POTS for a Lifetime

It all began when I was 4 years old. I was using the bathroom and I felt a little funny, next thing I knew I woke up on the floor. My mom, sister, brother, and neighbors were all standing around me. My sister and brother were crying - they thought I had died. That started a series of doctor's appointments and lots of testing.

My mom finally sent me to a specialist 4 hours from where I lived in West Virginia. That doctor heard my story and told me to stand against a wall at a tilt. In less than a minute, I had that creepy feeling; my heart started beating harder and faster as the room faded into a black tunnel. I couldn't see, and fell to the floor crying. My doctor told me to stand back up but I was too scared - I thought I might be dying. The doctor diagnosed me with POTS.  We finally had an answer. I was told to drink lots of fluids and raise my sodium intake.

When I was 6 years old, I had another problem. My mom was wetting my hair in the sink, and I had a sudden bad heart feeling and my world immediately went black. When I woke up, my mom was crying on the phone with a doctor. We rushed to the emergency room, and my mom told the doctor I had been shaking like I was having a seizure, so more tests had to be run. They concluded that I was upright too long after passing out and my body was shaking trying to get my blood to my brain. They told me I need laid flat every time I'm lightheaded.

Sometimes it was embarrassing to lay flat like in the middle of school. I passed out at school at least once a year from first grade to my senior year. The year after my senior year, I passed out on a swing with no warning. My world went black. When I woke up, I had peed my pants. I could feel myself shaking when I was unconscious which wasn't normal, I had a beer or two so I thought to myself maybe it was that. I just wanted to go home and sleep for a month I couldn't think straight I was embarrassed and I felt as though I ran a marathon.

A few months later, I was standing in line at the store when my heart began to hurt. I was too embarrassed to lay down right there. I handed everything to my fiance and ran to a nearby bench. Luckily I made it, but as soon as I laid down everything went dark. I woke up with my fiance standing over me asking if I was okay, I told him I had to get to the car. I fainted three more times crawling out to the car. When I finally got to my car, I passed out for the fourth time as soon as I stood up to get in. I woke up on the blacktop  - bleeding and with knots on my forehead. I had smacked my head on the car and then on the blacktop. I was confused when I woke up.

It is truly life changing you never know when there will be a new symptom or if you'll be at work and faint. Don't be embarrassed to lay down and save yourself the pain! Lay flat even if you don't want to show it. Your heart and head will thank you!