Monday, August 27, 2012

For The POTS Dictionary

Brain fog n- 1. the inability to focus and make sense of something. 2. lack of concentration and the inability to read or understand things. 3. the act of reading and having the words travel no further than the retina......forget about the optic nerve. 4. the act of listening and having the words go in one ear and taking ten minutes for them to come out the other in translation. 5. the act of relating to Gilligan's absent mindedness and stupidity in situations that shouldn't have taken that much thought. 6. being present in body and absent in mind. 7. when Where's My Mother by Dr. Suess is hard to understand. 8. the feeling of being an air head.

*Feel free to add your definition as well!!!!!!

A Summer with POTS

This past weekend brought 70 degree weather and with it, the first time I felt so good in a LONG time.  Anything over 80 degrees makes me feel pretty awful.  The heat is back today but this weekend gave me hope that I'll really will be feeling better within the next month or two.

During the last couple of months, I have had a hard time sitting at the computer for more than a minute before I'd feel exhausted and develop extreme nausea and the feeling like someone punched me in the stomach.  Hense the lack in posts, email, ect.  School and working out have also become extra difficult with brain fog, shear exhaustion, weakness ect. Since I also have EDS, putting off a good workout or even moving around is not an option........that is if I don't want to get right back to where I was at the beginning of this year (joints shifting, subluxing, and very painful ............NOT FUN.  But the workout has easily been taking the entire day as opposed to an hour or two.   My physical therapist is so encouraging but insists that as long as ALL of the 16 exercises are done and there is a day off inbetween,  my "Pokealong" workout is just fine.

It has certainly been a challenging and at times a very frustrating year.  I had to do a lot of letting go when I wanted to take over and make myself study or workout.  I don't make daily 'schedules'  and plans anymore because I know that my day is going to be totally unpredictable with POTS.  I really just have to go with the flow. There have been many times when I hated doing it but I had to close my physics book because in reality, with all the brain fog and inability to understand a sentence, I needed to find something else that I COULD do and be a little bit more productive in.....although sometimes it was nothing.

Verse of the Week

"Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way."      Proverb 19:2

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Summer re-cap

I always look forward to the summer months mainly because of the warm weather. But this year hasn't exactly been something that I would have looked forward to (POTS wise), had I known.  Its definitely been a struggle with school and simple daily tasks.  Making a phone call or sitting down to write a simple email can be hard.  School is still slowly coming along (though I think graduating early has long past and is not realistic any more).  Its not having POTS that I have a hard time with; its just learning how to live with it, and how to make the most of my time whether I'm feeling good or not.  I've also been trying to figure out how to keep working out and staying strong while I'm so tired. I'm hoping the cooler weather coming will make a difference!

As far as this past month with POTS and having a busy week, not much has been going on.  My summer has been fun despite 'everything else'!

Thursday a good friend of mine went horseback riding with me.  We rode trails up a nearby mountain were a battle took place during the Civil War.  It was cool and shady, a lot of fun and my horse was the best :-)   We went in the morning when it was cool.  That helped a lot. 
I like riding Western because its not as stressful on the ankle and all as opposed to English.

This morning we went to watch a Civil War skirmish at the courthouse.  After that, there was a living history camp.
The Confederate 1st Virginia Cavalry

Monday, August 6, 2012

Verse of the Week

" ......for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken..." Acts 2:25