Using a cane and wheelchair have, at times, both been elements of my success in living with POTS, hypermobility, and chronic fatigue syndrome. My thoughts and perspectives have changed over the years, so let’s chat about the pros, cons, and my experience! ...
One of the most constant battles in my life is that of accepting my limits. More than any external voice, it’s the internal drive - to accomplish stuff I want to do, be involved with things that matter to me, and be social with people...
There are several great ways to set yourself up for success, and each person will have their own rhythm for how they most safely navigate the roads. A comprehensive look at symptoms, symptom triggers, and the effectiveness of prevention tools is critical to the discussion...
Years ago, I thought there was a 0% chance I’d ever re-enter the workforce - I had a hard enough time keeping myself fed and watered, and being responsible for tasks at a workplace was out of reach. Thankfully, getting treatment and sticking to a...
It has been 8 months since graduating from the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehab Program, and I continue to be 85% recovered (depending on the day) from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). I never would have imagined that my health could...
“You should exercise more.” A brutal statement. One I had tried to fulfill on my own, and time and time again, had failed. It was a frustrating piece of advice from my doctor, and felt so out of reach as I navigated my bouquet of...
I am so excited to report that after graduating from the 3-week Pain/Symptom Rehabilitation Center at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and continuing the program at home, I am nearly 100% recovered!...
The Valsalva maneuver is EASILY the most fascinating thing I’ve gotten to do in this entire medical adventure. On the surface, it’s a fairly quick and easy part of autonomic testing, but underneath, it’s one of the coolest and most complicated mechanisms of the human...
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...