I am a P.O.T.S. warrior!

     Hey ladies and gents! Today I want to talk to you about my Fight with P.O.T.S. When I first was diagnosed I wanted to throw in the towel and give up. This disease took everything from me very suddenly. I was good one day and sick the next. It came on that fast. Things quickly spiraled downhill. I didn't want to fight. Everything was too hard. Walking up stairs, washing dishes, laundry, and the simplest of tasks became a struggle. I felt like a burden to those around me. A dead weight. Some days I could not even get off the couch. I still have days like this. The difference is I changed my mindset about it. I know I will have bad days but that doesn't mean they will all be bad days. I accepted this as the new me and decided to fight!

     Having an invisible illness means you cant see the symptoms I am experiencing. You cant see my racing heart, super low blood pressure, the dizzy spells, fatigue, muscle aches, pains, heat intolerance, nausea, and G.I. dysfunction. I worried about what others thought and if I was good enough. Sometimes I still do. But I know I am giving 110%. I am giving it my all and fighting as hard as I can everyday.

     I push through and refuse to give up. It is not easy by any means. I have many days where I am feeling defeated and down. I sometimes want to give up. I feel its unfair I have all these added struggles. I am jealous of the people who can do whatever they please with no physical limitation. I am mad at the people who take the ability to do things for granted. I feel down on myself and think I am not good enough. I think this is a normal part of having  an illness like this. Its ok to have bad days and feel sorry for yourself, as long as you don't stay there too long.

earlier this week after a bad episode

     I have decided that I want to workout like I used to before getting sick. I wanted to build back some muscle I lost from not being able to workout. I was feeling very self conscience and needed a change. I failed many attempts and threw in the towel more times than I care to admit. I started slow and learned to pace myself. I try to get some sort of workout in everyday. Maybe it will only be a 10 minute walk, but hey that is better than nothing at all. some days working out is out of the question. I am too symptomatic. Tomorrow is another day! Every workout is a challenge and I have to push through. I spend half of the workout laying on the floor recouping from 1 set of something. The point is I do it. The workout I do should take about 15 mins for someone without my struggles. It takes me about 45 mins. I am seeing results and noticing that some days it is easier. I sometimes flare after a workout and crash for the rest of the day. I like to workout close to end of the day so I can recoup at night.

heart rate after walking up stairs

    I focus on the fact that I am able to homeschool my daughter. Some days she brings her work to me in bed. When I am so symptomatic I cant get up. But I am doing it!  I take care of my family, pets, and house. Plenty of days the house is messy, laundry not done, dishes in the sink, and we order pizza because I am too off to cook. But everyone is cared for and happy. I participate in turtle rescuing which is and has always been something I am passionate about. I attend co ops for my daughter's schooling. We have outings and play dates. Some days we have to cancel and that is OK. I am doing the best I can with the circumstances I was given. I have had to adapt to things and find a way to make them all work. Everyday I have to push and fight. It is not easy but it is worth it.  You too cant fight! Focusing on what I can do and not what I cant do has helped me. It has made me thankful for everything I can do and made me fight that much harder. I hope this post has opened the eyes of some and inspired you to fight! P.O.T.S. does not define us!

     Til next time xoxox