Hope

Hello! How are you? I hope you're well :)

Over the last couple of months my GP, my new cardiologist and I have been investigating have been investigating if I might have POTS. After 11 years with ME/CFS the possibility of a new diagnosis has made me feel a huge range of different emotions. 

Fear. Scared of change. 

Guilt. I could have investigated POTS 2 years ago when I first heard of it. 

Euphoric hope. There might be something wrong with me that is more fixable. There might be something I can do to lessen my symptoms. 

Fear again. What if I don't have POTS and I'm back to square one again, without a clue how to make myself better. 

Let's talk about why I'm so scared first. The fear of change isn't my most prominent emotion, but it's certainly worth a mention. I think because I've had ME for nearly half my life the potential POTS diagnosis I scary because it would change the way I think about my symptoms, the way cope with them emotionally, and the way I mange and react to them. It would be a big mindset shift and I'm comfortable where I am now!

I do feel guilty that I didn't look into POTS when I first heard of it. Maybe I could have made some life changes a long time ago that would mean I'd be feeling so much better now! What if... Regretting I didn't investigate this 2 years ago is not a helpful train of thought, so let's focus on the happy. 

Hope. What if this means I can control some of my symptoms? Maybe I'll be able to do some constructive things to make myself better! Maybe I'll be able to start doing some of the things I love again. This is brilliant!

Having POTS would mean that the main reason I get so tired is when I'm standing up, my blood vessels aren't very good at fighting gravity and my blood pools in my feet. My heart rate races to compensate and get the blood back to my brain. It would explain symptoms of fatigue, headaches, dizziness amongst many others. 

Just by being aware that it's standing that tires me, just as much as physical activity, I will be able to get back some control. 

There's no known cure for POTS, though people can get better, but most importantly to me, there are more management tips than there are for ME/CFS. It honestly makes me so excited. 

I haven't been diagnosed yet of course. You can follow my Potential POTS Journey on my brand new YouTube channel. Yes I finally took the plunge to do something I'd been wanting to do for years but I was too scared. But maybe I can talk about that in another blog post. 

POTS is estimated to affect around one third of people with ME/CFS. You can easily check if POTS is something that might be worth finding out about for you by downloading a heart rate app. Take your pulse when you are sat calmly. It should be around 60-80. Then stand up, stand still and take your pulse again, if it increases by 30+ bpm (or 25 if you're a young person) you might well have POTS. 

More information about POTS can be found here:
POTS UK: http://www.potsuk.org/
POTS Leaflet: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/postural-tachycardia-syndrome-pots-leaflet

Wish me luck and I hope you are having a brilliant day!

Monday positivity: Putting on your happy face (and mind)

Hello!

Sorry I've had a 2 week break. Here's a quick one from me today to get me back into the swing of things. Later this week I think I might even post something that isn't about positivity!

Recently, I came across this quote (strangely it was in a quiz book)

Often it's difficult to just "lay aside" our troubles and negative thoughts. It can't be done in an instant. But I think, if you make this quote your mantra for this week, you can gradually let go of the unhelpful unnecessarily unhappy thoughts and move towards a more positive mindset. 

Think of it as little choices you make every day. Every time you catch yourself thinking along a path you don't want to be going down, notice it and then choose to think differently. 

For example, if you notice you are stressed about your to-do list and you know it is getting you down, try to stop and think about it differently. Employ your "cheerful disposition" and congratulate yourself for ticking the first thing off! Then, get on with the next thing with a more calm, happier frame of mind. 

I hope you are having a brilliant day. 

Monday Positivity: Seize the day - Seize the year

A good morning to you! Today is the first Monday of 2015 so let's start as we mean to go on (however unreasonable our intentions may be, it's still good to err on the side of optimism!)

Today I want to encourage you to seize the day. Have a good stab at that never ending to do list, get your exercise in, eat well, drink lots of water. Do it all with a light spirit and a smile on your face. Why? Because you can. Today is a clean slate, it is what you make of it. So let's make it a good one! 

Let's be enthusiastic. If you made your New Years resolutions in good faith, embrace that feeling today. You can feel hopeful and determined. Don't beat yourself up if things don't go the way you hoped. Pick yourself up try again without complaining. Enjoy the everyday motions that you go through. Be excited. Spark your enthusiasm for life in any way you can. 

Today I want to write 2 emails and a letter, appreciate nature and tell people I love them. What are you going to do today?

Whatever it is, I hope you are having a brilliant day