With postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (or POTS), life is already a bit of a balancing act to keep all systems running smoothly, so as I prepared for surgery this fall, I was a bit nervous about how my body might handle it. The combination of...
My sister is a rockstar. I know I write a lot about my own journey with chronic illness, and I can often focus on the ways that I am able to manage my own symptoms and challenges. But what I don’t talk much about is the...
Without a doubt, midodrine has been crucial to the management of my postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Now that I have been on it for 2 months, I can confidently say that I experience significant benefits, minimal (if any) lasting side effects, and am overall pleased...
Living out the lifestyle changes that are recommended for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) can be easier said than done. Having POTS is hard. It’s inconvenient. It is not fun. And yet in the midst of daily limitations and hourly coping, finding small yet meaningful...
People with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) are notorious for drinking pickle juice, double-salting their fries, and even eating salt right out of the shaker. In the early days of having POTS, I certainly had a thing for salami, green olives, and eating plain lunch...
What is the QSART? The QSART (Also known as the QSWEAT) is short for the “Quantitative Sudomotor Axon Reflex Test”. The goal of this test is to get a better understanding of a person’s nerve/sweat function, which can be tested by stimulating their body with electricity...
Waiting sucks. Especially when it comes to waiting for medical answers that could very dramatically impact your life, your perspective, and everything about the future. While waiting for a full evaluation at Mayo Clinic for the constellation of symptoms I was experiencing, I often found...
It finally happened y'all! I have officially received a comprehensive evaluation on my symptoms of autonomic dysfunction and the miscellaneous health issues that have been so debilitating. I was especially jazzed about this opportunity, because Mayo Clinic is known for their work with people who have...
When my postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) first started escalating, the most concerning symptoms included things like chest pain, palpitations (like my heart was flopping), and tachycardia (racing heart). Not knowing what was happening, my doctor ordered an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of the...
I am driven by striving. In one conversation with a Christian mentor, the words blurted out before I could properly weigh them: “Striving is what makes life worth living.” I wasn’t completely wrong, but I definitely wasn’t right either. A more appropriate statement might have been...