I just assumed that every person became light headed when they stood for an extended period of time. Standing up quickly or being overly active would always leave me with a spinning room and short light show. It was something I naturally compensated for through the years. I figured that everyone lived with these daily sensations. After all, the human body is a weird machine. No one in my family has much trust in modern medicine. From religious reasons to superstitious avoidance and general unease with the practice, I wasn’t brought up with doctor visits. The occasional trip for stiches…
For the bent, broken, and busted bodies in this world
Tagged POTS
Just a little movement
I didn’t realize that I was athletic until I got sick. Playing outside everyday and having sports integrated into my life was something I took for granted. I grew up in a rural place where there weren’t professional or academic sports teams. Everyone was just always outside doing activities. My dad grew up playing organized sports so our weekend, holiday, and after school activities always included tennis, volleyball, swimming, surfing, fishing, baseball, basketball, etc. As I grew older, my sports hobbies took a backseat to everything else. But, I could count on my athleticism to make me comfortable and useful…
Zebra looking for an umbrella
Having more than one disease complicates everything. Most of those diseases being rare and understudied turn those complications into catastrophes. Doctors don’t know what to do with you and they truly don’t care to try. When you are already suffering from a mystery, the last thing you want is for your doctor to quit helping. Sometimes that dismissal seals a sufferers decision to give up. It reinforces their anxieties and amplifies their pain. Along with hope, their motivation for life disappears. I asked for help everywhere. At first, I didn’t know what was happening to my body. My early symptoms…
When they ask, “What’s wrong with you?”
My officially diagnosed conditions and their medical definitions are as follows: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) – Hypermobility type: “A group of disorders that affect connective tissues supporting the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues. Defects in connective tissues cause the signs and symptoms of these conditions, which range from mildly loose joints to life-threatening complications”. National Institutes of Health Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): “Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is a condition that affects circulation. It involves the autonomic nervous system and sympathetic nervous system”. Cleveland Clinic Gastroparesis: “A disorder that slows or stops the movement of food from your stomach…
