Candidates who sat for the 2022 GCE A-level examinations received their results from their schools last Friday (Feb. 17).
As some grieve and others rejoice over their results, many will just be glad that their two-year journey is over.
But the journey may have been harder for some than for others.
Premshan Christopher Singh, 19, a student of Catholic Junior College (CJC), had to deal with painful flare-ups of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) on a near-daily basis and was hospitalised multiple times throughout his A-level journey.
Contracted IBS after a sashimi buffet
Christopher told Mothership that he contracted IBS in April 2020, when he was a Secondary 4 student at Saint Joseph's Institution.
He had eaten salmon sashimi at a sashimi buffet, which incidentally contained a tapeworm.
This led to a bout of gastroenteritis (stomach flu), which morphed into the post-infectious IBS that has afflicted him till today.
The main symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, nausea, giddiness, diarrhea and vomiting, and it can be triggered by certain types of food, as well as stress.
"It was a sudden and drastic change since it came in the middle of (the) Covid-19 (pandemic). I was preparing for my O Levels and it was a very stressful time. I didn't know how to cope with having an illness, and it took me a long time to even accept that I felt ill," Christopher said.
Christopher managed to get into CJC after his O-Levels, but his illness stayed with him.
Being hospitalised discouraged him; but friends helped him stay connected
At the point of speaking, Christopher shared that his condition is currently stable, but it's very "on and off".
There were periods when it was extremely severe.
For example, Christopher was admitted to National University Hospital (NUH) several times during JC when his condition flared up.
On those days, he would throw up continuously, and experience severe diarrhoea. As such, he had to be administered with an IV drip, to give him enough nutrition to function properly.
The hospital also had to run tests to check for possible infection and give him different types of medication.
Photo via NUH on Google.
On those days, Christopher admitted that he "lost a lot of control" over his life, because he was not able to attend school at all.
While he tried completing some of his homework in hospital, much of his time was spent waiting for the next appointment. He tried his best to catch up on homework at home instead.
The disruption caused by his illness was discouraging to him.
"Because of my illness, every single major plan I've had for myself has been derailed. What I say I want to do on a daily basis, I was never able to accomplish it," he admitted.
Another issue Christopher faced was feeling disconnected, especially during periods of hospitalisation.
"I (could only) communicate via text. Even though my friends frequently texted me, everyone was busy, anxious about their own things. It's not the same as face-to-face (communication)," he said.
While his friends empathised with him, none of them knew what it was like to experience his medical condition.
Nevertheless, they helped him to stay connected.
"Just simple things like reminding me what the next lesson was, or sharing with me some funny story from school, (helped ensure) that I wasn't completely disconnected," he shared.
Receiving support from teachers
Christopher's teachers also supported him by providing him with learning materials such as lecture recordings and tutorial handouts.
Many also offered consultations to help him catch up on missed lessons.
Beyond academics, Christopher’s Home Tutors in CJC would check in on his well-being, counsel him when he was feeling down and guide him in setting achievable academic and non-academic goals.
One particular memory he cherishes is what his teachers told him after he collected his prelim results.
Because of his illness, he had missed some of the papers and failed quite a few subjects. He was downcast that he had done badly and told his teachers that he was considering not taking the A-level exams.
In response, they reassured him that grades were not everything, and encouraged him to take it one step at a time.
“Since you have already put in one and a half years of effort, don't give up now! Just tahan a bit more and you will be done,” one teacher told him.
These words lifted his spirits, and gave him the motivation to push on to complete his A-levels.
Serving in the Student Council
Despite his medical condition, Christopher also served actively in the student council.
When asked why he decided to run for the the position, Christopher shared that he saw this as a "welcome challenge". He was previously a student council member in secondary school as well.
Additionally, the seniors he met in CJC who helped him integrate into the school were councillors themselves.
Appreciation and Installation of Student Leaders Ceremony, Aug. 2 2022 - via CJC on Facebook.
As part of the student council, Christopher helped to organise major celebrations such as Teacher's Day, and would handle everyday complaints from the student populace as well.
"I wanted to make school a more welcoming and nicer place to be. Whatever I wanted the school to be, I thought that I could create that for other people as well," he shared.
One of his fondest memories as a councillor was during a JC 1 Orientation camp.
Christopher recalled: "(It was) when I was interacting with the JC 1 (students). I happened to be eating some tomato pasta, and at one point I had tomato sauce splattered all over my face. I didn't even know (that). Then everyone had a really good laugh and chuckle."
He realised that that was the true "ice-breaker", despite all the games they had played to get to know one another.
Similarly, during the more intense planning for big events, he treasured "the small, silly things that went on" during the team's interactions.
These moments helped him to enjoy the process more.
"As long as I did my best, I can be proud of the result."
An only child, Christopher always felt like he could count on his parents for support.
During times of sickness, they would bring him his medication when he was in too much pain to get it himself, fetch him to medical appointments, and cook him his favourite foods.
"Sometimes, they would just bring me a warm cup of tea. It's soothing, you know, for the stomach. It gave me warmth, not just in my body, but also in my heart." he shared.
They were also supportive of his involvement in the student council and encouraged him to attend CCA sessions as much as possible.
On top of that, Christopher’s parents partnered closely with his teachers in exchanging updates on his well-being and performance.
Christopher was grateful that his parents did not focus heavily on his academic performance.
"They (always) remind me that in anything I do, as long as I did my best, I can be proud of the result," he added.
Onto the results and moving forward
Before he collected his results, Christopher shared that he was nervous, but very happy. There was a period of time when he never even thought he would finish his A-levels.
"It makes me feel proud, like I have climbed a mountain," he said.
Mothership also checked in with Christopher after the results collection.
Although the results were not as good as he had hoped, Christopher said he was relieved it was over. He was looking forward to the next chapter in his life.
He also said he had learnt not to focus so much on his sadness over past events or anxieties about the future, but to live life "as much in the present as possible".
To those who have supported him, Christopher said, "Thank you all so much. It's been difficult for me, but just as difficult for you to have to watch me suffer through this period. Thank you for just being with me in those moments, for being proud of me, and for telling me not to give up."
When asked if he had any advice for students struggling with health conditions, and Christopher was initially hesitant to share.
"I'm only 19," he admitted nervously.
Upon further prompting, he said:
"I think I want people to know that you’re not alone, and there are people out there with struggles that you can connect with.
Don’t be afraid to lean on others. It may be tempting to isolate yourself and do everything on your own, but you will find that it's easier with the support of (others).
There will come a time when others will lean on you too, because that’s how relationships work. So there's no shame in that.”
Completed A-level and need someone to talk to? Read this:
Top image via Ministry of Education.