-
Eye Therapy?
Recently, I went to the ophthalmologist to get contacts. It was supposed to be a relatively easy process. With my glasses constantly fogging due to my mask, I figured it was time. I would try out contacts to see how they went. I got more than I bargained for. The ophthalmologist was concerned to find out that I’ve never seen 20/20. This isn’t rare for me. I often struggle on the refraction test because letters change. Years before I discovered my neurological problems, I was told to see a neurologist. I shrugged it off and joked about how ridiculous that was. I didn’t have any real problems. The joke was…
-
Five Things I Do Because of POTS
There are some things I do in my daily life that people give me weird looks for. What a lot of people don’t know is most of these things are because of my chronic illness. Most of the time, if I’m doing something out of the ordinary it’s because of Dysautonomia or POTS. Now, I leave some room for error. I am somewhat weird sometimes. I can’t blame all of my odd habits on POTs but I will blame most things on chronic illness. So here’s a list of five things I do because of POTs: Pick Stuff Up With My Feet This is probably the weirdest. People make fun…
-
Going Out Without Crush
Today is a scary day for me. There are a lot of factors that make it intimidating. By far the most bothersome is leaving Crush at home. Today I have my MRI. Now, I dislike MRI’s. I’m very claustrophobic. Tight spaces and I don’t get along. That would be enough to put me on edge and make me anxious. On top of this, I have to leave Crush at home. Unfortunately, since my mom moved, I go to all of my appointments alone. I don’t mind this, I love that I have the ability to go to appointments alone. However, I haven’t been without a companion and completely on my…
-
Why I Chose Critical Disability Studies
I am applying to a graduate program for critical disability studies. Why did I choose this field? To many, it’s an obscure and odd choice. Personally, I didn’t know that field existed prior to stumbling upon it randomly. When I found it, I knew. It was like a bolt of lightning struck. I got chills. This was exactly what I was looking for. So what is it? The field of critical disability studies is an interdisciplinary field. It involves everything from healthcare, sociology, psychology, and more. It’s looking at all aspects of disability. How those with disabilities are treated within culture and society. How the system often fails those with…
-
Why I’m Getting A Job
I’ve been adamant throughout the pandemic that I didn’t want to get a job. With my health, it seemed foolish to put myself in a direct line of fire. The reality is, I can survive without a job. I have the luxury of family support and student loans, but that only gets me so far. Dreaming of graduate school has put life into perspective for me. I will have to get a job. I will have to navigate working life and school. I’d rather work out the kinks of that when I have a soft place to land rather than when I’m away from home. I have a lot of…
-
Five Must Haves for POTs Patients
There are a lot of things I have specifically for my medical condition. I wanted to outline a few things that I have that are for my POTs. These were helpful for both before and after I was diagnosed. If you’re new to the diagnosis or you think you might have it, considering investing in these tools. Here are five must haves for POTs patients. Pulse Ox I got my pulse Ox monitor only recently. I was relying on my apple watch to tell me my heart rate. 99% of the time my watch is accurate. The oxygen saturation component is particularly helpful and not offered on my watch. When…
-
I'm Not Broken
I’m not broken. I have a chronic illness. I do things differently. I must accommodate my disability or risk having severe consequences. That doesn’t make me broken, it makes me human.This topic has come up a few different times recently. I’ve addressed in blog articles the narrative that we set for ourselves. Today I’m talking about other’s narratives about me. I want to address this because much like my language matters, your language about me matters. I can’t change my disability. It is a part of me. When you say things like, “cause you’re broken.” It’s often very hurtful. I do a lot to manage my disability. I often try…
-
A Year of Blogging
I can’t believe it but I’ve been blogging for a full year. I finally took the plunge last year after medically withdrawing from the semester. At the time, I was concerned about my neurological health. The possibility of a progressive disease was looming in the distance. It was an incredibly intense time and starting a blog felt like a way to regain control and speak my truth. I can’t thank my brother enough for helping me in this endeavor. Let’s look back at the past year. I found out that my form of dysautonomia is not progressive. That was a big win. I got my tonsils removed after a very…
-
My Experience With Beta Blockers and POTs
I’ve had POTs for several years now. Only one of those years was it untreated. Beta blockers were a game changer for me. I was able to have a lot of success with them. I have been on two different beta blockers, metoprolol and propranolol. Both of these had different effects and different results. One thing to keep in mind while reading is that I get both tachycardic, as well as bradycardic. This fact is really important for me in dosing and management. It changes my experience because of my significant highs and significant lows. Let me dive into the specifics of both and my experience. Propranolol I am on…
-
Running Into More Problems
As you may know, I’m finally off my surgery restrictions and I’m back to running. It has been quite the journey thus far. I’m genuinely shocked at how much endurance I’ve maintained. It feels incredible to be able to run a mile without any issues. The other day, I managed to run two miles with a short walk in between them. My heart has struggled to keep up but it’s doing its best. I can’t fault it for needing a bit of help after just starting up again. Shockingly, my heart is not the part of my body that is struggling the most while running. Running has always been a…
