome some type of adversity.

with me it was entering a nursing program that was to be 5 years, and no one having any real faith in me that i could complete it and was actually called a bum for going back to school. now if that was it i am sure i would have been fine but with in the first 2 weeks of my program i found out that i was prego (with #2) and all my family lived about 2000 km away. to make a long story short i had my son during my first year of the program, and my marriage ended in my second year, and finally my life fell apart in my third year. now i can say that i was truly struggling, i didn't think i'd make it, i felt like i was a horrible mother because i was always studying or in the hospitals. in my third year i also withdrew from my bsn program thinking that i was not smart enough to complete the program (i have a learning disability in written english which made some text book learning very difficult). i went to the west coast and stayed with my family for a while and was able to clear my head. it was at this point that i realized that nursing is what i wanted to do it's in my heart and soul and i really couldn't imagine doing anything else. i also thought to myself that i am not going to be a quitter. if i did quit then all of my sacrifices and the hard times that i went through would be for nothing. so i moved back and reapplied to my program which took another year to get into. currently i have one month of my senior practicum to go and i will graduate with a bsn. it is an awesome feeling to know that i did it i completed my program. the best thing about it is my 10 year old daughter is very proud of me and she has seen that if you want something that you have to make sacrifices and work your butt of to get it.

i know that this may not be the kind of inspiration that you wanted but i can say that no matter what came my way .... and i will say that theres been way to much..... i went through it and in the end i conquered all the doubt, the fears, and the lack of money. i am a firm believer that if you want something bad enough then no matter what comes your way you will do everything in your power to reach for it.

[Super_RN, BSN, RN]

At the end of my first year I had a bad car accident. Still don't know what caused it. I ended up with a slight case of amnesia, cerebral bleeding, burns, stitches, a broken arm and wrist...nasty. I missed a lot of school and clinicals. However, I ended up passing all my classes except one. I received a C- in one class, which is considered failing. I then had to MAKE UP clinicals for this class, knowing I had failed it, so I would not get an incomplete. I did all that.

That particular class wasn't offered again for 9 months, so I had to wait to retake it. Then, I decided I wanted to transfer schools because I had gotten kicked out of my house by an evil stepmother, my grandpa was just diagnosed with cancer, my boyfriend of 3 years decided he didn't love me, and I was a wreck. So I dropped out of the program.

Bad mistake. Shouldn't have done that. Anyhow, a couple of months later I got reaccepted in the program. Okey dokey, I had my head on straight and I just wanted to GRADUATE. A couple of months into my second year, my aunt (who was also in the same nursing class as me) had a terrible car wreck (same road I almost died on) and it left her paralyzed from the neck down. Wow. 39-years-old and paralyzed. THAT was emotionally draining. Between commuting to see her and school and work, I thought I would never make it.

But I did, I finally graduated and am currently completing classes for my BSN. You will make it. It takes perseverance and dedication. Good luck!

:) Super