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Hi Sue1234! I have so many different issues at so many different times that it can be a challenge to keep track of everything, but, yes, I, too have a history of multpile ovarian cysts as well as endometriosis and have been diagnosed with "estrogen dominance." Unfortunately, I've not had a lot of luck with progersterone supplements. In addition to POTS, I also suffer from a number of inflammatory/autoimmune-type things, and any fluctuation in hormones can cause me to feel better, worse or just "weirder" on any given day...

Pro--I might FEEL crazy, but I'm not ACTUALLY crazy....awesome! Con--No, I can't (fill in the blank___ go shopping, to the beach, for a bike ride, out to dinner, to a party, etc.) because I'm (also fill in the blank___dizzy, tired, cranky, woozy, out of breath, in pain, dealing with a crazy heart rate.) Booooo....

It truly is a small world, isn't it? I live in the DC area now, but I lived in Alabama for about 16 years, and I had the MOST wonderful ophthalmologist in Montgomery (he was so fabulous, as a matter of fact, that I actually worked for the practice on a part-time basis when I was in graduate school.) Dr. John Swan of Montgomery Eye Physicians is a very gifted doc, and I don't know that he has a particular neuro angle, but he was quite adept at handling all of my various dysautonomia-related visual issues. He is also a part of a very well-rounded practice with a variety of specialists, so you may be able to see any (or all) of them as needed. Hope this helps!

Thank you for the kind words! I did, indeed, decide to post because I've been more symptomatic recently (including my rosacea, which has flared up in a very unattractive, Edgar Allan Poe "Red Masque of Death"-esque kind of way) and have, as a result, felt more frustrated and isolated. My supervisor and colleagues, are, for the most part, undertanding people, but when they need me to fly to the West Coast at a moment's notice, they really aren't interested in my "Oh dear, I don't like to fly because it makes me feel terrible, and I need time to rest and hydrate, and I can't possibly attend meetings for at least a day after the flight" speech, so I just suck it up and move on--feeling angry and resentful the whole time. My husband, who is utterly wonderful and supportive (but also somewhat of an uber-athletic Viking-type), really can't understand how I feel, and a casual comment from him such as, "Good morning--what hurts TODAY?" has the power to upset me terribly even though I know, in all likelihood, he really just wants to KNOW so he can plan the day accordingly. Blah. It's just all....so MUCH sometimes....it's nice to come here and talk to people who've been fighting the same good fight, you know?

I also forgot some of my other favoritle symptoms....a soaring pulse at random intervals, an inability to stand up for more than 5-7 minutes at a time (makes presentations super interesting!) and episodes of extreme shaking when really tired or stressed....I'm a good time!

Honestly, I think I've been doing it for so long that I've just become accustomed to ALWAYS feeling terrible--as sad as that sounds. I come from a very...."driven"...family full of doctors, lawyers and other Type A folks. I'm kind of the black sheep and more of a "Type C+" person, but I've always felt pressured to succeed. In fact, when I was a child and beginning to experience some troubling symptoms (shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, etc.), my parents were quick to label me as a hypochondriac and repeatedly offered to take me to the hospital "to see kids who are REALLY sick." (Nice, huh?) I believed for a long time that it was all in my head and just had to push through it all--passing out a lot along the way! College, two graduate degrees and now this crazy job which is just the last thing in a long line of hard-won achievements designed to prove something....now that I'm older, I'm pretty sure all I've proven is that I'm exhausted and need a break! Probably a longer answer than you were looking for--sorry! :-)

Good evening, all! I've come to the DINET forums many, many times over the years (for comfort, encouragement, a much-needed chuckle), but this is the first time I've been moved to post. In the last 2 months, I've experienced a veritable kaleidoscope of symptoms associated with my various disorders (that would include mitral valve prolapse, POTS and a host of inflammatory issues that are very likely related related such as interstitial cystitis, GERD, and costochondritis), and I'm just SO thankful that there's a place where other people understand the frustration of never quite knowing what to expect from day to day. Wake up with wonky vision in one eye? Someone here knows how that feels! Too dizzy to read, but not too dizzy somehow to watch Lifetime movies? Someone can relate! Random stabbing pains? Elephant sitting on my chest? Wailing when the temperature outside exceeds 90 degrees even though my hands feel like they're frozen solid? Body temperature of a irritated corpse? Yes, yes, yes! My professsional life is insane--60 hours a week of high-paced, intense-pressure demands (PERFECT for me, right??), and I often wonder how I'm going to make it through one more meeting, project or performance appraisal. Being able to see how others handle their lives with grace and humor gives me the realtiy check I need to keep it moving! I plan to start interacting with on the site more becasue I really do feel as if I've found a fabulous, welcoming community...for that, I thank you!