This is Sideline Stories. A platform where NE10 student-athletes can share their collegiate experiences in an unfiltered environment - using their voices to promote growth and positive change in our league and in all of NCAA Division II athletics.

Lauren Ladue, a junior midfielder on the Stonehill field hockey team, has suffered through multiple medical conditions that got her bullied in school and filled her with doubt about her playing career. Through her journey, she learned the importance of "going in one more round." Here is her Sideline Story:

To be a student-athlete at a Division II school is tough, but when consistent medical issues are added onto that, it can become nearly impossible.

In November of 2013, I gained over eighteen pounds of water weight in a rapid amount of time. After a blood test, it was evident that I had little to no albumin (protein) left in my bloodstream. The doctors in my hometown claimed my kidneys were failing, and I was immediately rushed to Boston Children's Hospital.

That night was laden with various tests, which ultimately indicated it was Nephrotic Syndrome. Nephrotic Syndrome occurs when your kidney filters become inflamed and leak the protein in your blood, leading to water retention when sodium is ingested.

Frequently, I was unable to participate in club and high school sports due to developing tendinitis and excessive swelling. Heavy doses of steroids proved to be ineffective; all I got from it was big cheeks, which led to other kids bullying me in middle school. "What's wrong with your face?", or "I heard to call you Chippy, since you look like a chipmunk," were common insults.

After a biopsy was performed, I was diagnosed with idiopathic membranous nephropathy — a branch of Nephrotic Syndrome where the patient doesn't respond to steroids. I reached remission from the disease for seven months after using a standard blood pressure medication.

In 2014, however, I was in California for a field hockey recruiting trip when I noticed my ankles were swollen and denting again.

At BCH, I was presented with three options at fourteen years old. First, a pill which could lead to kidney scarring and subsequent kidney failure. Second, a three-day stay in the hospital once a month on heavy steroids, with components of chemotherapy and the possibility of losing fertility. Third, a natural steroid injection called Acthar, which hadn't been used on anyone close to my age. I chose Acthar and was on it for nearly two years.

In the beginning, it was neat. My friend group was obsessed with Grey’s Anatomy, so they loved to help me out. I had cute spot Band-Aids (Sesame Street was a personal favorite) and a stylish injection kit.

With time and many injections, it became hard to find new places to inject my bruised stomach. I cried myself to sleep countless nights because the injections I performed in the scar tissue were so painful. Ultimately, I developed a severe fear of needles.

On December 2, 2016, I was ecstatic to hear I reached remission for the second time. If it weren't for my incredible team at Boston Children's, my family, and my friends, I would be in a much worse situation.

Afterwards, in 2017, I was diagnosed with severe vasovagal syncope. It was around this time that I committed to Stonehill for field hockey. Upon diagnosis, I began to pass out and feel fatigued for days at a time. It is highly possible that the kidney disease I endured led to these syncope episodes.

It became frustrating when all I wanted was to give it my all, yet I was restricted physically. On my first day of college field hockey, I passed out for longer than my average syncope episode. The next three months were full of new medications (some which showed symptoms similar to the kidney disease) and tests, as we developed strategies that made playing a college sport feasible.

Today, my syncope is not fully controllable, but I give it my all and manage it the best I can while listening to my body. If it weren't for my BCH cardiologists, trainer Lindsey, and my teammates and coaches, I would not be on the field.

On top of the kidney and heart disease, I visit two other specialists for ongoing medical issues; one of which is dermatology. I've had six atypical moles, two of which have required surgery in the past year. Both have restricted me from participating in college field hockey for around a month.

This year, I had my second surgery on January 2 and was back in practice for two weeks before testing positive for the flu. After returning for a week after that, we were sent home due to COVID-19.

If you were to ask me if I wish I never became sick, I would say no. The past seven years have shaped me as a person for the better. It has been tough, but I've learned to be more courageous, positive, and grateful.

I'm an active volunteer with the American Red Cross, One Mission, a member of the Make a Wish Club/Love Your Melon Club on campus, Be the Match, National Kidney Foundation, and Haitian Outreach. I find it valuable to give back because I received countless outpourings of support in my times of need.

Over the years, I've discovered various coping strategies ranging from yoga to the Rocky movies. My favorite motivational quote is from Rocky IV and it reads, "Going in one more round when you don't think you can makes all the difference in your life."

I take this quote to heart since it reminds me to take it one day at a time and remember that everything happens for a reason. It also implies that you should never give up and to trust the process. With each new obstacle comes a new lesson, and each has helped me grow as a person. My medical issues do not define me, but instead have taught me some of the most valuable life lessons.

Being a college student-athlete is no easy task. I was a biology pre-medicine student for my first two years, while I made various trips to Boston for different appointments each semester. It was far from easy. I have still not gone a full semester without going to BCH for ongoing medical issues.

Between missing class, dealing with the mental health aspect, and learning to manage the complicated schedule of a student-athlete, I will forever be grateful to the Stonehill community. The support of my teammates, coaches, fellow students, and professors makes all the difference in the world.

I am so happy to call Stonehill College my second home.

- Lauren Ladue