Something wasn't right
At the age of 16 little did I know my life would change. I woke up with a pain in my chest, I thought I had pulled a muscle. A few days went by and my left side was in a lot of pain. I could hardly move. We went straight to see my GP and then they sent me straight to the hospital. After spending a few nights in the hospital and having different tests, they couldn't find anything so I was discharged. After about 2 weeks of dealing with intense pain and being bed-bound, I knew something wasn't right. So we went back to the GP. I had more blood taken and was referred to a specialist.
#POTS
About 6-7 months of so many different tests and appointments, I finally got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. A few more months went by and I felt like I was getting worse. I started having seizures about 4-5 times a week and didn't want to leave the house. It was time for me to have my regular blood done. They noticed I had an underactive thyroid and I was referred to see another specialist, who told me he thinks I could have something called #POTS.
Coping with Pots
After educating myself on this condition and going for some tests, I was then diagnosed after a year and a half of not feeling well. Trial medication was given to me and more tests were done. I was having regular physiotherapy and trying different relaxation methods but something still didn't seem right. About 2.5 years later, I went back to see the specialist who diagnosed me with POTs. I told him how the pain was becoming so bad and how I had no quality of life, so he sent me to a hospital in London to see another specialist. By this point, I was in widespread pain and in a wheelchair. I met with the specialist in London and was told I also have a connective tissue syndrome called EDS Type 3. I was sent to a rehab program for 3 weeks to help me find way to cope and meet people dealing with the same conditions. I am 23 now and still trying to find ways to cope.
