Originally published by Hemophilia News Today, April 10, 2024
I remember having a malady that afflicts many during the last months of high school, college, or graduate school: senioritis. While it’s not a physical illness, this condition plagues many students as they near the end of their educational journeys, leading to absences and other problems.
Senioritis is basically a decline in motivation, which can lead to detrimental results. Grades can suffer, and that lowers a student’s GPA — which, for high schoolers, can affect their college admission. Staying motivated to the end is challenging as students look to their next chapter, whether it’s college, trade school, or the workforce. That next step can be exciting, and often a distraction from the remaining schoolwork.
Yet in our home, senioritis looks a little different.
Coping with physical challenges
My youngest son, Caeleb, will graduate from high school in May. His academic journey has been difficult because he has severe hemophilia A with an inhibitor, which often dictates his next move. In Caeleb’s elementary-school years, he missed numerous days because of repeated bleeding in his joints. Sometimes he needed days or weeks at home to heal. Many times, he was hospitalized to help manage his pain.
Once Caeleb began Hemlibra (emicizumab-KXWH), his quality of life and school attendance improved. I thought he was finally on the path to success once he entered high school. But during his junior year, he began suffering the aftermath of those years of excessive joint bleeds. As he endured chronic pain, he sometimes needed to use a cane, walker, or wheelchair. As a result, the number of absences in his senior year has been higher than he had in his elementary-school years.
It’s been a physically challenging year for my son.
