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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Good News/Bad News

Good News:
I’ve always been told I have the blood pressure and pulse rate of a professional athlete. 
Bad News:
If you’re not a professional athlete – in fact, if you only exercise once a year – you shouldn’t have such a low blood pressure and pulse rate.

Good News:
Water is good for you.
Bad News: 
I haven’t been drinking enough and sometimes that’s enough to throw your body totally out of whack.  It led to an ER visit which was followed up by a visit to a Cardiac Electrophysiologist and concluded with a new diagnosis.

Good News:
I don’t usually wear dresses or shorts anyway.
Bad News:
Now I get to wear these pretty little numbers. 
And yes, they go all the way up past my bum and are SUPER tight.  They are not my favorite.
Good News:
I like salty foods.
Bad News:
I don’t especially like adding salt to my cereal but the Doctor says I should put salt on EVERYTHING I eat.

Good News:
I’m fairly healthy and haven’t had to take any regular medications.
Bad News:
Now I’m supposed to start on a beta-blocker.  I’m not thrilled.   The Doctor says it will hopefully help but there is also the possibility it will make everything worse.  I’m supposed to be very cautious when I start it and it may take a while to find the right dosage and/or medication.

I struggled with whether to share this with everyone but for those of you who know me well you may wonder about my new fashion statement, why I put salt on everything I eat, and why I sit down a lot.  I’m also hoping you may remind me to drink lots of water anytime you see me because it's still something I'm not too good at.  So, there it is.  I have a  diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).  For me, when I stand up my heart rate increases MUCH more than it should.  My body is trying to compensate for the change in gravity and the blood that goes to your legs.  Unfortunately, my autonomic nervous system isn’t working quite right and can’t seem to find the happy balance.  So I get dizzy, my heart races, sometimes I feel sick, and once in awhile I feel like I might pass out.  These are issues I’ve dealt with for years but my body got way out of balance a few weeks ago which caused things to get worse.  I’m feeling much better now and I just need to stay more on top of how I’m feeling and take better care of myself.  

Good News:
This is not life-threatening
Bad News:
It is annoying and will require some life changes.

We apparently like to keep things interesting around here…

2 comments:

  1. I hope everything works out for you health-wise.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. Everything will be fine, just need to make some changes. How did you find this blog?

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