March 2015
It’s been a little over six months since my last update and things have changed a little.
Back in September, I started eighth grade with very few accommodations. I was placed in 7th period Physical Education so that I could go home right after, in case I felt sick after exercise. More and more homework started to pile up, and so the doctor ended up removing PE from my schedule in order to make more time for homework, my daily required workout, studying, volleyball practice, and specifically to get to bed at a reasonable hour. At that time, my mom was still taking me to the gym after school to fulfill my POTS workout requirements. Because I was still running out of time after school, we bought a treadmill so we did not have to commute to the gym each day, and this helped a lot with my time management.
Overall I was feeling basically normal, aside from feeling very tired at the end of each day. One hot day at church, in a stuffy room, I had been standing up for a long time, and due to lack of salt and water that morning, I started to feel dizzy, and then fainted. So I informed all of my teachers about my condition, and the possibility that I could faint in one of my classes. I also developed a 504 plan at school with a counselor to allow me to eat and drink in class, sit by the fan or doorway, and more bathroom breaks than the average student due to my large intake of water. My teachers were very understanding and supportive.
Not so coincidentally, my second cousin, a 19-year-old high achiever, attending Princeton University as a soccer player, was also diagnosed with POTS and another form of dysautonomia called Gastroparesis. Gastroparesis means stomach (gastro) paralysis (paresis). Basically, the stomach does not empty, resulting in nausea, pain, vomiting, and a feeling of fullness. Then in October, my 12-year-old sister came down with a virus that resulted in her diagnosis of severe Gastroparesis. So now we are researching and have future doctor appointments to hopefully help us understand if our dysautonomia is genetic.
I finished 2014 feeling really good, and working my POTS recovery plan diligently. But in January of 2015 I started to experience stomach problems. Because of sister’s diagnosis, I went to her gastroenterologist immediately and she ordered the gastric emptying test, which resulted in my additional diagnosis of Gastroparesis.
Once I received the Gastroparesis diagnosis, I started the recommended diet (no fiber, very little fat or dairy) and medication for helping my stomach digest, and I am once again doing great. However, I’ve learned that with the combination of too much sun, heat, or eating sugar, my “sick feeling” symptoms return. I have to work both my POTS recovery plan, and now my Gastroparesis diet plan, on a strict, daily basis.
Back in September, I started eighth grade with very few accommodations. I was placed in 7th period Physical Education so that I could go home right after, in case I felt sick after exercise. More and more homework started to pile up, and so the doctor ended up removing PE from my schedule in order to make more time for homework, my daily required workout, studying, volleyball practice, and specifically to get to bed at a reasonable hour. At that time, my mom was still taking me to the gym after school to fulfill my POTS workout requirements. Because I was still running out of time after school, we bought a treadmill so we did not have to commute to the gym each day, and this helped a lot with my time management.
Overall I was feeling basically normal, aside from feeling very tired at the end of each day. One hot day at church, in a stuffy room, I had been standing up for a long time, and due to lack of salt and water that morning, I started to feel dizzy, and then fainted. So I informed all of my teachers about my condition, and the possibility that I could faint in one of my classes. I also developed a 504 plan at school with a counselor to allow me to eat and drink in class, sit by the fan or doorway, and more bathroom breaks than the average student due to my large intake of water. My teachers were very understanding and supportive.
Not so coincidentally, my second cousin, a 19-year-old high achiever, attending Princeton University as a soccer player, was also diagnosed with POTS and another form of dysautonomia called Gastroparesis. Gastroparesis means stomach (gastro) paralysis (paresis). Basically, the stomach does not empty, resulting in nausea, pain, vomiting, and a feeling of fullness. Then in October, my 12-year-old sister came down with a virus that resulted in her diagnosis of severe Gastroparesis. So now we are researching and have future doctor appointments to hopefully help us understand if our dysautonomia is genetic.
I finished 2014 feeling really good, and working my POTS recovery plan diligently. But in January of 2015 I started to experience stomach problems. Because of sister’s diagnosis, I went to her gastroenterologist immediately and she ordered the gastric emptying test, which resulted in my additional diagnosis of Gastroparesis.
Once I received the Gastroparesis diagnosis, I started the recommended diet (no fiber, very little fat or dairy) and medication for helping my stomach digest, and I am once again doing great. However, I’ve learned that with the combination of too much sun, heat, or eating sugar, my “sick feeling” symptoms return. I have to work both my POTS recovery plan, and now my Gastroparesis diet plan, on a strict, daily basis.