Kawa_Kawa

Thank you to everyone who has introduced themselves and said such nice thing. I made the appt's and I'm just very anxious I guess. It's actually going to happen, treatment that is. My appt's going to be on May 16 th, or June 20th. I have a vacation coming up in June, so I'll be all set to get underway. So some people have even managed to make POTS go away? From my understanding, I didn't think anyone could? That's wonderful. At least there is still hope. I'm ready to change.

I found out two years ago I had POTS from a doctor at St.Jospeh's Heart Center in Atlanta. It was a long journey. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't get anyone to believe me, except those that saw me pass out. It started when I was 14, and I passed out three times in the bathroom. This was right after Hurricane Andrew, and people thought it was because I was in shock of something so horrid. However, the symptoms still continued, through the years and became progressively worse. I was always tired. I was young and had no energy. Walking up the stairs became such a huge task and till this day always wears me out. Grocery shopping and walking around really affects me. This coming from a girl who use to take two martial arts a day and go to the gym. When I was in elementary, I couldn't run a long time without getting chest pains. Till oneday I was with my personal trainer, and I had chest pains that wouldn't go away. Somehow my heart had become enlarged. That's when this all started. When I wanted answers. I was at Crawford Long Hospital and they told me to see a Heart Doctor. I did, and found out I had a MVP with leakage in my chest. I started taking Toprol and after a month or so, I was getting better. The leakage was minimal. Then as years went by, I started feeling weak. I was battling anemia alot, ontop of all of this. I would pass out frequently. I went to many doctors who fought with me. Even went all the way to Chicago, to be observed for 7 days, only to find it was because the doctors had no idea what this was. The last time, I got lucky I guess. Dr. Cohen checked me out and pulled all records. Lo and behold, he finally diagnosed me with POTS. He also referred me to Vanderbuilt, but my appt. being three months down, I had left my job, and didn't have insurance. I missed my appt, and have been seeking help at this time. I finally have insurance, and found there are POTS doctors right here where I live. I have been on no treatment or medication for my heart or POTS. I'm very happy and excited that I may start taking care of this, but I feel damage has been done. Because I couldn't go earlier, my memory has suffered tremendously. People have noticed. I'm always tired, so I can't go out alot. Sometimes, I can feel my heart pushing the blood and trying so very hard to get it to the rest of my body, it hurts. It also scares me to think that when I pass out, oxygen may not get to my brain or the rest of my vital organs. So in long term I'm scared of what I may become if I don't take action now. No one really knew what I had till later. I never told.. and now people know, but don't really understand. It's hard for them. I feel like a fool sometimes, when I talk of it. There are so many symptoms, it's hard to relate to. It's like I can't fathom them, but I know each one I read, is something I'm all too familiar with. It's all what I've been going through. What saddens me the most is, I may never know how I got this or where my heart issues came from. I know so little about my father's side. I know of my mothers. I really want to know. The only thing I can think of, is that I was a very sick child. I had issues with strep throat alot, and did have mono in my life. The mono wasn't treated right away, and was treated at the absolute last minute, before I caught walking phnuemo. The doctor said if my mother had waited another day, that I'd be lucky to live. Sad, because I had a mother who didn't really care of my well-being as I do, and refused to believe I was sick alot of times. So I had to fight of infection on my own. I'm 27 going on 28, April 21st, and I miss the energy I had when I wasn't as sick. I miss myself. I want to desperately go back into martial arts, and I want to not feel tired, and when I stand up, I don't want to feel the way I do. I'm afraid that over time, all the pushing my heart is doing is going to weaken it. I didn't give up all those years of finding answers. I refused. I guess I had fought so long, that seeking treatment became an obstacle in itself for me because I'm scared. What if the meds or solutions don't work? What if I'm more damaged now and it's resistant? Did I harm myself more, because I couldn't get treatment earlier? I need some hope right now, from anyone. Has anything at all, worked on some degree to help you?