Tales of a Praying Mother for her Daughter — My 5 Years Experience in the Medical Field

If you're reading this post, this is my story as a radiographer. It's my mother's prayers that made me come out successful, as the story behind my journey was enough reason to quit school. Every student has the story of their life in school before they graduate from school, if at all. It all started when I applied for a change of institution from the University of Uyo to Calabar**. As of then, Uniuyo didn't introduce radiography into their institution, and that was my dream course.

My parents didn't buy the idea that I school far from home. They wanted a situation where I'll be coming back home to see them. From Calabar to Uyo is a 2-hour journey on transit, as they are far apart. Friends and a few family members advised my mom not to take me there and said that UNICAL is a very bad place. They told her that a few students get successful in that school because of the environment being rough, immoral and a lot. They painted the school black, and it made my parents have worries about putting me there. They told them that I won't make it there.

I honestly don't know why my mother trusted me for the first time because she's always mindful of her children. She gave me a measure of trust I shouldn't break no matter what. My dad and she gave me a head start on my journey to study medical radiography in Calabar, refuting people's advice, even from well-meaning friends.

I had to refute their claims and make my parents proud. Ever since I resumed school, my mother has been checking up on me. Trust what a caring mother would do when she hasn't heard from her child for days. There are times she won't hear from me for a week or so. She'll call my friends and tell them she's coming to Calabar. It was my matriculation.

I got matriculated into the department of Medical Radiography under the faculty of allied medicine. These are some moments of me with my mom and my brother, who came from far away to support and encourage me. They even brought food. It's quite a coincidence to see me wear a red outfit in my matriculation and a red outfit in my induction ceremony.

Everywhere, Red, my brother and sister.

My first year in school wasn't that tough financially but was tough academically, as I was in the medical field, and you know the stress of having to pass certain exams; otherwise, you'll have to resit, which would affect your **cumulative grade point average. I had to be at my best even when Unical was at its hottest. There were times I would stay a whole day, so hungry to the point that I couldn't make calls at home again, and the money I was supposed to use for feeding was used to buy medical textbooks, pay for practicals and other demands from lecturers which they made absolutely compulsory.

It was at this point I became distressed. Everything was just chalky and draining. It was at this point I thought of leveraging into other digital skills since I was into affiliate marketing before coming to Unical. There was a time my phone got lost while reading in a night class.

No one should experience such because I cried my eyes out. Not at this time, I told myself. It was as if I lost some part of me. I felt useless. My power bank and phone were taken by those who claim to be readers at night but come exclusively to steal things.

It was at this point I doubled my hustle. I told myself that I'm a dangerous lady and to survive in this UNICAL, I must not be entirely soft. I became excessively smart and less carefree, even when I'm reading in the hostel. At some point, I was treated unjustly by peers in the hostel. It's a long story, but I'll cut it short. A lady barged into our room and threatened to beat my friend because we were just rejoicing for an achievement. I stepped in and chased her with my words and actions, though I didn't touch her. She called the securities on me, and these men threatened to throw me out of the hostel until everyone shouted in disagreement.

I felt embarrassed that day. Aside from that, I faced other debilitating situations that made me think of giving up. I lost so much weight that I was nearly labelled an HIV patient because my clavicles were just so prominent due to stress. UNICAL was after my life, not to mention lab work. Honestly, everything was frustrating. If you can survive medical school, you can survive anything in this world. My friends were my backbone in school.

I seriously don't know what I would have done without my friends. They were more like my life support. In times when I'm weak and depressed, they'll make me laugh and strong. They encouraged me to read; we went for night classes together and had the same big dreams of being inducted someday. In times when I'm not financially buoyant enough to meet demands in school, my friends will always be there to give me that helping hand.

We passed through thick and thin to make our parents proud. My mother was busy praying for me where she was and also lending a helping hand to my success in this discipline. During our professional exams period, my friends and I were so determined to use this and wipe our parents' tears, knowing that their hard work, finances and prayers for us aren't in vain.

On the day of our induction, we were together, snapped pictures together and even had our last moments in Calabar together. Do you have a praying mother, someone who believes in you and can vouch for you even with her last breath?

	Today, she's the happiest of mothers because of her prayers and support for me.
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