And here we are again! Picking up where I left off last night. I'm going to do my absolute best to keep my thoughts orderly this time around, but having been getting over the all-fun Mono virus I've been pretty tired. Didn't help that I spent most of the day out today, doing some neuropsych testing (which is another thing entirely, that I won't get into just yet either).
Now to remember where I stopped... I'm pretty sure I left off with finishing the pancreatitis story, and now we need to venture further into the actual POTS occurring.
I was doing AMAZINGLY and SWIMMINGLY well with life after that horrid month of agony. I was the happiest I'd been in awhile and had all this hopes and aspirations. One of the biggest one was wanting to move out of state and go to Florida or possibly Washington state. Polar opposite places, I know, but I love both.
So of course you can imagine my dismay, when the fateful day in January of this year happened.
It was just another day of work as usual, and I was in the car driving, horribly belting out lyrics to the song Somebody That I Used To Know (Kinda ironic given what would occur soon after). I was feeling on top of the world and excited to go in to work. I'd just talked with my managers the weekend before, saying that I wanted to take on more than I already had. I'd done fitting rooms, departments, overnight price changes, cashiering, you name it. I wanted MORE, because it was my goal and dream to become promoted as well as to some day be a manager.
Well, as I was driving, I came to a stop light and was waiting but realized I'd been slouching in my seat. I pushed one hand down onto the arm rest while the other was above my head on the handle near the ceiling and pulled myself up. The moment this happened, I felt butterflies trying to escape through my chest. The next thing I know, everything was black. Thankfully I came back to the world of the conscious soon after, and the light was still red but by this point I was flipping out. I knew I had to get to work, though, and honestly was going to still go in. I got there, called my mom, and told her what had happened.
Now, a little about my parents.... They do not like to spend money on medical things nor do they like missing work for anything medically related. Even if you had just lost an arm, they would tell me to go into work. They have a very strict work ethic, and while I do as well, I understand that you will not have work if you do not have your health.
So I knew she'd tell me to still go, and I was planning on doing so. Mom, of course, told me to go and drink lots of water. I went inside, but found I felt dizzy and weak, my body was trembly and I just didn't feel right. Apparently, I didn't look right either because the moment I got to the break room, one of my co-workers forced me to sit down and started asking me questions about if I was alright. They ran off to get a manager because I didn't look good at all. Honestly, I don't remember much more than that, the next memory of that night I have is riding in the car with my mom in the dark, trying to get myself together while my head was raging with pain.
I spent the next week trying to relax and stay calm, but I was assuming the worst. I have a severe phobia over the more horrible conditions, such as those lovely growths that form in your brain or in your body. It was because of this, I kept insisting to my mother that I really needed to go to the doctor. This resulted in a rather large argument with my parents and was the start of my mood lowering significantly due to this situation. I didn't even know just how horrible this situation was going to turn out to be at the time. I honestly just assumed I might have gotten mono or some kind of nasty virus, when I was finally thinking clearly.
It took a lot of effort and arguments before my mother finally realized this was something that needed to be taken care of.
But we'll stop there. This is getting long and windy again, and I'm exhausted. I will continue on tomorrow, and we'll start with my very first doctor's appointment.
Happy trails, friends! And well wishes to you all~
- Rosie
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Don't Stop Believing - My Journey Pt. 1
Yes. I went there. I made that beautiful, horrible pun. The opportunity presented itself and I took it. Really, though, this is going to be another serious post, and after that... Well, they'll probably be serious with an undertone of humor. My horrible sense of humor. If you haven't guessed it, we're going to be exploring my journey to this diagnosis.
This is going to be put into a few parts. I don't want to drown you in an ocean of punctuation and words.
So, let's jump into my beautiful, blue police box and head back to October of 2013!
~Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey~
Okay, sorry. I couldn't resist the Doctor Who references. As you will find out over time, I'm somewhat of a nerd/geek/what have you, and I am PROUD!
Really, though, let's get back on track from my short attention span.
So! October of 2013. I had a new job at a BEAUTIFUL department store, with wonderful people and amazing managers. I had just gotten it that summer and was doing really well. I loved it, and couldn't imagine doing anything else at the time. I am one of those weird people who actually enjoy retail employment, as I love helping others. I did a little bit of everything there honestly, and had been talking with managers about working towards possible promotion. So needless to say, my life was going pretty dang well.... But then fate decided to take a big ol' dump on it.
We were busy putting returns away from the Christmas season one shift that month, and as the night went on, my left side really started to hurt. Now, I'm very in tune with my body and I am aware of every little ache and pain, even the slightest little tickle. If something is out of place, I will know. I like to stalk my body and it's feelings. This, however, was not normal and it was a bit concerning to me. I was really close to just driving to ER after work (because I was too stubborn to do anything about it while working. Bending over was almost impossible, but yet, I kept at it! Having the parents I do you would understand why this work ethic was instilled into me). Well, I ended up there anyways, about a week later, with something called Pancreatitis.
Now, for those of you who don't know what this is... It's painful. Worst feeling I've ever experienced. I'm the type of person who, as stated in the above paragraph, will work through anything. Dad would complain that I wasn't really sick and didn't need to stay home from work/school when ill, because I'd be up and about, dancing and hopping on one foot as if nothing was wrong. That's just how I am. This, however, totally took me down for the count.
My pancreas was producing too much of the enzymes Lipase and Amylase, which causes the pancreas to start dissolving. Basically, my pancreas was starving and tried to eat itself. Pancreases are masochistic and enjoy hurting themselves when they get upset, apparently. If I've learned anything, DO NOT ANGER YOUR ORGANS. It hurts like a mother.
While doing my own research on Pancreatitis, that this is deadly. The ER doctors were of NO help to me. I had a very high Lipase (this is an enzyme your pancreas makes. If elevated, it shows problems with your pancreas' function). He sent me home with pain meds and wished me luck! If you don't catch it it time or take care of it properly, well... That's not good. Not good at all. It CAN kill you. It had me down and missing work for a good two weeks, living off of a liquid diet and crashing on the couch in front of the big screen TV. For someone who loves food as much as me... The liquid diet was torture in itself, almost more so than the actual pain.
It should also be noted, that this condition is not common in people my age or younger. It is something that is typically brought on by those who consume obscene amounts of alcohol. (Okay, you caught me. I spend my nights in a bar, regular crowd shuffling in, with an old man sitting next to me, making love to his tonic and gin). It's just very unheard of that someone my age gets it, and they COULD NOT figure out why I had it. This is very important to keep in mind.
Well, this is what we call a traumatic event on your body. Anytime your body goes through something that takes you down like that, it's considered traumatic because your body had to use a lot of energy and do some extra credit work to ensure your well being.
Why is this important? POTS is usually brought on after something traumatic happens to the body. It is common to see it occur in women who have just gone through child birth or some kind of virus that weakened your body. It's actually MOST common in women, but I'm not entirely sure just yet why that is. And then other times... It just happens, and you won't ever know why.
Everything was totally fine after that, I felt AMAZING and went back to work with a skip in my step, thinking that nothing would ever take me down like that again.
See where I'm going with this? That's all we'll touch right now, in this post. I'll start working on the next one as soon as I can, to separate this into smaller sections to make it a bit easier to read. Once we get past all the technical and boring stuff, everything will be better. I should hope, at least. You won't have to listen to me droll on and on as if you were sitting in a college professor's lecture.
So, until next time! I bid you adieu and wish you well!
- Rosie
This is going to be put into a few parts. I don't want to drown you in an ocean of punctuation and words.
So, let's jump into my beautiful, blue police box and head back to October of 2013!
~Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey~
Okay, sorry. I couldn't resist the Doctor Who references. As you will find out over time, I'm somewhat of a nerd/geek/what have you, and I am PROUD!
Really, though, let's get back on track from my short attention span.
So! October of 2013. I had a new job at a BEAUTIFUL department store, with wonderful people and amazing managers. I had just gotten it that summer and was doing really well. I loved it, and couldn't imagine doing anything else at the time. I am one of those weird people who actually enjoy retail employment, as I love helping others. I did a little bit of everything there honestly, and had been talking with managers about working towards possible promotion. So needless to say, my life was going pretty dang well.... But then fate decided to take a big ol' dump on it.
We were busy putting returns away from the Christmas season one shift that month, and as the night went on, my left side really started to hurt. Now, I'm very in tune with my body and I am aware of every little ache and pain, even the slightest little tickle. If something is out of place, I will know. I like to stalk my body and it's feelings. This, however, was not normal and it was a bit concerning to me. I was really close to just driving to ER after work (because I was too stubborn to do anything about it while working. Bending over was almost impossible, but yet, I kept at it! Having the parents I do you would understand why this work ethic was instilled into me). Well, I ended up there anyways, about a week later, with something called Pancreatitis.
Now, for those of you who don't know what this is... It's painful. Worst feeling I've ever experienced. I'm the type of person who, as stated in the above paragraph, will work through anything. Dad would complain that I wasn't really sick and didn't need to stay home from work/school when ill, because I'd be up and about, dancing and hopping on one foot as if nothing was wrong. That's just how I am. This, however, totally took me down for the count.
My pancreas was producing too much of the enzymes Lipase and Amylase, which causes the pancreas to start dissolving. Basically, my pancreas was starving and tried to eat itself. Pancreases are masochistic and enjoy hurting themselves when they get upset, apparently. If I've learned anything, DO NOT ANGER YOUR ORGANS. It hurts like a mother.
While doing my own research on Pancreatitis, that this is deadly. The ER doctors were of NO help to me. I had a very high Lipase (this is an enzyme your pancreas makes. If elevated, it shows problems with your pancreas' function). He sent me home with pain meds and wished me luck! If you don't catch it it time or take care of it properly, well... That's not good. Not good at all. It CAN kill you. It had me down and missing work for a good two weeks, living off of a liquid diet and crashing on the couch in front of the big screen TV. For someone who loves food as much as me... The liquid diet was torture in itself, almost more so than the actual pain.
It should also be noted, that this condition is not common in people my age or younger. It is something that is typically brought on by those who consume obscene amounts of alcohol. (Okay, you caught me. I spend my nights in a bar, regular crowd shuffling in, with an old man sitting next to me, making love to his tonic and gin). It's just very unheard of that someone my age gets it, and they COULD NOT figure out why I had it. This is very important to keep in mind.
Well, this is what we call a traumatic event on your body. Anytime your body goes through something that takes you down like that, it's considered traumatic because your body had to use a lot of energy and do some extra credit work to ensure your well being.
Why is this important? POTS is usually brought on after something traumatic happens to the body. It is common to see it occur in women who have just gone through child birth or some kind of virus that weakened your body. It's actually MOST common in women, but I'm not entirely sure just yet why that is. And then other times... It just happens, and you won't ever know why.
Everything was totally fine after that, I felt AMAZING and went back to work with a skip in my step, thinking that nothing would ever take me down like that again.
See where I'm going with this? That's all we'll touch right now, in this post. I'll start working on the next one as soon as I can, to separate this into smaller sections to make it a bit easier to read. Once we get past all the technical and boring stuff, everything will be better. I should hope, at least. You won't have to listen to me droll on and on as if you were sitting in a college professor's lecture.
So, until next time! I bid you adieu and wish you well!
- Rosie
Monday, April 28, 2014
And off we go!
Well, let's be honest up front. I've never made a blog before, and I'm not even going to pretend I know how. However, everyone's gotta try everything at least once... Right? Of course! Unless you're like me, and can't get yourself to do those crazier things in life: e.g. Sky diving or swimming with sharks. No, thank you! I will stick to my adventures on the interwebz, which can honestly be pretty crazy in itself depending on where you end up. I've been to parts of Youtube that make me hide in my pillow fort with my old teddy bear to keep me safe.
But we're getting off topic. I love to write, though my grammar may not be perfect, I knew I always wanted to do a blog. The question always was, what would I do it for? Well, the answer was pretty jack-hammered into my head and soul back in January of this year.
I was just recently diagnosed with something called POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a bit difficult to explain, but I'll try my best to make it easy for you to understand. You know that head rush you get when you stand or sit up too fast? It's not a great feeling and makes you feel like you're going to create the next Domino Effect from how fast the room is spinning. Now, imagine getting this feeling every time you stand up or change your position. Pretty sucky, right? Well, that's how I feel every day of my life, because of this condition. But why does it happen?
I don't want to bore you with all the scientific mumbo-jumbo that goes into it, but basically when I change positions, my heart rate decides it wants to spaztastic. It will go from a normal heart rate up to an abnormal rate in a matter of seconds. Still confusing? That's okay, I didn't understand it at first either so I'll lay it out for you a bit more.
Take today while I was laying down at the doctor's. My heart's resting rate was at 102. The moment I stood up, my heart rate went up 30 points, making my heart rate jump all the way up to 132. Pretty freaky-deaky.
But, that's more or less what POTS is. Okay, no. I'm lying. There's a lot more to it than that, but we'll get into the rest later. This is supposed to be an introductory post and a test for myself, to see how pretty my crappy layout making skills are on this blog.
POTS is not life threatening, but it is something that can be life debilitating. My hope with this blog is to shed light onto this condition that is not well known by doctors and patients alike. Many people with this condition go years without a real diagnosis. I was VERY lucky to go only five months of seeing doctors to get where I am today. I want to make this process easier on others, to help them get the help they need and even help myself find others suffering like I am.
But that's enough serious talk for now. I'm sure I've chewed off more than one ear with this post alone. I really don't want to make anything long. I have a short attention span and now that we're in the age of "Too Long, Didn't Read" I'd like to keep it short and to the point, with the occasional lengthy post here and there. I can't promise I'll be completely on-time with a post everyday, either. I'm a lazy daisy who likes to sleep all day and procrastinate as if the world was ending tomorrow, but I'll do my best to keep up with this.
So, I'm going to go and get some rest now, as I am currently sick with Mono and have been up since 8 am this morning.
If you read through this, wow, thank you, I'm so honored, and if not, well, I had fun talking to myself as I do regardless of typing or not.
Enjoy your night (or morning, wherever you may be on this large planet), and best wishes to you!
- Rosie
But we're getting off topic. I love to write, though my grammar may not be perfect, I knew I always wanted to do a blog. The question always was, what would I do it for? Well, the answer was pretty jack-hammered into my head and soul back in January of this year.
I was just recently diagnosed with something called POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a bit difficult to explain, but I'll try my best to make it easy for you to understand. You know that head rush you get when you stand or sit up too fast? It's not a great feeling and makes you feel like you're going to create the next Domino Effect from how fast the room is spinning. Now, imagine getting this feeling every time you stand up or change your position. Pretty sucky, right? Well, that's how I feel every day of my life, because of this condition. But why does it happen?
I don't want to bore you with all the scientific mumbo-jumbo that goes into it, but basically when I change positions, my heart rate decides it wants to spaztastic. It will go from a normal heart rate up to an abnormal rate in a matter of seconds. Still confusing? That's okay, I didn't understand it at first either so I'll lay it out for you a bit more.
Take today while I was laying down at the doctor's. My heart's resting rate was at 102. The moment I stood up, my heart rate went up 30 points, making my heart rate jump all the way up to 132. Pretty freaky-deaky.
But, that's more or less what POTS is. Okay, no. I'm lying. There's a lot more to it than that, but we'll get into the rest later. This is supposed to be an introductory post and a test for myself, to see how pretty my crappy layout making skills are on this blog.
POTS is not life threatening, but it is something that can be life debilitating. My hope with this blog is to shed light onto this condition that is not well known by doctors and patients alike. Many people with this condition go years without a real diagnosis. I was VERY lucky to go only five months of seeing doctors to get where I am today. I want to make this process easier on others, to help them get the help they need and even help myself find others suffering like I am.
But that's enough serious talk for now. I'm sure I've chewed off more than one ear with this post alone. I really don't want to make anything long. I have a short attention span and now that we're in the age of "Too Long, Didn't Read" I'd like to keep it short and to the point, with the occasional lengthy post here and there. I can't promise I'll be completely on-time with a post everyday, either. I'm a lazy daisy who likes to sleep all day and procrastinate as if the world was ending tomorrow, but I'll do my best to keep up with this.
So, I'm going to go and get some rest now, as I am currently sick with Mono and have been up since 8 am this morning.
If you read through this, wow, thank you, I'm so honored, and if not, well, I had fun talking to myself as I do regardless of typing or not.
Enjoy your night (or morning, wherever you may be on this large planet), and best wishes to you!
- Rosie
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