Episode 56 – POTS Diaries with Amber from NY

00:01 Announcer: Welcome to the Standing Up to POTS podcast, otherwise known as the POTScast. This podcast is dedicated to educating and empowering the community about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, commonly referred to as POTS. This invisible illness impacts millions and we are committed to explaining the basics, raising awareness, exploring the research, and empowering patients to not only survive, but thrive. This is the Standing Up to POTS podcast.

00:30 Jill (Host): Hello fellow POTS patients and lovely people who care about POTS patients. I'm Jill Brook, your insomniac host, and today we have an episode of The POTS Diaries where we get to know someone in the POTS community and hear their story. So today we are speaking with Amber, who kindly volunteered to share her story with us so that we can all benefit. Thank you so much for joining us today, Amber.

00:57 Amber (Guest): It's a pleasure.

00:58 Jill (Host): Well, it's great to see your smile. For starters, can you tell us what is your age? Where are you? Where did you grow up? Give us like the little mini intro to Amber.

01:08 Amber (Guest): Yeah, of course. OK, so my name is Amber. I'm 18. Currently attending college. I'm a freshman at Columbia, and I grew up in Florida, but the transition from like the south to the north is definitely different. Like, winter here is - I'm I'm adjusting. [Laughs] I'm definitely adjusting.

01:27 Jill (Host): Were you in Florida right up until the point you got into Columbia?

01:31 Amber (Guest): Yeah, yeah. So, my entire life is Florida.

01:34 Jill (Host): [Laughs] How do you like autumn in New York so far?

01:41 Amber (Guest): I love it, actually. It's definitely strange seeing the trees change colors because back home just like palm trees, summer year round, you know flip flops. And now I actually have to like look at the temperature and like layer my clothes, which is like, I don't know, it's not like it's so like simple, but it's so weird to me.

01:59 Jill (Host): That's funny. I know a lot more New Yorkers trying to get to Florida then Floridians trying to get to New York. [Laughs]

02:07 Amber (Guest): Yeah. [Laughs] I'm sure I'll get sick of the cold at some point, yeah.

02:12 Jill (Host): OK. So, how would your friends or family describe your personality do you think?

02:18 Amber (Guest): Ooh. Ah, ambitious, witty, and sarcastic.

02:25 Jill (Host): Oh, very cool. What is your favorite thing to do?

02:30 Amber (Guest): [inaudible] It's probably read or workout. Working out has been helping me a lot, like mentally, like physically. It's a good stress relief.

02:38 Jill (Host): What's your favorite stuff to read?

02:41 Amber (Guest): Now I'm reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. So I'm really into that right now. That's my favorite.

02:47 Jill (Host): Very cool. Let's see, so what were you like as a little kid, do you think?

02:52 Amber (Guest): Really quiet as a little kid, uh, my head was always in a book. I was always asking questions, but I was - I was very active outside, though.

03:00 Jill (Host): Can I ask - what were your couple of years like leading up to the point where you started having POTS symptoms?

03:09 Amber (Guest): I was in high school at the time and I was getting ready to like apply for college. So, it was really stressful. I just remember like loading up my courses, like doing as much volunteer work as I could. And looking back, like I definitely should have taken a break at some point. I just - I did not. It was always like full steam ahead.

03:27 Jill (Host): OK, so you were just like a busy high schooler doing a million things. And then what? What was your first sign that POTS was on the scene?

03:39 Amber (Guest): I was actually visiting family up north in Jersey and my cousin - she's in nursing school - so she was practicing taking everyone pulses, and she took mine. And mine was really high resting. It was like 110, 120 like within that range. And so then my mom, kind of freaked out 'cause my mom also works in health care, and so she knew that that wasn't normal. And I'm al- I've been active, like I've always been a very active kid, so that just heart rate wasn't normal. And then I had noticed already that I was always out of breath going up the stairs. So, my mom was like, “Oh when we get back to like Florida, we'll check it out.” Then I actually had to go to the ER for it. So that's when, like my mom was like, “OK, no. We need to find a diagnosis.”

04:25 Jill (Host): Wow, OK. So then how long did it take? What - what was involved with you getting that diagnosis?

04:32 Amber (Guest): About 3 pediatricians and two cardiologists. Only one of my pediatricians was even aware that POTS existed, so she referred me to Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, but before that I had to see another cardiologist before I was cleared to go to Nemours. And that cardiologist didn't even mention POTS. She like completely brushed over it. She was like, “I don't really know what's wrong. Go to Nemours.” And then Nemours got me diagnosed really quickly. So, I know it takes a long time for POTS patients to get diagnosed, but I was diagnosed within six months.

05:06 Jill (Host): OK. And it was all thanks to your mom and your - was it your cousin who noticed your high heart rate?

05:13 Amber (Guest): Yeah. Yeah.

05:15 Jill (Host): Wow, excellent. Yay for family! [Laughs] That's great.

05:18 Amber (Guest): Right?! I got really lucky.

05:21 Jill (Host): So does that mean that you were able to avoid the whole thing about having people think it was all in your head?

05:27 Amber (Guest): There were a lot of my pediatricians - two of them - they were like maybe it's stress 'cause like I told them, like, I was super busy and involved in high school. And they're like, “Oh, maybe it's anxiety,” but like my mom was really relentless on it because I was showing other symptoms like dizziness like I always felt like I was going to faint, you know, chronic migraines, chest pain. So they knew - my parents knew that it just wasn't in my mind.

05:51 Jill (Host): That's great, yeah. So what would you say were your worst symptoms?

05:56 Amber (Guest): I think the dizziness, the chest pain, and the migraines - the chronic migraines - because like, I could deal with being out of breath, you know, a little embarrassing, but the chest pain I was like, Oh my God, am I dying? And like I didn't know at the time so I was like, what's wrong? That was - that was scary.

06:17 Jill (Host): Right. Yeah, that's the worst, isn't it? Like, all the scary feelings.

06:22 Amber (Guest): Yeah.

06:24 Jill (Host): And then yeah, people are surprised when we're anxious. But yeah, chest pain is stressful. [Laughs]

06:30 Amber (Guest): Yeah! So scary. Especially when, like, you're such a young kid and you're like, Oh, nothing can happen to me! And then all of a sudden, like, you're aging so quickly, all of a sudden.

06:43 Jill (Host): Yeah. So what was it like - it sounds like you were just like a really super busy, ambitious high school kid and yet you were like on the verge of fainting and you were having chest pain all the time and you were just kind of like muddling through or what was that like?

06:58 Amber (Guest): Yeah. So I actually had to make my teachers aware of my situation. I was like, “Hey, I'm going to have to be wearing heart monitors. I'm going to be gone,” because a lot of the cardiologists that I was visiting were far out of my town. They were like a two-hour drive, so I had to miss school a lot. And then the dizziness got so bad that I couldn't drive so I stopped driving for like six months. So they they were aware of it and they were really helpful. They gave me extensions, but at the same time I had a hard time asking for help. So, I was just like chest pain, writing an essay and I was like, “Amber, you gotta push through it. Gotta keep going.” Looking back, I really don't know how I did it. Like, I think I was just really hard on myself.

07:41 Jill (Host): Well, so you're you're laughing about it now, but was it funny at the time or was it like, really painful?

07:49 Amber (Guest): I was miserable. I remember like just wishing that I could like just find a solution. Like, I just - I was so miserable. I was like, if I turn 18, I don't think I'd be able to go to college if I don't have a diagnosis. This isn't manageable by the time I'm 18.

08:06 Jill (Host): So, once you did have a diagnosis, did things get better? Did you have treatments or lifestyle things that helped? And like how much did things improve?

08:17 Amber (Guest): Took about six months to improve. So I was diagnosed in June and then I started feeling more like myself again in December. So, I changed everything. So, I was on a treatment plan. I was on medication four times a day. Lots of salt, lots of water. Exercise - I had to workout every single day even though I like had chronic fatigue. Compression socks - those are a lifesaver. Oh my God, I wear compression socks every single day now. Like, I have a pair for every single day of the week and extras. Yeah, I had to like completely change and like work my entire schedule around my treatment plan.

08:53 Jill (Host): So, do you stick to a really strict routine now?

08:58 Amber (Guest): Yeah. First thing I wake up, chug nice 40 ounce bottle of water, yeah. And then I workout in the morning just 'cause I know I feel the difference in my circulation when I do and when I don't workout. So I try and work out every day or at least six days a week, and then I have salt tablets or I will carry, like, salt packets for restaurants. And if I feel like I need it, I'll I'll take some and then I take my medication.

09:23 Jill (Host): So, you know a lot of people really have a tough time with exercise and you mentioned that it really helps you, but that in the beginning at least, you kind of had some chronic fatigue. Can you - can you talk about what your exercise routine looked like and how did you build up and how long did it take? And what kinds of stuff were you doing?

09:48 Amber (Guest): I was doing body weight and weighted exercises at home because there's also - I was diagnosed at the height of the pandemic as well, so I couldn't go to a gym at all. And then my mom bought a bike. So, I worked my way up from the bike to, like, full body workouts and then weighted workouts. And it took a while. I would get winded so easily, like maybe 15 minutes in and I'd be like, I'm done. But then I knew that wasn't going to help me get better. So, I had to really work at it.

10:18 Jill (Host): And so you just like gradually worked up from 15 minutes. Now if people see you work out, would they think, oh, that's just a normal person working out? Or do you still have to do special things? Or stay recumbent, or anything like that?

10:30 Amber (Guest): No, it's just like a normal person working out. Yeah.

10:34 Jill (Host): That's great.

10:35 Amber (Guest): Yeah.

10:37 Jill (Host): Can you be more specific about ways that the exercise helps you? You said that you notice it improves your circulation - can you talk about that and what does it help anything else?

10:45 Amber (Guest): Yeah, it definitely helps my brain fog and I think that ties into the circulation, though, because at the beginning I had such bad brain fog. That was also one of the reasons I was like, if I'm 18 and I don't have a diagnosis, I can't go to college. It's because I couldn't focus and I couldn't think. So I noticed every time I worked out my hands were a lot less clammy and cold, and my brain fog would be significantly better, which is why I work out in the morning now, too, just so I don't go my entire day with brain fog.

11:14 Jill (Host): OK, so I know at least a few specific people who are gonna want to know - how did you get into Columbia with brain fog? Did you do work certain times of the day? How did you work around it?

11:27 Amber (Guest): Yes. At the time, I would workout after lunch because I would feel super weak waking up. So then after lunch, I'd workout and then I had like a leeway at the time in the beginning. A couple hours after working out I would get rid of the brain fog, like it be completely gone, I'd be myself again. So that's when I would, like, cram all of my work in. And then again towards the night, I would start getting like little cloudy. So there was just a specific window where I would just do all of my homework and I would space it out every day.

11:57 Jill (Host): And then what would you do during your brain foggy times?

12:01 Amber (Guest): Just lay down. Like, there was really nothing I could do. Like, if I was reading a text, half the time I wouldn't even be able to comprehend it. I like - I would immediately forget.

12:10 Jill (Host): Right, that's a weird feeling, right? I can relate to that where you're like, your eyes go over the words but nothing registered. [Laughs]

12:18 Amber (Guest): [Laughs] Yes, yes! And at the time the only good thing I have is my brain, like I'm relying on that to get me places and now all of a sudden it just wasn't working. So I was like, Oh my God, what am I gonna do for the rest of my life? It was – that, I think, was like the scariest part, actually - the brain fog.

12:36 Jill (Host): Yeah, OK. Is there anything else that you would say has helped you a lot?

12:42 Amber (Guest): My parents. Having a supportive system or just like foundation, because I don't think I would have been diagnosed so quickly. My parents really advocated for, like, accommodations in high school and at college.

12:55 Jill (Host): Do you mind sharing examples of accommodations that helped you, since there's probably a lot of other people listening who might benefit?

13:02 Amber (Guest): In high school, I was allowed to use the bathroom or get water whenever I wanted, especially 'cause, like, we have to drink so much water. It was also helpful that I was allowed to have snacks like trail mix, things like that to help me. And if I need to leave the room, I could. Now in college I can leave whenever I want to get more water or bathroom. I have extensions in case I do get sick again, or like relapse with brain fog, and I'm allowed to have absences in case I do get really bad. But yeah. And then I'm also allowed to eat snacks as well. So, Colombia has been very accommodating.

13:35 Jill (Host): Is everybody allowed to eat snacks or you had to ask for special permission to eat snacks?

13:41 Amber (Guest): I had to ask special permission, yeah.

13:43 Jill (Host): OK, interesting. As far as being a college student, like if you had to say a percentage, like from a zero to 100% normal, how normal is your college experience?

13:57 Amber (Guest): About 1% being like the least normal and 100% being like the most normal, I think it's about like 75%, I think, just 'cause my life still revolves around taking care of myself, whereas like my friends, they don't have to worry about anything. They can sleep in, you know, and then, like rush to class, whereas, like, I have to wake up early, like exercise, drink my water, take my meds, 'cause actually when I moved here I was just like so excited and like so busy that I actually relapsed. I had to go to the ER because I was just so dehydrated and like no amount of water or medication was helping. So that was a big red flag. Like Amber, you really need to, like, take care of yourself and remember that, like, unfortunately, you're not like everyone else.

14:41 Jill (Host): Did the ER know what to do with you? Did they know what POTS was?

14:44 Amber (Guest): I had to tell them. Like, in the ambulance ride, I was like this has happened before. I just need IV. Like, so I actually had to tell them what to do and introduce what POTS was which is so unfortunate because so many people don't know what POTS is, even though it's so common. And that's why I want to raise awareness 'cause it's it's really unfortunate.

15:04 Jill (Host): So it seems like you have a really good attitude about it. So it sounds like - I don't know - do you wish you could pull all nighters like other people or drink alcohol like other people or does it not matter?

15:19 Amber (Guest): I think, yeah, people drink so much coffee here, which makes sense, you know, we're in college whereas like I have to - if I drink coffee, I have to like double my water intake. Actually no, I do wish most of the time that I was healthy and then I didn't have a chronic illness. And it sucks having to explain to people all the time. Like, I guess people like will see me taking my meds and they're like, “What are you taking?” And then I have to like explain long story of like, “Oh, I'm chronically ill,” and they're like, “Oh, OK.” I don't know. They're just like startled by it, I guess.

15:52 Jill (Host): Well I was gonna ask - it does seem like chronic illness is on the rise, and we know that autoimmunity is on the rise among young people. So do you feel like you know other people in a similar boat, or not really, they're at college?

16:09 Amber (Guest): No, I also have psoriasis so I do know some people with psoriasis, but most people don't even know what POTS is. I have to tell them and explain it to them.

16:19 Jill (Host): So, since you got POTS, what do you think is the biggest change to your life?

16:24 Amber (Guest): Because at the time, I wouldn't sleep. I would just like chug coffee all the time. You know, I wasn't watching what I was eating and I hardly drink any water. So now it's definitely made me more health conscious and it makes made me a lot more kinder to my body. I think I took the tolerance of youth for granted at the time.

16:43 Jill (Host): Do you think that having a chronic illness has changed your personality or changed you as a person at all?

16:52 Amber (Guest): I remember when I was, like, the sickest, my parents offered, and I actually considered, dropping out of high school. But I was like, “No, like I've worked so hard.” I still kept volunteering, I still kept taking like AP or like ace classes. I refused to let it take my life away. And it was really hard with the brain fog, but I just, I knew that I want to keep fighting 'cause I was like I can't let this win.

17:15 Jill (Host): That's fantastic. Do you want to talk more about your parents? It sounds like they've been really supportive.

17:22 Amber (Guest): My parents came to like every appointment, especially my mom. She was the one that actually suggested that I might have POTSs 'cause she overheard it from a coworker. So that's, I think, one of the reasons I got diagnosed so quickly. But my mom was like, if you need anything like let me know. Like, she drove me places because I couldn't drive anymore. She was the one that was like, “Eat enough salt!” So that's why when I came to college, I kind of forgot, but she she made sure I was on top of my treatment plan like 24/7.

17:46 Jill (Host): Oh, that's fantastic. What about friends? Do they have to look out for you or do anything for you at college?

17:56 Amber (Guest): They do. I got really lucky with my friends because, like, they're very much aware of it. So, like, I remember I went to my friend's dorm and he doesn't have A/C and he doesn't have a water fountain nearby. So he bought like this massive container of water and he was like, “Amber, this is all yours. Like, you’re the only weren't allowed to touch this.” So, that just made my life so much easier. I didn't have to like go far to get water and I could just constantly drink. That - that was, that was amazing. Like, I just remember thinking, Oh my God! Like I got lucky.

18:27 Jill (Host): That is so thoughtful. Oh my gosh, I love that! What a beautiful gesture! So have your favorite activities changed before POTS and after POTS? Have you had to switch what you do for fun or what brings you joy?

18:46 Amber (Guest): I don't think so. I think now that it's manageable and I was super active before, I think it's made me, like, realize the importance of working out a lot more, but I don't think it's changed anything.

18:47 Jill (Host): Is there anything that you know now about living with POTS that you wish you had known sooner?

19:04 Amber (Guest): The importance that it plays in the nervous system. That's also actually why I'm majoring in neuroscience now 'cause it's just so interesting to me.

19:13 Jill (Host): Excellent! That's so great. Do you feel like pots has taught you any life lessons?

19:20 Amber (Guest): Don't give up. I know that cheesy as it is and as hard as it seems, 'cause it's definitely not easy, and especially when you're miserable and you just want a break, please don't let it take your life away. There is hope. Like, it can become manageable.

19:36 Jill (Host): Has anything positive come from your having POTS? Any silver linings?

19:41 Amber (Guest): I got really into neuroscience afterwards, just the nervous system in general. And I'm pre-med. So now I'm kind of have an idea of what I want to research in college – dysautonomia or just like POTS in general, because there's so little research.

19:55 Jill (Host): Excellent! That's very exciting. That’s so cool. Are you up for doing a speed round where you say the first thing that comes to your mind?

20:06 Amber (Guest): Yes, I would love to.

20:08 Jill (Host): What is your favorite way to get salt?

20:11 Amber (Guest): Salt packets. Like, I will just chug them.

20:14 Jill (Host): Just straight?

20:15 Amber (Guest): Yeah. It's as gross - yeah, as gross, it is as it is, it's just really quick.

20:20 Jill (Host): [Laughs] Very cool. What drink do you find the most hydrating?

20:24 Amber (Guest): Plain water.

20:26 Jill (Host): What is your favorite time of the day and why?

20:30 Amber (Guest): I think in the mornings. I think because, I don't know, it's just very soothing.

20:34 Jill (Host): Do you sleep well?

20:36 Amber (Guest): No. I have been working on that. Because of the POTS I developed into like insomnia just ‘cause of the heat flashes, stuff like that. So, now I have accommodations in college where I get A/C. So that's really nice. So trying to find the balance of temperature.

20:52 Jill (Host): Very nice, 'cause my next question was going to be, what do you do at night when you are having trouble falling asleep?

20:59 Amber (Guest): I read or I'll take melatonin gummies if I really have like a important day the next day.

21:04 Jill (Host): How many doctors have you seen for POTS?

21:08 Amber (Guest): Five.

21:09 Jill (Host): How many other pots patients have you ever met face to face?

21:14 Amber (Guest): My best friend’s mom has POTS and I had no idea. So when I was diagnosed, she was like, “Oh my God. I have POTS!” So that that was crazy, but other than that I haven't met anyone.

21:23 Jill (Host): What is a piece of good advice that someone ever gave you about anything?

21:29 Amber (Guest): Don't let anyone else invalidate you. People would be telling me like, “Oh, just breathe,” if I'm having like a POTS relapse and I'm like or like, “Oh, you're making this up.” But I know what I feel is real.

21:40 Jill (Host): That's great. What is one word that describes what it's like living with chronic illness?

21:46 Amber (Guest): Time consuming.

21:48 Jill (Host): Oh, good one. What is something small or something inexpensive that brings you comfort or joy?

21:58 Amber (Guest): My journal. I got it at like 5 below and it just helps. I write all the stress away.

22:03 Jill (Host): That's excellent. Who is somebody that you admire?

22:07 Amber (Guest): Queen Elizabeth the First. Very specific, but yeah.

22:12 Jill (Host): Oh, any particular reason why?

22:16 Amber (Guest): She's just a really great queen. Very, very true feminist, especially rare, like, during the Victorian era. I liked how she didn't want to get married and she was like, “I can rule by myself like I don't need anyone to, like - I don't need to listen to anyone.” I really like that.

22:32 Jill (Host): [Laughs] Right on! That's great.

22:34 Amber (Guest): Yeah.

22:35 Jill (Host): What is something that you are proud of?

22:39 Amber (Guest): Not giving up when I was sick. Keep going with school.

22:42 Jill (Host): What is something that you're looking forward to?

22:45 Amber (Guest): Being done with finals.

22:48 Jill (Host): What is the toughest thing about POTS?

22:52 Amber (Guest): I think we're learning to stay hydrated.

22:55 Jill (Host): What are you good at doing?

22:57 Amber (Guest): I love baking. I miss that now because I can't do it here, but like I bake cookies and brownies and bring him to school.

23:05 Jill (Host): Very cool. If you were Oprah and had infinite funds, what is a gift that you would send to every POTS patient on Earth?

23:16 Amber (Guest): Compression socks. Oh my gosh, 'cause they can get expensive too like the stronger ones. Compression socks like the really tall like knee length ones.

23:23 Jill (Host): Yeah, good one. What is something that you're grateful for?

23:29 Amber (Guest): My water bottle. My big water bottle. It's 40 ounces. I drink like ten of these a day.

23:36 Jill (Host): [Laughs] OK, last quick one. Can you finish this sentence - People might suspect I'm a POTSie when....

23:45 Amber (Guest): Opening packets of salt and just eating them raw.

23:48 Jill (Host): [Laughs] Yeah, I wonder if people ever wonder if you have some - yes - funky obsession. [Laughs]

23:58 Amber (Guest): Yeah, my friends will be like, “What are you – like, that's disgusting.” And I'm like, you gotta do what you gotta do.

24:03 Jill (Host): That's the attitude! That's great.

24:06 Amber (Guest): Yeah, yeah.

24:07 Jill (Host): Is there anything that you wish more people knew about POTS?

24:13 Amber (Guest): I would say that it existed. It's - it's really tiring, having to explain it to people and to be like, “Oh, like, my circulation isn't the best. “ You know, I just I just wish it was - there was more awareness.

24:24 Jill (Host): So I just have a few more questions. You had mentioned that you are pre-med and you're looking forward to maybe going into something that has to do with dysautonomia or POTS. What do you look forward to in a future life as a doctor?

24:42 Amber (Guest): Being able to, like, validate POTS patients, just 'cause I had a cardiologist who was like, “You're making this up. There's nothing wrong with your heart.” And she just had like no awareness of POTS. So, if I could like tell someone like, “It's OK, I have it and like it's manageable and there is hope,” and hopefully like research and like different treatment plans in the future, that would be an honor. Yeah.

25:02 Jill (Host): That's so great, and it also just makes me happy to see that, like with the help of your family, you got diagnosed quickly and that seems like maybe you were headed down a tough path at the fact that you even considered dropping out of high school, and yet with the help of the diagnosis and treatment, you were able to turn it around and get to a wonderful program and be on track to become a doctor. That's really exciting. And it makes me sad for some of the patients who maybe went a very long time without answers where they maybe kept getting worse and life kept getting tougher and getting off track longer and longer. But I feel like you are a beautiful example of what is possible when things can go as well as they possibly can go. I feel like it's a really exciting story and I'm excited for you to join the ranks of the doctors up there.

26:04 Amber (Guest): Yeah, I'm really excited, yeah, because like reading the stats of like when I was first diagnosed, I was like looking up POTS and like reading the stats of like it takes like four years on average, I couldn't imagine, like, going longer without a diagnosis. So, the fact that there's people with four years or more is absolutely terrifying. I want to be able to, like, use my opportunity, like my treatment plan to help others.

26:28 Jill (Host): Oh, that's so awesome. And because of you, yeah, a ton of people will get faster diagnoses. That's very exciting. So, you have only ever met one POTS patient face to face before, but there are going to be thousands that listen to this. Is there anything you would want to say to any of your fellow POTS stations out there?

26:52 Amber (Guest): You're not alone. It’s so common. There there's hope. Just please stay on top of it. Just take a bunch of salt. That's - I think that's like the best thing. Like, I can miss a dose, but as long as I have salt on the hand I usually I can manage it.

27:07 Jill (Host): I imagine you like a little Pacman going throughout your day getting the next salt pellet in time.

27:13 Amber (Guest): Yeah, I steal them from the dining halls. Like, not really steal 'cause it's free, but like I like take a bunch and just like put it in my purse and I'm like good enough for the day, yeah.

27:24 Jill (Host): That's great. OK, well my last question is, why did you agree to let us share your story today?

27:33 Amber (Guest): There's just no awareness. I just haven't met anyone with POTS, so hopefully people here like my story and maybe they can like get something out of it.

27:43 Jill (Host): Fantastic. Amber, thank you so much for sharing your story and your insights and your tips with us. We really appreciate it. I mean mostly thank you for sharing your career plans with us, right, and to help our community. I know that everybody listening wishes you all the best going forward. It was really fun talking to you today.

28:08 Amber (Guest): It was a pleasure talking to you.

28:10 Jill (Host): So listeners remember this is never medical, dental, spiritual, relationship, fashion, menu, or any kind of advice. Consult your medical team about what's right for you. Please consider subscribing because it helps us get found by more people like you, but thank you for listening. Remember that you're not alone. And please join us again soon.

51:58 Announcer: You can find us wherever you get your podcasts or on our website, www.standinguptopots.org/podcast And I would add, if you have any ideas or topics you'd like to suggest, send them in. You can also engage with us on social media at the handle @standinguptopots. Thanks for listening and we hope you join us. This show is a production of Standing Up to POTS. © 2022 Standing Up to POTS. All rights reserved. [Transcriber’s note: If you would like a copy of this transcript or the transcript for any other episode of the POTScast, please send an email to volunteer@standinguptopots.org]