Five for Friday

I've had a hard time coming up with a Five for Friday list this week. So, I decided to tell you five myths about POTS and give you some insight into the truth and how I have experienced these things.

Five Myths
1. Myth: POTS symptoms only occur while standing.
Fact: Many patients report symptoms occurring while sitting or lying down. Standing does exacerbate symptoms.
My experience: This is certainly true for me. I get the really bad symptoms while standing, but I also can feel dizzy while sitting. And sometimes it even feels like the room is moving. So, this myth is definitely FALSE for me.

2. Myth: Everyone with POTS faints.
Fact: Many people with POTS have never fainted.
My experience: I have never fainted (outside of being induced to faint). I have had to sit down in the middle of the floor or I have fallen down due to a lack of equilibrium, but I have never fainted.

3. Myth: POTS symptoms are present at all times.
Fact: The symptoms of POTS can vary greatly from day to day and hour to hour.
My experience: This is 100% accurate for me. I feel great one minute and the next plummet down hill...and vice versa. The worst part of this for me though is the "not knowing". I never know how I will feel the next day or if I'll feel like doing things after work. So, it is really hard to plan my life and you guys know I am a planner.

4. Myth: Most doctors will be competent in treating POTS patients.
Fact: Some doctors have never even heard of POTS. It is essential to one's well being to seek out a specialist.
My experience: I was shocked to find out just how much doctors DON'T know about POTS. When I first had my tilt table test, the tech doing the test, immediately said...she has POTS. I hadn't even been hooked up and standing for five minutes yet. So, just having him immediately know, I just knew doctors would know too. But they don't. I am currently on a quest to find the right specialist to treat ME and my POTS. Wish me luck...specialist in autonomic disorders are few and far between.

5. Myth: People get POTS because they are lazy and deconditioned.
Fact: People can get POTS symptoms due to prolonged bed rest, however the symptoms will diminish as the person becomes more active. The origins of chronic orthostatic intolerance are certainly distinct from laziness or deconditioning.
My experience: I would love to just be lazy and deconditioned. That would mean I could make the decision to get up and go the gym. But unfortunately, I am not. While you may see an able bodied person, what is going on inside has nothing to do with me mentally deciding not to feel this way. In fact, early on, I would "push" through and "make" myself do things, but after putting myself in bed for a couple of days after, I realized that this is not in my head and this is definitely something REAL.

To learn more about POTS and maybe better understand me, you can click HERE.