<p>I was very excited about my senior year, but in August I started feeling some serious pain at night. I played football, and thought once football season ended it would go away. It didn't. The pain woke me up almost every night for anywhere from 1-4 hours, and amazingly I was still able to do sports and keep up with my studies (I am away at school). My grades were good (my school is very competitive), but not quite as good as my junior year, and I know this has had an effect. I already was taking what many would call an "insane" schedule. When I was home at Christmas, my parents realized how bad it was and had me seen more extensively by a doctor. Finally, after a bone scan I just was diagnosed with a tumor, and the Doctor can't believe that I handled the pain as well as I did. It is operable and benign, so I should have the medical part resolved in the next month. The Doctor offered to write a letter to prospective colleges- should I have him do this, or should I have my school college coordinator write one, or should I write the colleges myself (or some combination of the above). I am not looking to use this as an excuse, but anyone who understands the medical condition would know that I had to deal with more then I would have wanted to. (the good news is that they say the operation should relieve the pain- I can't wait to get a full night's sleep)</p>
<p>Yes. My son's friend discovered a tumor last summer while he was looking at East Coast colleges. Unfortunately, his tumor was not benign and he has missed the greater part of first semester senior year while he received chemotherapy and other treatments, leaving him, of course, extremely tired. It became pretty much a theme for his essays.</p>
<p>Tell the guidance counselor about the condition and maybe ask him/her to put it on the midyear report.</p>
<p>Your college counselor should let the colleges know your situation.</p>
<p>wow im sorry man that must have been rough, colleges will understand</p>
<p>write a follow up essay on this. it sounds touching and impressive that you can endure all that pain. colleges love that rugged masculinity</p>