You can try Uni... yes, the assignments are hard, but they are mostly interesting. Referencing for example is a pain, but there are tutorials for it. And you can always ask the profesor if you are having difficulties. You have to thrust yourself into it. Which has a big advantage, because you worry about science and not about yourself that much (that is not a jab at you... it's me who replaces my own misery with West Bank blues).

I am not sure about being a nurse... but about photography I can tell you it's not something to make living with really. You can try it for occasionally cash though. And as for getting recognition, always carry the camera with you if you have some portable digital. Take pictures if there is something happening (I am not talking about accidents... but if there is happening, or snow storm, etc.) and send them ASAP to local news servers (my friend his name in several papers this way when he took picture of trams stucking in snowstorm).

Life is difficult. And you have to fill the tedious days between birth and death with something. You may as well make it something worthwhile. Sit down and think what you want to do. Be realistic, but not too doom and gloom.