Petition to get an F changed to an Incomplete or W

[mwellss3]

Hey guys,

I have a question on trying to petition to get a grade changed from an F to an I or a W. My 1L year I was diagnosed with chronic migraines and received an F in my Civ Pro I class because I exceeded the 4 absences allowed. I was required to retake the course and did much better, but the F still stays in my GPA and is really hurting it. Our student handbook says that any F we receive will stay in our GPA, regardless of whether we've retaken the course or not. I need to have this removed to remain competitive with everyone else in school. I can file a petition to wave a handbook rule, but I'm not exactly sure what to write. I don't want to make frivolous arguments or excuses, so any ideas you guys have would be really helpful.

Thanks!