My Personal Diagnosis Story; Updated 2018

 

Hi, I am Lette and I have EDS, Pots, Gut Dysmotility, Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction, Severe hearing loss and a host of secondary complications to all of these. I will try and keep this as concise as possible but I feel it is still going to be a long post, please bear with me!

It all started on a Tuesday morning in April 2011. After a lifetime of silly ‘Mickey Mouse’ symptoms that didn’t lead to anything conclusive, I just thought I was feeling a little under the weather.
I got up to shower and get ready for work and as I was coming out of the toilet, I suddenly felt really weak, faint and overwhelmingly dizzy. I called out to my husband who got to me just as I lost consciousness and he caught me before I hit the ground.

We didnt know what was going on, My husband was brilliant trying not to panic but everytime I would come around and try to stand I would lose consciousness again!
He got me to lay on the bed while he called the doctor and got advise to either immediately call an ambulance or get me to A&E straight away.

We opted not to wait for an ambulance as it would be faster to drive me directly to the A&E.

Long story short I ended up staying nearly a month in the hospital under an initial doctor who tried some tests but ultimately seemed to be very dismissive of me and in the end told me to get up out of bed and just ‘walk it off, and you’ll be grand’, great advice to give to someone who was shortly thereafter diagnosed with, ‘a very impressive case of Pots’, after this we had to demand a second opinion knowing something was seriously wrong with me. I couldn’t sit or stand upright without losing consciousness and I was just told to walk it off?!

Needless to say the second opinion doctor took my case very seriously, did many more tests, one of which was a Tilt Table Test and we discovered that I did indeed have Pots and NCS (Neurocardiogenic Syncope) but the cause was unknown. I was medicated heavily for my issues (very low BP, High HR, Nausea, Joint pain, Sweating, Syncope sometimes with respiratory arrest (without breathing), given some lifestyle advice like eat more salt and drink plenty of black coffee to raise blood pressure and sent on my way.

The following months after my Pots diagnosis I was continuously being admitted into hospital and fighting to find a cause for the Dysautonomia, In October 2012 I was diagnosed by a Reumatologist in Cork that I had Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type 3, Hypermobility Type, which in turn would be the organic cause of the Pots.

My symptoms at the time were progressively getting worse, I was fainting very regularly throughout the day sometimes without breathing which in the worst of cases led to new seizure type activity and short term paralysis in my legs causing long lasting neuropathy. I was getting severe headaches and excruciating pains in my joints, very low BP, High HR, Dizziness, easy bruising, Blue Sclera, Excessive Fatigue, severe nausea and vomiting with gut related pain.

This happened for months off and on without any reprieve until April 2013 where I slowly improved at the start of the year, well enough where I decided to go back to work for Apple Computers from home.

Everything was going amazing until my Pots started acting up, sometimes I had to put people on hold as I hacked into a bucket! The pain in my pelvis, hips and lower limbs became so much worse that crutches no longer supported me well enough.

By August I was in a wheelchair, In September I was admitted to hospital for 11 days for investigations and pain management. The specialist advised that I didn’t return to work.

Things went downhill fast with my health and I soon learned that I would have to fight the HSE with some of my issues. I had to do my own phone calls to start Physio and Occupational therapy as nothing was being done from the hospital side. My Consultant who looked after me for Pots also had some problem with the diagnosis of EDS that I got in Cork, they never took it seriously and tried to convince me that I didn’t have EDS but I only had ‘Benign Hypermobility’, which they said would have no bearing at all on my health or any of my issues!

In July and August 2014 I was at my worst health wise. I was admitted to hospital after being rushed into Resus via ambulance after having a very long seizure. I was admitted again for nearly a month where I ended up in ICU and HDU (High Dependency Unit) because of these seizures. The consultants sent me to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin via ambulance again to rule out Epilepsy of which all was clear thankfully and they put the prolonged seizures down to a major reaction I was having to the antiepileptic drugs they had me on to manage them, I was promptly taken off these drugs and in turn the seizures stopped almost immediately. It looked like the first ever seizure I had may have been a once off dysautonomic seizure caused by lack of oxygen and it was the antiepileptic drugs they had me on that made matters worse.

It was during this time that I decided something had to be done to try and help myself. There are no EDS specialists anywhere in Ireland and the closest place there were any was in London. I started a GoFundMe campaign and slowly raised enough to go to London and meet a Professor in rheumatology who specialised in EDS to get a proper diagnosis that would confirm to my consultants (and myself) that I did in fact have EDS and to get some sort of treatment plan that my consultants here could work off. This trip was a success. I met Prof. Rodney Grahame, got an official diagnosis, a treatment plan for my consultants at home and it was only after I got my letter from Prof. Grahame that my consultants started taking my diagnosis seriously and actually followed the advice given on the treatment plan.

Things started running smoothly for a while with my treatment, I was getting regular physio and occupational therapy, regular pain management and outpatient appointments to keep an eye on everything.

Slowly though, in 2015 things went downhill again and I started having severe gut related trouble. Over the course of the following couple of years I was in and out of hospital constantly, I lost a huge amount of weight, couldn’t eat anything without nausea or vomiting, got extremely weak and fatigued and my seizures returned after a year of being dormant, my consultant at the time wanted to operate on my gallbladder thinking that may be the problem with my gut. Other than that, he admitted to me outright that he didn’t know what to do or how else to help me and advised I seek help elsewhere if I knew where to look.

In 2017 I had to fundraise again to return to London to meet another Professor who specialised in EDS and Gastroenterology, Prof. Aziz. Thankfully since this consultation in London and following the advice he gave me I have improved greatly, with regards to my gut trouble at least.

I still get serious symptoms and there is no cure for EDS. There are no EDS specialists in Ireland and it is clear from my, and others diagnosis stories that there is little help within the health system in Ireland. We are already fighting illness, we should not have to also fight the health system for treatment that should be readily available here and we should not need to travel or worry about organising funds to do so when we are in this state and yet, we need to or we will just be forgotten about.

I worry that my symptoms will continue to flare and get worse as time goes on. I worry something serious may happen and that the doctors here may not be able to help me or others in this situation if that happens. My story had some major up’s and down’s and yet I am not the worst I have heard. There are others out there that have had much worse experiences than I have.

We seriously need an EDS specialist here in Ireland to help us. I am forever surprised by the constant stories I hear of peoples GP’s and hospital consultants not knowing what EDS is. It is 2018, is it really that far fetched to imagine having a consultant here that specialises in EDS or at least some training for our doctors? I think not! #EDS4IRE 

Lette

 

Meeting Prof. Qasim Aziz in London

Day: Saturday 13th May

Time and Itinerary:

5:30am – Wake up, get ready!
6:30am – Arrive at Shannon airport

6:35am – Check in
6:45am – Get Breakfast

7:00am – Board Plane with the help of Disability Services

7:15am – Flight Take Off

8:15am – Flight Land at Heathrow

8:45am – Get through security and make our way to the Heathrow Express Train

9:15am – Heathrow Express arrives at Paddington
10:30am – Hang around Paddington for a little while, get coffee

11:30am – Taxi to Consultants Appointment at The Physicians Clinic at Devonshire Street
12:15am – In appointment place, fill out forms and go into meet Prof. Qasim Aziz

Prof. Aziz was very welcoming, I found him to be thorough, interested, very educated and deeply experienced with EDS and it’s comorbidities.

I had everything written out over two A4 pages, Which he said he was delighted with and wished more people would come prepared! It had My Diagnosis, Investigations done to date, Medications, All my doctors listed, Current Symptoms etc. So he went through everything with me.

To make a long story short I was there over an hour, he didn’t rush us at all and listened to everything both my husband and I had to say about all the symptoms, pain and weightloss I have been going through with my Gastrointestinal problems.

He did a few basic tests with me while I was there and then sat me down to explain what he believes is going on with me.

He reckons I am high in ‘Histamines‘, meaning that I am all inflamed and raw throughout my body as a result it all contributes to my various symptoms even outside of gastro problems. He said that a ‘Low Histamine Diet‘, would be of huge benefit to my lifestyle for 6 months and then I can introduce other foods back into my diet.

He added things like, taking probiotics 2 to 4 times daily with the diet as well as the supplements that I may be lacking in like, Vit.C, Vit B Complex, Omega 3 and Chelated Magnesium.

He went through all my medications and changed them about as well as adding some to help my tummy. Apparently a few of the meds I am on to help my gut are in fact paralyzing it, so I have to cut back on those and my opiates as they are slowing my gut function down.

As the LowHistamine Diet is sugar free, he has also changed the Fortisip Compact calorie drinks I have been taking as he said they are full of sugar, so he changed them to E028 Cartons instead.

He mentioned that he has had people like me come into him in wheelchairs and after this diet and the other extensive recommendations he gave, they are now walking, relatively cured and back to work, living a normal life once again as the symptoms are now controlled.

He also said that everyone is different and what may work for one person may not necessarily work for me but it is certainly worth a try for 6 months at the very least.

I still have a lot of research to do to get my head around this new diet but he wrote out loads of recommendations so I know what to look for, I found him to be very helpful.

I have already received his full report, he had it emailled to me within 2 days, by the Monday after the appointment on Saturday, I thought that was very smooth and professional.

14:00pm: Finish appointment and get Taxi to the Hotel.
14:35pm: Check in and unpack and relax for a few hours to recover from the morning.
14:55pm: Pass out for around 2 hours
17:00pm: Wake up and go get some food
17:15pm: Make our way to the food plaza across from our hotel and find a sushi place

17:30pm: Too tired to deal with crowds so decide to bring sushi back to the hotel to enjoy in peace. Then just relax watching TV for the rest of the evening as we were both wrecked and I was beginning to feel really poorly after the busy day. I did ok though but we didn’t get much sleep as there was a Hen party in the room next door to us so it was really noisy at times but either way we got through the night and were up bright and early the next morning, Though we were both impossibly tired and I was barely able to move!

We get up, shower and get ready, check out of the hotel and get a Taxi to Paddington again to get the HeathrowExpress train into Heathrow Terminal 2 to catch the plane.
We grab breakfast and all goes as normal through security and onto the flight.

I always laugh at the sheer difference between the security in Heathrow compared to Shannon, Shannon are so lazy about everything and you literally walk straight through without little hassle but in Heathrow they want to examine every inch of you and your bag, which is great that they are so thorough but the difference in the two always makes me giggle.

Either way we got home safe, landed, went to collect our dog from my parents house and hit for home where we both crashed and burned pretty hard! I know right, just one day and were done, useless we are! I felt incredibly sick and my husband caught a flu on our travels so he has been hit pretty hard too since coming back. We both still haven’t recovered properly!

Next up now is to make sure my doctors and consultants here get a copy of the report he has sent me and to start a food plan to get this diet started once and for all. I am still following the Low Fodmap diet until I have everything I need to start this new Low Histamine diet.

I am looking forward to the adventure over the next 6 months or so with this new lifestyle change, and of course I will share it with all of you as I go along!

Thank you once again to everyone who made this trip possible, John Steele and Mick Dolan for organising the Bowie Gig in February which raised €2000 each for both Zondra Meaney and myself and also to everyone who contributed through my Go Fund Me Page. I am deeply appreciative to all  of you for your help and support, thank you.

Lette (Fainting Goat!) xxx

Saturday Submissions – With Stephanie Baxter

I know, I know! I am late with this again, I am so sorry, I just couldn’t get to the computer the last few days because of the health once again. I will have to do them during the week and have them publish automatically on the Saturday morning. I will do better, I promise!

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In this weeks Saturday Submissions, we speak to a good friend of mine that I know through Facebook as ‘Tuffy’, She has a host of chronic illnesses and this is the first ever telling of her own story. So lets hear it for Tuffy and give her a warm welcome to the world of Blogging! 🙂

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Saturday Submissions With Stephanie Baxter

I’ve never told my story before because it’s weird and I’ve ended up with a bunch of rare things. People tend to get either bored or uncomfortable with the full version. I’m having to come up with some creative reasons why I’m in my wheelchair.
I’ve summed up with a Sword fight. I don’t get such a fun reaction. I’m thinking of changing it!

Anyway, I’m an old lady (48) But I’ve had issues with my heart palpation since I was 17 or so. When I was 20 I was pregnant with my first kid. The doctors wouldn’t listen to me. The palpations were so bad anywhere I would go I would have to stop everything for about a minute. Only because my heart was beating so fast and hard. Talk about a massive head rush! But I was also told they were side effects of pregnancy.

So, after a few years and another kid (I really was terrified of dying during birth) everyone around me told me I was fine & if the doctor wasn’t worried, why should I be? Ok First Lesson people!! If it’s your body and Your scared, Start Screaming for Anyone to listen!!

I put up with this for 10 Years before I Finally was diagnosed. I had to get a blood clot first, But hey, your body has to do what it Needs to do. So, I’m 27 years old and finally I’m seeing a Cardiologist. I told him that my heart goes super fast. He asked me if he could check it out. I thought, heck why not. It’s probably nothing.. Wrong Answer!! I’ve got stickers all over my chest and this readout starts printing and the Doctor gets All excited!!!

OK, Lesson number 2, When a Doctor gets Excited, be Scared.. it’s Not good News! I have an inherited disease called (WPW ) Wolff Parkinson White. My electrical pathways were kinda not working right. So it was (is) making my heart palpate.

The doctor told me I was in the 10% of the population, oh and I needed an ablation right away or I can go into a heart attack and die. Yeah, my inner voice yelled at me for listening to all those Stupid people!! Who in the end, didn’t really give a crap.

As I said, listen to yourself… so, I went in for my first ablation. Well, it ended up 2 of them because the first one didn’t quite take. After about 2 or 3 years I started taking Hawthorne supplement. Because my palpations started to come back.

Then after a few more years and a Great deal of stress I was Finally diagnosed with Pots and the WPW came Roaring back.

Now just so we all know, my paternal grandfather had wpw, they didn’t have a name for it in the 2nd war, he would be driving his supply truck in Germany and a bomb went off, he just ended up in the ditch with “heart attacks”. Which is what they were. But there was nothing they could do for him.

Personally it really sucks! Plus the pain is right Nasty. Chest pain and all. Back to me, I got to play with beta blockers & calcium Channel blockers to keep my heart under control, it just ended up confusing my heart, it was up to 300 then it would drop to 30 in just a few seconds. Thus me checking on the floor making sure it wasn’t lonely. I Never did get to pass out, but ya know.. I’m a blonde asthmatic dyslexic.. why add on to that??

The doctors got mightily concerned and decided I needed a pacemaker. My first. Wow, I got to name him. Something fancy, so I came up with Engleburt Humperdink! (You young ones look him up) it fit great!! I went in & as the doctors who have been putting in pacemakers for Decades, they put in the first lead.. that went smoothly it was the upper lead they had major issues, my heart took off and I’ve Never seen 2 Cardiologist freak out before. They couldn’t slow down my heart for anything. They never had this happen before. I suppose they finally found the relaxant. Yeah, it’s a fun story. They stapled me together and within 6 months I had to go in for another ablation.

They made me stay awake. All together in 10 years I’ve had 9 ablations. Yes, they made me stay awake during all of them (the first 2 were exception) as I’ve said I’m Really rare and different. I felt every ablation, just as I can feel my heart go into tachycardia. The last ablation they tried to make me completely dependent on my pacemaker. They were only 95% my heart still goes off but now only for a limited time. Few seconds here and there. Nothing like it did. Now I’m dealing with the pots.

But I found out more family info. My mother had the same thing, so does my niece’s (2) so now I’m finding out its genetic. When it’s genetic the symptoms are severe. Where I Live, I was told that all they can do is just treat the symptoms. I’m getting new symptoms and they are not pretty. So, we moved to a new state for better medical care. My timing couldn’t be worse, Spring is kicking me around like I’m it’s new punching bag. Being bed bound is hard enough, but now we’ve got to find another place to live and paperwork to do plus finding doctors that might just care.

If your wondering, I found Irish Dysautonomia back when I was around 30ish. A Long Time ago!! I found you guys on YouTube. It was the first time I was introduced to what the Crap I really do have. I’m thankful for the support and information that I’ve found. It’s very personal and individual in its attacks.

I’m also bipolar 2. So I’m on a few meds right now. Fludicourt for my blood pressure is the main thing, but then I’m finding out that anxiety is a symptom as well. Which having bi-polar 2 & ptsd Really makes me realize how severe this crap is. I’m very open about my mental health as well as my physical health. I’m one person, why separate? If my stress (anxiety) is affecting my heart why treat my mind and my heart seperate?

So, I’m really big on coping strategies. They Really do help. Anyway, I’m around sometimes on Facebook my name is Tuffy Baxter, I would like to be on Facebook a lot more, but it’s difficult.

Thank you for reading this blog. It is my first at telling this story. I hope if anything helped give a smile or 2. I suppose I shall see you all soon in the funnys!! 😍😍😍

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Thanks hugely to Tuffy for that Blog post, please be sure to check her out on Facebook and make a link and please leave a comment below if you relate to Tuffy’s post 🙂

——— Wanna Be Part of Saturday Submissions?———-

All you have to do is tell us a little about yourself and write a blog post (Any Wordcount) in relation to your chronic illness, or how a relation/friend/patient with an illness affects or interacts with you, etc. all welcome!

You can include photos (preferably your own, if found online be sure to add links to where you found them)

Be sure to add links to your social media accounts so people can link back to you OR You can write it anonymously if you like just be sure to put your details in the email so I can respond to you personally 🙂

You can send your submissions to: irishpotsies@gmail.com

 

Saturday Submissions – With Evie from The Zebra Mom

I’m Evie and I come from Cork, Ireland. I’m a 29-year-old mother of two baby zebras. Alex is 7 and Olivia is almost 2. I am diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), Orthostatic Intolerance and Vasovagal Syncope. I first heard of EDS after interviewing a young woman with EDS for the paper I used to work for. Something about this woman’s story stirred something inside me and I became passionate about raising awareness of the condition. A year later I was diagnosed with EDS. When I’m not blogging, looking after my two children or lying in bed ill, I help my husband run our wedding videography business and co-host a radio show on Saturday evenings from 7pm (Irish time) on www.clonlineradio.com.

I write about Ehlers Danlos Syndrome an awful lot and with where I am guest posting today, I decided to focus on Dysautonomia. I recently wrote A Simple Guide to EDS on my own blog so now I’m going to write A Simple Guide to Dysautonomia. I hope that this blog will help people to understand the complexity of Dysautonomia; if they are newly diagnosed or want to help their loved ones understand. I have omitted a lot of medical jargon and used easy to understand language so this can also be accessible to young people.

What is Dysautonomia (DIS AUTO NOMIA)?

The Autonomic System is the system in the body responsible for every automatic thing your body does. It is responsible for the way you breathe, the way your heart beats, the way your blood pumps around your body, the way you digest your food and even the way your contractions work in child birth. The Autonomic System is very important.

So, when your Autonomic System doesn’t work correctly this is known as Dysautonomia. Dys simply means “bad”, “ill” or “abnormal”. Dysautonomia is a general term for any condition that disrupts any aspect of the autonomic system.

What causes Dysautonomia?

This is a complicated question. There are many, many reasons why Dysautonomia occurs. It can be the result of other conditions, for example it is believed that Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (AY-LERZ-DAN-LOSS-SIN-DROME) is responsible for Dysautonomia in some patients but that hasn’t been officially confirmed. It can be induced in pregnancy, can be inherited or can occur when the autonomic system has been damaged. Even being deficient in certain vitamins can trigger Dysautonomia.

How does Dysautonomia affect people?

Depending on the type of Dysautonomia you have, the symptoms vary. One of the most common types of Dysautonomia is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. That’s a mouthful, right? Most people just call it POTS for short.

POTS basically means that when you are in an upright position your heart beats faster than it should (at least 30 beats faster than when a person is lying down or sitting). This can make people feel very ill. POTS can cause people to faint when they’re upright or exercising, they can also get very bad headaches, have chronic fatigue (being tired all the time) or find it difficult to sleep. A big sign of POTS is red or blue coloured skin in the legs and feet when they’re standing or sitting. This shows that their blood is having trouble pumping around their body and is gathering in the legs and feet. This is often the reason why people get dizzy and faint.

Another common type of Dysautonomia is Orthostatic Intolerance (OI).  OI means in the simplest term that your body does not like being upright. Almost like you’re allergic to standing up. Some people with POTS also have OI. The symptoms of OI include palpitations (your heart pounding very hard), light-headedness, chest pain, trouble breathing, nausea, brain fog (trouble thinking or speaking coherently) and fainting.

Exercise, heat, alcohol or even eating a large meal can bring on symptoms of these conditions.

Other types of Dysautonomia include Vasovagal Syncope and Neurocardiogenic Sycope (NCS). These conditions also display similar symptoms.

How is Dysautonomia diagnosed?

If you’re experiencing symptoms of Dysautonomia, the first port of call is to discuss your symptoms with your doctor. Unfortunately, medical professionals fob off quite a lot of people. Patients are told they just need to get more sleep or exercise more.

If you do think you may have Dysautonomia, do suggest the possibility to your doctor. Like any other human, they won’t be able to remember everything they learned in college. You may just see a light bulb going off, and find that your doctor is suddenly able to help. Once a doctor focuses on the possibility, they should take a detailed medical history and perform a careful physical exam.

If your doctor is unwilling to take the possibility of Dysautonomia seriously, consider seeing another doctor. Patients lucky enough to be taken seriously by their family doctors are likely to be referred to a specialist.

The type of specialist you will be referred to usually depend on the predominant symptom they are experiencing. The specialist will then decide on what tests you need and then come up with a plan to help you treat and manage your symptoms.

Can you tell someone has Dysautonomia just by looking at them?

No. Dysautonomia is considered to be an invisible condition. Even though you can’t see it, it still exists. It is a disability and should be treated like any other visible disability. To a trained eye, Dysautonomic signs can be spotted like the pooling in the legs and feet like we discussed earlier.

Can Dysautonomia kill people?

Generally? No. There is a type of Dysautonomia called Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) that is fatal. It has symptoms vey similar to Parkinson’s disease, but has quicker progression. People with MSA are rare and the condition usually occurs in adults over the age of 40. The cause of MSA is unknown, and no cure or treatment slows the disease.

But generally, unless you fainted and hit your head or fell from a height, you won’t die from your symptoms. However, many people have a very poor quality of life due to the severity of their condition.

What treatments are available for people with Dysautonomia?

Luckily, most people can manage their symptoms with prescription medications given by their doctor.  A common medicine known as a vasoconstrictor can stop the heart beating too fast and the blood pressure dropping too low. While these medications can help relieve the symptoms of the heart problems, it does not solve the underlying issue causing Dysautonomia. Sometimes medications can make things worse or cause new symptoms.

Dysautonomia is generally considered a progressive disease, which means it gets worse over time. When the Autonomic Nervous System becomes unregulated it can begin causing damage to the organs. For example, some people suffer from a condition called Gastroparesis (GAS-TRO-PAR-EE-SISS). This causes the stomach and intestines to become paralysed. This means food often sits in the stomach and digestive system for too long. This means that people with the condition can be very ill. Some of them even need to be fed with a tube. This is why early diagnosis is important.

Treating Dysautonomic symptoms can be very tricky because there can be a huge range of symptoms. Some people will have to take different types of medications to treat all the different symptoms.

Luckily, there are some new treatments becoming available but they can be difficult to access, especially in Ireland where there are no Dysautonomia specific specialists or clinics.

I know someone with Dysautonomia who uses a wheelchair. Do all people with Dysautonomia need wheelchairs?

No. Not everyone who suffers from Dysautonomia needs to use a wheelchair. Some people have symptoms so bad that they need to use the wheelchair for their own safety just in case they faint and hurt themselves. Other people use wheelchairs sometimes when they are having a bad day with their symptoms. Some people with Dysautonomia have other conditions like EDS which means they have even more trouble with their body like chronic pain (pain all the time) or they are susceptible to dislocations (their joints pop out of their sockets). They may need the wheelchair to get around.

Some people don’t use wheelchairs at all; they may use a stick or not use anything at all. It varies from person to person.

Can you catch Dysautonomia?

No.  Dysautonomia is not contagious. If you know somebody with Dysautonomia, don’t be afraid, you’re not going to catch anything from him or her. So, if you’re avoiding someone with a type of Dysautonomia, go make friends with him or her.

How can I help someone with Dysautonomia?

Be there to listen if they want to talk about it. Some people are afraid to tell you how they feel because they think friends and family don’t want to hear them complain. Ask them how they are and if you can do anything to help them. Doing shopping or household chores can be a huge help and it would be most appreciated. If you’re friend or family member has Dysautonomia and can’t access appropriate treatment like here in Ireland, write to your local representatives to tell them about Dysautonomia and the lack of care that is available. Help raise awareness in the public by sharing articles or pictures about Dysautonomia. Dysautonomic conditions are incredibly under diagnosed and many of the tests needed to diagnose some of the conditions are not available here in Ireland.

If someone with a type of Dysautonomia that makes them faint collapses in front of you:

– position them on their back. If the person is breathing restore blood flow to the brain by raising their legs above the heart level. Loosen anything they are wearing that might be tight or restrictive. Usually someone with a fainting disorder will come to without any further problems. Give them a glass of water and when they’re ready, help them up slowly. If they are not ready to get up, sit or lie down with them.

It can be embarrassing to faint sometimes so it’s nice to have someone lie down and chat with you to make you feel better. Fainting can be very disorientating and the person may also be sore so let them rest. If you’re worried that they may have broken something or banged their head hard, take them to the hospital or out of hours doctor to get checked out.  If the person does not come to, starts seizing or stops breathing call 999 or 112.-

Well, I hope that I’ve explained Dysautonomia in an accessible way and that it is worthy of a share.
 
You can find more of my blogs on my own website, The Zebra Mom  You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat (evienevin87).

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Thanks so very much to Evie from The Zebra Mom for doing a Saturday Submissions blog for us and a very appropriate post it is too. Do you have any further questions in relation to Dysautonomia for Evie or myself? Please leave a comment below and tell us what you think!

——— Wanna Be Part of Saturday Submissions?———-

All you have to do is tell us a little about yourself and write a blog post in relation to your chronic illness, all welcome!

You can include photos (preferably your own, if found online be sure to add links to where you found them)

Be sure to add links to your social media accounts so people can link back to you OR You can write it anonymously if you like 🙂

You can send your submissions to: irishpotsies@gmail.com

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Saturday Submissions – Switching Up My Life: How Gaming Helps Me Cope With Disability

Today’s ‘Saturday Submissions‘ guest post comes from the lovely Melissa over on the blog ‘AutisticZebra‘

You can also find her over on Twitter by the handle @TheAutisticZebra

Here, in the very first of our ‘Saturday Submissions‘, Melissa speaks about how Gaming has helped her to cope with her Chronic illness. If anyone knows me, they’ll know how much I love gaming, especially Nintendo, so I am quite jealous as well as being delighted for her with what she just picked up for herself and this post seems very appropriate to be the first of the Saturday Submissions!

Please enjoy and if you would like to take part in Saturday Submissions, please see below the post for further info.

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Switching Up My Life: How Gaming Helps Me Cope With Disability

“I turn forty next week. And as an early birthday present, I have just bought myself a Nintendo Switch. I will, of course, share it with the kids, but even if I didn’t have any kids, I’d have bought it. I never thought I’d get into gaming in my thirties, but here I am.

The Nintendo Switch box, plus The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild game.

I was never that into gaming as a child. We didn’t have a console and had limited access to games. The only game my dad ever bought us was a PC chess game. Somehow we ended up with two other games, Prince of Persia and one I think was called Leisuresuit Larry in the Land of The Lounge Lizards! Oh, and Tetris. And Solitare. So, a deprived childhood.

Original Donkey Kong Game

On the odd occasion that I’d be visiting a house where video games were played, I’d do my best to join in. This was how I got to experience Donkey Kong and a few racing games. And I did terribly. I could not understand the rules or controls or stand not doing that well. And being teased about it. And yet, I loved watching the others play. I admired the graphics and everything else that went into the games. I just thought they weren’t for me.

Nintendo Wii

And then, in 2011, when I was the grand old age of 34, my son won a Nintendo Wii in the school Christmas raffle. He was four, and as he has since proclaimed: “that day changed my life forever”. He’s not the only one. We have since moved on to the Wii U, as well as two 3DS handheld consoles, and a laptop bought just for gaming.

Playing Life in Hard Mode!

The arrival of video games into my life happened to coincide with when my health started to go seriously downhill. And I discovered that video games are the perfect accompaniment to days spent unable to get off the sofa. They provide the ultimate distraction. On days that I can’t physically play them, I watch the kids play them and that helps with the pain as well.  They help keep my brain sharp. They are a fantastic way to bond with the kids, to enter their world. Especially as both my kids are completely obsessed about video games and hardly talk about anything else. It’s a real advantage to know what they are talking about.

Original Nintendo Consoles With Games

And so, to put it mildly, I am hooked. I told my kids that my ultimate life goal is to play every game that Nintendo has ever released. They laughed and said it’s an impossible goal. I say nothing is impossible, and at least it gives me something to aim for!

Nintendo Switch Logo

And so, this morning, I picked up the just-released Nintendo Switch. To say I’m excited would be an understatement. I actually feel happy, rejuvenated, really alive. My pain has melted into the background as the excitement and adrenaline is kicking in. And as I wait here for the kids to get home from school so we can have a great Unboxing Ceremony, I can’t help reflecting on how gaming has allowed me to cope so much better with being disabled. And I’m sure I’m not the only one!”

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Thanks so very much to Melissa from The Autistic Zebra for giving us our first post for our Saturday Submissions guest blog post.

How do you distract yourself from your chronic illness? What hobbies and pass-times do you enjoy? Are you a gamer too?
Please leave a comment of advice or help for Melissa and others in your situation. Share your thoughts on how to take your mind off your illness.

Be sure to check out Melissa’s links above and show her some support 🙂

————- Wanna Be Part of Saturday Submissions? ————-

All you have to do is tell us a little about yourself and write a blog post in relation to your chronic illness, all welcome!

You can include photos (preferably your own, if found online be sure to add links to where you found them)

Be sure to add links to your social media accounts so people can link back to you OR You can write it anonymously if you like
🙂

You can send your submissions to: irishpotsies@gmail.com

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David Bowie Tribute Gig

Thanks to John Steele and all involved for organising this years David Bowie Tribute Gig as a fundraising gig for both myself and Zondra Meaney (She is also from Limerick and also has Dysautonomia, EDS, and many serious secondary conditions) with all proceeds going towards each of our respectful Medical Funds.

It is on Friday the 10th of February in Dolans Wearhouse Limerick. Tickets are only €10 and can be purchased HERE, Last year this Bowie Gig sold out fast so be sure to get your Tickets early!

It has an excellent line up of local talent including: Falldogs, Shardbourne, Eammon Hehir, Parliament Square, Theme Tune Boy, Siobhan O’Brien, Ronan Mitchell (Foxjaw) The Alvin Purple Experience and The Brad Pitt Light Orchestra, to name just a few!

To raise extra funds there are also beautiful posters designed by Ken Coleman especially for this night, They are size A3 on a matt card finish at a price of €20 each, there are only 50 made and a lot of them have been taken already so to be in with a chance to get yours put your name down HERE asap.

If you cant make the night but would perhaps like to find out more or donate to the funds separately you can do so at the links below:

Lette Moloney’s Go Fund Me

Zondra Meaney’s Go Fund Me

Alternatively, sharing this blog post to your friends would be hugely appreciated.

Thank you all and again to all involved,

Lette 🙂

Ambulance Time Once Again!

On August tenth we had to call an ambulance yet again!
I had been in bed for weeks at that stage nursing a savage pain on the right side of my abdomen. This wasn’t the first time it has happened, and probably wont be the last! It got to a stage where I was trying to manage the pain myself at home, trying to avoid going into hospital, but I had to face facts and call it as it got too bad to manage on our own this time.

The Ambulance arrived promptly and began to tend to me. They were a crew of two, Male and female, and were excellent. Friendly, Professional, funny easing the mood when needed and seemed to take a genuine interest in what both Keith and I had to say and contribute.

Unlike the last few ambulance calls, this visit from them wasn’t rushed. It was calm, sedate and gave us time to properly prepare to go into A&E. While they took their time trying to locate a vein on my foot, Keith ran upstairs to the computer, got ready and printed off an A4 sheet with simple information on it about me and my condition, highlighting the main issues I present with, medication I am on and what would be needed when first admitted like fluids, Pain control and Catheterisation, etc.

The reason for this sheet was because through previous experience we have found to be constantly repeating ourselves while giving out my information to different people and yet only parts of the overall story get heard by all different people and nobody has the full story! This time we  said we would try getting this sheet in as a common denominator of information in my files so that everyone will be literally be on the same page regarding my care and see what happens. It was worth a try at least.

After getting a vein in my foot and administering some morphine for pain relief, we were eventually ready to go to the hospital and the ambulance crew were brilliant with everything as well as taking on the information sheet, which they said they thought it was a fantastic idea and wished more people were that organised!

We quickly made it to the hospital, after getting more Morphine on the Ambulance, I was brought straight into the A&E main area, Thankfully I wasn’t rushed into Resus at any stage this time, it was calm and sedate and a far better visit this time round.

I was delighted to hear back from the Female paramedic that she passed on the sheet Keith had given her, to the triage nurse and that the nurse also commented on what a good idea it was to have all the main things highlighted on one page where everyone can see it. She said she would put it in my file so that all the doctors would see it too. So far so good for our little A4 sheet!

While waiting around for a short while, waiting on the triage nurse to find a place to put me as it was busy in A&E that day, The Paramedics were chatting to me and told me they knew some student and new paramedics who were doing papers based on me for some exam that was due the next week! Morto! I found it funny that they would pick me based on my rare or under diagnosed EDS condition or as I like to call it, ‘my awkwardness!’ :p

I once again had terrible trouble getting veins in me, doctor after nurse after doctor tried and failed and it started getting really sore. The vein the Ambulance crew had gotten was already failing just a few hours after it was put in, my foot swelled up  and they were worried as they really wanted to administer fluids and iv meds so they wanted a vein soon. Throughout the following week while in the hospital, this continued. a vein would be gotten and it would fail almost immediately until in the end the anaesthetics team had to be called and they had no trouble getting a vein and thankfully now a note has been put in my file to say that only anaesthetics are to place a cannula on me and no one else, so hopefully all the prodding and poking will come to an end now.

After spending no more 24hours in A&E this time around, I was admitted to the surgical ward. While in the A&E I had all the usual tests, xrays, scopes, exams, the usual trouble of about 50 different doctors trying to get a vein after a brief moment of being cocky and saying something like, “Oh I’m good at this, don’t you worry”, or,”Oh really? Bad veins, huh? well, I like a challenge!” and then just end up being unsuccessful anyway! That always provides me with a giggle especially towards the cocky ones who think I wont post a problem, cha! Say that to me after 20 mins of trying hopelessly! :p Being admitted after 24hours was quick though, considering that I have often had to wait over 46hours before.

I always like being admitted to the surgical ward. Not only does everything seem to be more up to date and cleaner, but Compared to the medical wards, The mood on the ward is generally brighter both from the staff and the patients. The Nurses seem to genuinely care, are not as dismissive as others I have encountered on the medical wards. They get upset when you get upset, they don’t like to see you in pain or discomfort and as much as they are able, they won’t keep you in pain for long and will treat you asap when they are asked to, a lot of the time, they don’t even need to be asked, they will notice themselves and will get you what you need to help ease your discomfort. Also, the electric beds are well cool! :p

I saw My Surgical team the next morning bright and early and they took the situation serious when they saw I had lost over 3.5 stone with the nausea, vomiting and general pain and discomfort I have been having with my gut issues.

As well  as my pain team to cover my Occipital and Sacroilliac joint Nerve Blocks which were due once again, They called in a dietician, a tissue viability nurse to talk about any difficulties I may be having with the chair, thankfully theres nothing serious going on there but she wanted to refer me to a Dermatologist for a small bit of irritation caused by the chair that was easily sorted with some long term antibiotics (starting with an 8 week course and if it needs to continue after that it could go up to 16 weeks), will just have to wait and see how it works. Then they wanted to get a serious OT assessment for me as my own local OT never properly assessed me for manual chair or a bed, given my situation, these are the two basic things my surgical team wanted to be covered while I was admitted.

The Dietician was concerned for my weight loss compared to my height and prescribed a high fiber, high calorie diet as well as Fortisip Calorie drinks to take twice a day along with my usual daily food intake to help at least maintain my current weight if not try to increase it. Sshe also prescribed a new tummy med to take with the other ones I am on to try and help with the nausea and vomiting as well as to try and increase appetite. So I have now started these and I was thinking of doing quick video reviews of the different drink flavours on offer, if you are interested that is! Let me know and I will do it if you like 🙂

Throughout there was non stop testing to find out what was causing the pain in the right side. Xrays, Ultrasounds, CAT and MRI scans, Scopes, blood tests, you name it, it was done.

In the Ultrasound Room!

One outcome is that they have ruled out any Gallbladder issues. There definitely seems to be Sphincter of Oddi, Severe Gut Dysmotility and Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction problems, as well as a large and painful Lymph node on the inside of my right hip which is causing a lot of pain too and is currently under investigation, all these are contributing to the pain as well as the Ehlers Danlos Pain itself, but they have ruled out Gallbladder and Appendix issues, which is good!

I had 2 major cardiac events while I was in, though I had been battling low Bp all week, these events were the opposite, they came out of nowhere in the middle of the night, they were raging high bp and very fast heartrate, the ecg showed some abnormalities but thankfully they didn’t stay long (about 2 or 3 hours) and after they administered some medication to lower my bp and hr, I seemed to return to my regular low bp self, they were scary though as the pain in my chest when it happened was frightening and I was soaked through with a tempreture. The nurses seemed concerned as Long story  events came out of nowhere. Thankfully though after a few hours I returned to normal and could get some sleep.

Long story short, I got to see everyone that was called for me except OT. The final team was the pain team with the good professor who loves to give injections and this time was no different! He administered my usual Occipital and Sacroiliac joint nerve blocks under ultrasound which he did at my ward bed, he had a little portable ultrasound machine or at least that’s what it looked like and he went for it there and then. The pain team in conjunction with the anestetic team said that I may have chronic piritonitis ( information or even tearing of the abdominal lining that holds your organs) this is still being investigated and will continue as an outpatient appointment along with all the other teams I had to meet while I was in.

The surgical team try everything they can and they are so good to want to learn but they still are not sure exactly what is causing the severe pain and weight loss. I had mentioned to them about a Gastroenterologist specialist in Cork university hospital who is very well up on EDS and speaks regularly as well as trained under Prof Aziz over in London whom I hope to see as soon as i am able to travel. They said go to see him, just to see if he can help and my surgical team said they would be delighted to consult with both him and Aziz going forward as they are of the mind that more on the overall team to help me then the better!

In the meantime my team wanted to bring my case up at an EGM (emergency general meeting) where the head consultants and specialists of a department get together and discus special cases at a count table meeting so that other people’s views and suggestions can be taken on board, then once they have news they  will call me for a new outpatient appointment or send me for further tests if required.

 Unfortunately the OT never turned up and there were questions as to wether she would turn up anyway as she usually only sees Stroke and Neurology patients so my surgical team along with the head nurse on the ward rang her boss as well as had to write a letter in order to argue the case as to why they felt I was a special enough case for her to make an exception and come and see me, alas I was left waiting all over the weekend just to see her and she never turned up so my team decided to send me home at this stage with some new meds and a ton of outpatient appointments and they would follow up with her to get me a much needed appointment as my local OT isn’t really doing what she is supposed to do. 

In the meantime I have made a new appointment to see that Gastro specialist in Cork, his name is Akbar and I have heard great things so I really hope he can help. That appointment is on the 20th of this month (September) and of course I’ll fill you in on how that and any subsequent appointments go.

For now, I’ll just chill and try to recover 🙂

Thank you as always for taking the time to read.

Lette ( the fainting goat!)

Finalist of The Littlewoods Ireland Blog Awards 2016

I am delighted and so proud to announce that I just found out that The Irish Dysautonomia Awareness Blog here has made it as a Finalist in The Littlewoods Ireland Blog Awards 2016 under the Health & Wellbeing Category! 😀

I never imagined we would even make it to the Shortlist when we did, but to make it as a Finalist? I can’t tell you how excited I am about this, and I have YOU, yes, all of you reading this, to Thank for making it this far.

This Blog is all about raising awareness of these under diagnosed conditions, and having people check out the blog for judging means that even just a few fresh eyes will see the blog and may learn something new that day about a condition they may have never heard of before, if that alone is all that is achieved from this then I am absolutely thrilled. I can’t believe we have made it this far, I am so happy! 😀

Thank you all!! ❤

From here, this Finalist List will now be judged by a panel of Pro Judges (Those who know the industry well) and no open voting this time. That final list then will be the ones that go through to the awards to possibly win.

I am utterly thrilled we have come this far and even if we don’t go any further, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome so far. 🙂

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to extend a massive congrats to Catherine Colbert of The Cripple Baby Blog, she also made it as a finalist and Blogs in the same category about Dysautonomia and related issues too! Nice one Lady! 😀

And of course, congrats to everyone who has made it this far in the Awards!

Once more, I can’t thank you all enough for your votes and support, fingers crossed this may go further, but if not, I think we did good! 😉

Cheers, I’ll keep you all updated as I find out more, Thank you so much for reading,

Lette (Fainting Goat)

Shortlisted? – Was Not Expecting That!

WOW!! So in the last week a lot has happened.

I was admitted to hospital on Wednesday the 10th after a few weeks in bed, nursing a savage pain in the right side of my Abdominal area. I was released yesterday after a really productive week in! I will do a separate blog post highlighting what happened, but this post is about something most unexpected to me! 😀

I am delighted to announce that on Tuesday the 16th of August, I got an email to say that Irish Dysautonomia Awareness, had made it through to the Shortlist of the Littlewoods Ireland Blog Awards 2016! 😀 YEAY!

Public Vote:

So now the voting begins and this is where I beg for your votes! –  Well it begun on the 17th and runs until the 23rd but I have missed out on a few days because of the hospital stay.

The public vote opens at the Shortlist stage, and accounts for 20% of your mark (80% comes from peer judging).

If you would be ever so kind as to click on the image below and hit the Vote Button, just be aware It will open in a new window or tab. I would be eternally grateful! 😀 It will ask to verify your vote with giving an email or signing in with Facebook, this only takes a few seconds, so thank you so much in advance.

Please Click Through Here To Vote

Remember, this is not about winning, and completely without trying to sound humble I don’t expect to get anywhere further, but to raise awareness of this condition through opening this blog up to even just a few more people, would be fantastic for all of us. Thank you!

Lette – Fainting Goat =)

Made The Longlist of The Irish Blog Awards 2016!

 

WOO!! So not only did the Blog make the long list finalists for Best Health and Lifestyle Blog in The Irish Blog Awards 2016, but also one of my blog posts, ‘The Good, The Bad and the Emergency‘, made it onto the the long list for Best Blog Post!!

I am delighted and I have you all to thank for adding your entries for the blog! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it 🙂 From here on, as far as I know, The blogs will now be judged by a panel and then those who make it onto the shortlist may need to get votes for the remainder of the judging so if I ever even make it that far, I may be back to ask for some votes! :p

For now, Thank You all once again and I will keep you posted on how everything goes 🙂 ❤

Lette (Fainting Goat)