Babettegall

So sorry to hear about all of this. I've only had the one TTT which gave me the darn POTS dx. I'm not sure if another one will be necessary or not in the future. I hope not, as I felt so poorly after the first one that it took about 4 days before I felt psuedo "normal" again. I'm not sure exactly what the doctor is hoping to find by ordering another TTT for you........ But, it's evident that he should explain to you WHY he deems this necessary, all the while giving you the much needed additional beta blocker until you can get in. Why does this have to be so difficult of a process all the time? I'm so sick and tired of having to fight with the medical profession! I wish you all the luck and hope you get feeling better (your tachy under control) soon! HUGS!

Make sure your hubby continues to look for more of those "discrepancies"! Congratulations!

You take care of yourself! I'll be thinking about you and look forward to hearing from you when you get home in a few days. Hope it goes well, and that you feel much much better HUGS!!!!

Thanks so much for your responses, guys! Anyone have any ideas as to how I can get him to stop barking at night? He seems to bark at every little noise he hears, which really upsets and wakes up both my husband and myself. Last night was a tough night due to the barking......... I just can't seem to get him to stop. He sleeps in our bedroom on the floor, and has free reign to roam the house whenever he wants. Unfortunately, he tends to want to stay in the bedroom, or the top of the stairs and bark his little head off! It's definately not a "potty" thing, or hunger thing or anything else that I can think of. I'm looking in to purchasing one of those citronella bark collars for him, if this behavior doesn't change (and change quickly)! Any thoughts or advise?

Congratulations! Take care of yourself and enjoy the experience

Well, this certainly is interesting, isn't it? I live in Ohio, between Cleveland and Akron. I was born and raised in Wisconsin and moved here about 8 years ago. Strange thing .... my symptoms became bothersome, and a dx was made since the move to Ohio. I started to get sick about 1 year after we moved here......... I wonder if there's any correlation? Interesting!

Hi Guys! Just a quick note to tell all of you that I've gotten a dog! He is a 5yr old corgi/retriever mix, who I named "Donnie". After I posted and received all the support and encouragement from you very special people in my life, I went ahead and had that important "heart to heart" with my husband. I was very relieved when the conversation had gone in my favor, so to speak. I did my research and decided that the logical choice for me was to head to a rescue organization to seek out my new companion. From behind the cold steel doors of the damp loud facility, I saw my little "prince Donnie". He was shaking, malnurished and scared by all the barking the other dogs were making. When we made eye contact, it was a no brainer for me........... HE'S THE ONE! After an immediate trip to the vet and the store for his necessities, we got home and settled. He was already housebroken, so it was a fairly easy adjustment for him. Now....... on the other hand......... I have been extremely tired by trying to keep on top of the dog at every waking moment. I know that my husband supported my getting the little guy, but he won't tolerate excessive barking or having the dog come running toward him when he gets home from work. So, until the actual routine is established, I'll be running on 'fumes' for a while. I tried to take Donnie for a walk the other day, but only made it about 4 houses down from our own, and had to turn back. He would have gladly gone further, but I just couldn't physically do any more than that. My legs hurt so badly and I was more fatigued than ever for the next two days! So, now my daughters take him on his daily walks and I go as far as picking up his poop in the yard. If I remember to get some batteries for my camera, I'll take a picture and share with all of you just how cute my "boy" is! Of course I'm a bit bias Thanks for listening and offering up your kind words and support when I needed them. Hugs to all of you!

That's GREAT news! I'm really happy for you! Where does Dr. Grubb practice? Is it around Cleveland? I ask, because I'm looking for an educated doctor who knows about POTS without MY having to educate him/her. Thanks!

That was too cool! I can't wait to share this with my daughters and give them somthing to share with their friends! Now if they would have only found a way to incorporate chocolate into math when I was going to school, maybe I'd be better at it today! Thanks again!

Amy, I was so sorry to read about your urgent care adventure. What an ordeal to have to go through! Keep us posted on what your cardio says, okay? Maybe this was just a fluke or something.......anything but something serious, right?! Heartburn from steak and corn? LOL, I can't believe they were going to dismiss your symptoms so easily..... Take care hon...... my thoughts are with you!

Ernie, Your doc needs a swift kick in his behind! If I could lift my leg up that far, I'd come do it myself! Seriously though, I wish that there was something more I could say or do......... But, I'm in the process of trying to find a more compassionate and understanding GP myself. Hang in there, count to ten (or 100), and if all else fails, scream into a pillow (right before you smother your doctor with it!)

Jacquie, I get like that at times myself. It's really a strange symptom to try to communicate, isn't it? I wasn't told to stop my intake of caffeine, but I can honestly tell you that it doesn't help me feel less fatigued when I get an "episode". I've tried laying down, but it's not the fatigue that seems to benefit from getting a nap or extra rest (at least it's not that way for me). I simply have to wait it out. I'm not as fortunate as you are to have some spells last only a 1/2 hour or so, as mine tend to linger for a minimum of 2-3 hours. Once it subsides, I'm pretty much back to my "potsy" self (less that dreaded heavy fatigue). Sorry I can't be of more help to you, but it will be interesting if anyone else understands this symptom or better yet, knows of a natural "pick me up". Take care.......

Bless your heart! Some refreshing/uplifting news! I hope that you continue to see improvement in your condition and that each day you are able to do more and more, and find life has returned to some sense of normalcy for you! Keep us posted

Jess, My doctor dx'd me with RLS before I was dx'd with POTS. He put me on a medication called "requip", which didn't help my leg pain at all. After the POTS dx, he took me off the requip, as he says that the pain I'm experiencing is most likely due to POTS and the blood pooling in the legs (especially at night or when we wake up). Once we get ourselves moving and the circulation is re-established in our legs when we wake up, the symptoms can quiet down a bit........so, you might not have a true case of RLS, but rather are feeling the effects of POTS. I don't know when you see your "cranky" doctor next, but you might want to discuss this with him then. Do we have the same doctor? LOL My doctor is cranky all of the time ...(I don't think he likes treating a patient with a condition he knows very little about). Until I'm able to find a new one, I just keep telling myself that I'm paying HIS salary (me and my insurance)...... so, let 'em be cranky!

I'm currently taking Lyrica 75mg twice daily. However, due to the severe reaction I'm having to it (making me 100x's more dizzy than I already am, and I cut my dose in half until I see my doctor in a week). It doesn't seem to be having any beneficial effect on my severe leg pain, so I'm not sure what he'll suggest I try next. I've been living on vicodin (about 6 pills per day), which my GP wants me to be weaned off of. Unless there's something out there that will reduce the pain without making my other symptoms worse, I'm going to insist on the traditional pain medications (narcotics). I realize that there are many tradeoff's when taking narcotics so often, for long periods of time, but the pain management is my only concern. I don't think they appreciate what it's like to live with this chronic PAIN. Anyway, if you come across something that works for you and find the side affects bearable, please keep me in mind and let me know! I wish you much success and ease of your pain symptoms with whatever they end up putting you on. Hang in there!

Wow, Willows! Your poem was amazing........very touching! Thank you so much for sharing both of those poems!!!! I still haven't talked with my husband yet (the much needed heart to heart)....... the time hasn't been right, or I just didn't have it in me to bring the whole subject up. I'll keep everyone posted (when there's a new development)! Thanks again!

Hey Willows, I can really appreciate your frustration with sweating so much. I thought it was just my internal thermostat going whacky, ..... and that I was the only one. Ah, what a relief to know that's not the case! Sounds like there's a bunch of us who walk around drenched. I wish I could offer some reasoning behind your sweating when you lay down, but you have me baffled there I did ask my doctor about it, since it seemed as though I was sweating in the air conditioning, when it was set at 70 degrees (yes, my entire family complained of how cold the house was, and even went outside just to warm up) The doctor simply said that it was due to POTS as he scurried out of the examing room ("thanks doc")! Now tell me something I don't already know! Sorry I can't be of more help, .... the only thing I can offer you in your dilema is a shoulder and empathetic ear! Hope we all find out how to eliminate the sweats and find comfort

I would like to buy a minimum of 4. Do you think the following sizes will be made available? 1 shirt, size 3x 1 shirt, size xlg 1 shirt, size m 1 shirt, size s As everyone else has already mentioned, the number of additional shirts will be determined after I know an approximate price. Thanks a bunch!

What a big bummer this is! And totally frustrating to boot! It sounds like the meeting Wednesday will be an "all or nothing" meeting, huh?! I hope they find in your favor! At any rate, the FMLA rules and regulations are fairly clear. How your employer chooses to 'count' your time toward your eligibility is another. The days you missed from July '05- '06, were they paid or unpaid? Did you utilize or were you eligible for any vacation or paid time off? The total number of hours worked during that time period (1059 vs 1200) were those hours including the hours you weren't able to make it into work because of your illness? Another big question is, are you an hourly employee? Did your employer provide you with a copy of the employee handbook at the time you accepted the position? Their technicality might actually be in your favor, if there's more information you can provide. Let me know, okay - and I'll see what I can find out for you, or maybe locate another avenue to pursue?!

Rebecca, I wish you luck at your appointment! I can't wait to read your update after you've been seen. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I really want to send a great big THANK YOU to Carmen, Nadine, Willow, Dawg Tired and OCsunshine..... All of your responses were just what I needed. Willow really hit the nail on the head with saying that the reason my husband (Eric by the way) is hesitant to getting a dog is because in his "former life", as we like to put it, he had grown enormously attached to a big old lug of a dog named Luther. Amongst all the caos and other critters in the house at that time, Luther was his true 'best friend' and they shared a very special relationship that can't be explained. As a matter of fact, when he had to put his friend "down" for medical reasons, he wrote a very special letter to Luther that was published. I can't even read the letter, as it makes me cry from the get go. I'm positive that it was that loss that makes Eric step back and emotionally freak out at the thought of letting another dog enter his heart. Don't get me wrong, I've had a special dog too when I was growing up that can't be replaced, nor would I ever try to replace that particular little girl, but I still have room in my heart to love again. Does that make sense? I'll approach the subject in the near future again, I'm sure. I'll just be a bit more sensitive to his reasons/hesitations while we have our heart-to-heart and find a way to meet in the middle. Thank you for listening..........I'd be more lost and more confused if I didn't have you guys as a sounding board! "woof"!

Thank you so much for your insight and thoughts, Nadine. You are absolutely right, I should try talking to my husband more about the whole thing, instead of just taking the "no" as though it's written in stone. Maybe it's just my approach to the whole thing, I don't know? It sounds like you really have great dogs there with you! I can tell that they are so theraputic for you and are loved by you more than they know or realize. I think the added responsibility of knowing that they are dependant upon us would also be helpful for me as you said it gets you moving on the days you otherwise wouldn't get up..... I really appreciate your sharing with me, and look forward to talking more about the whole subject with my husband over the course of the next week. My update on this should be interesting, huh?! Until then..........

Hi Guys, Well, this is a first for me in the "chat" section of the website. I've done some light reading previously through the chat posts, but typically focused my time online reading more about dysautonomia and gaining very useful resources for dealing with POTS & NCS. Anyway, as I'm sitting here today, I thought I'd see who's out there who might be able to just lend an ear or even offer any friendly advice. My situation is that I want desperately to get a dog. I've always been what you'd call a "dog" person, but haven't always had the "ideal" situations in which to bring one into the family. It was either earlier in life when I was renting, and the landlord refused pets, or living/dating someone who refused to have dogs live in the house. To make a long story short, here I am, married to a wonderful man for the past 7 years, own our home, and have more time than ever before (not able to work) at home. So, why not entertain the thought of getting a companion dog, right? I don't have the energy for raising a puppy, but rather I'm pulled at looking at various dogs who are needing a "forever home". You'd be surprised at how many dogs and cats alike are in shelters and rescues as I type. I've brought the idea up to my husband on more than a couple of occasions and he is not at all comfortable with the idea. It's pretty much a flat out "no" at this point. I want to keep pushing the issue, but am so afraid that resentments will build if I do (you know what I mean?). I think he's afraid that our getting a dog will be too much for me to handle, and he'll be the one out in the yard cleaning up dog doo-doo on a daily basis. Granted, there will be those days when that's the case, but still........... Another objection for him is that he was previously married (we are both on our second marriages) to a woman who was obsessed with dog rescue organizations. They didn't have any children together, so she made up for it by doting over their own 5 dogs and 6 cats, while fostering many other dogs and cats in their home. Well, after their divorce, he was given "custody" of two elderly cats which both live with us today ..... and I love them both very much. Am I being childish here in wanting to bring the love of a dog into our home? The big old goof balls are so precious and offer not only companionship, but a love and loyalty that cats aren't able to offer. I just needed to get all of that off my chest and into the ears of my peers. If nothing else, just getting a response from you saying that I should drop the idea is fine with me.......... just let me know you listened. Thanks in advance!

Gosh Sue, I wish I had some recipes for you off the top of my head, but I'm coming up with 'nuttin'. Although after reading Melissa's and Ariella's responses, I'm getting hungry! Good luck with the veggies

If you are going to do the salt water gargle, which I whip up for my daughters periodically, try mixing 1 tsp of salt (table salt) with a 5 oz glass of luke warm water (not hot, not cold water). We also keep lozenges on hand. They sort of numb the throat for a while. It really depends on why you have a sore throat though.... is it due to sinus (allergies) or dry air or the onset of a cold? Another helpful home remedy is to stir a teaspoon of honey into warm water.... sort of like sipping honey water/tea. That works well too! Good luck to you!