STREP, MOTHER NATURE DYSAUTONOMIA and GRADUATION Update on Teresa

We just want to say thank you very much for the support you have shown over the past couple of days. We have received so many encouraging messages through your comments and many people have also said they are praying for us. Please keep them coming because we are definitely still not out of the woods just yet.

Teresa is still in a great deal of pain and is very, very week. Plus, Mother Nature decided to throw a proverbial monkey wrench (monthly cycle) into the works, just for good measure. That is always an extremely difficult battle for Teresa, but this month it couldn't have come at a worse time. Needless to say, she is still feeling pretty rotten! However, we are hoping and praying that over the next 24-30 hours, she will begin to feel well enough to at least make an appearance at Morgan's graduation ceremony.

We would be extremely grateful if you would please continue to pray with us as we ask God to help her feel better and give her the strength she needs to make it through the graduation ceremony tomorrow night. If you've ever been to one, you know they can be very long. (Morgan's class is graduating almost 450 students.) It has been very hot and humid here this week which almost always makes Dysautonomia worse for those who have it. All of the above, in addition to recovering from a significant bacterial infection, means it is going to take nothing short of a miracle for Teresa to be able to attend Morgan's graduation. We really need that miracle.

Prayers for that miracle would be appreciated more than you will ever know.

Thanks so much,


David

URGENT UPDATEandPRAYER REQUEST

Image via Wikipedia

Teresa truly needs some extra heavy duty prayer right now. Monday morning she awoke with a severe sore throat, fever, and nausea (worse than normal). Our little digital thermometer showed as high as 104 before the Ibuprofen kicked in enough to bring it down some. She had a miserable night, and today when she woke, her throat showed all the classic telltale signs of Strep. This really exacerbates the symptoms of the Dysautonomia.

She is in a great deal of pain, still spiking a fever when the ibuprofen wears off, and is just downright distraught that she may not be well enough to participate in Morgan's graduation activities this weekend. Please help us pray that she is well enough by Friday to see her daughter walk to receive her Honors Diploma. We've been through so much while getting to this point, she just doesn't want to miss the closing of this chapter in Momo's life.

Thanks so much,

David

SUNDAY CITAR

I'm so glad you stopped by for Sunday Citar! This special meme was created by Tabitha at FRESH MOMMY so we could all link up and share our favorite quotes that inspire and encourage us. It is really fun! Please take a moment to check out her blog to see more wonderful quotes and photos that she and many others are sharing today. Feel free to join us if you'd like!

I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities and to the most special places your heart has ever known.
~Author Unknown

This is dedicated to my daughter, Morgan, who will graduate from high school, with honors, this coming Friday night. We couldn't be more proud of her. If everything goes well, I plan to share more about Morgan and her upcoming graduation later on this week. I am having a really rough patch right now so we shall see.

In the meantime, I hope you all have an amazing week!

Blessings,

Teresa

FRIENDLY FRIDAY #1

As many of you know, 'Friday Follow' ended as of last week. :*( I was a little sad about that because I had made some really great new friends through it even though I was only able to participate for a few weeks. However, three great ladies, Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier, Christi at The Frugal Novice and Charla at Healthy Home Blog, came in to save the day! They created their own blog hop called 'Friendly Friday' so we all could continue to find great new blogs and make new blog friends through 'following' each other!

If you're someone stopping by from Friendly Friday, I'm SO excited that you are here! Please take a moment to check out my menu of links at the top of this page. There is my 'About Me' link where you can get to know me a little better and the 'Must Reads' link where you find out more about my blog. If you like what you see here, I'd be extremely honored if you'd 'Follow Me', 'Subscribe', and/or even hit me up on 'Twitter'. If you do, I will be sure to return the favor. I promise!

If you would like to join in the fun of Friendly Follow, all you have to do is click on the icon above. It will take you to the blog hop. It is lots of fun!

I hope to do Flashback Friday again next week. I just haven't felt well enough to prepare it this week.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I will see you again soon!

Blessings,

Teresa

THANKFUL THURSDAY

These are the things I am so very thankful for today:

1) My Savior, Jesus Christ, who continues to hold me up through all of life's storms and always reminds me that I am His.

2) My amazing, wonderful husband who works so hard to provide for our family and then comes home every evening to take care of me, regardless of how exhausted he may be, and never complains.

3) My 2 youngest daughters who have given so much precious time out of their lives to help care for me, when it is I who should be caring for them. I don't know how I can ever thank them enough.

4) The happiness in my heart that I still have since I was able to see my oldest daughter last week. I have also spoken to her several times on the phone since then. That has really made me happy.

5) All the wonderful, encouraging comments I receive in response to my posts. They make me smile and give me the motivation to write another post.

6) All of my prayer warriors! I truly feel your prayers and they really lift me up, especially during a long, difficult and pain-filled day and/or night.

7) Our sweet neighbor down the street who continues to occasionally bring us dinner. It is such a tremendous blessing to us and helps us out more than she can possible know.

8) For the incredible men and women (and their families) who serve in our military, to help protect each and every one of us from harm and keep our great nation FREE!

9) The upcoming graduation of our middle daughter, Morgan, from high school. I am so proud of the wonderful woman she has become and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for her future!

10) Last but definitely not least, our wonderful, amazing group of friends who have offered to plan, prepare and host Morgan's graduation party so that we can check that off our list and won't have to worry about a thing! This is a HUGE, HUGE blessing for our family and an enormous burden lifted off our shoulders. You guys are AWESOME!



Thanks so much for stopping by. I'd love for you to join us in Thankful Thursday and take a moment to share what YOU are thankful for. Visit Sonya at Becoming a Strong Woman of God as a Wife, Mother and Friend to link up.

Blessings,

Teresa

THE SIMPLE WOMAN'S DAYBOOK Entry #5

Would you like to linger on the simple things? Then join me and many others in taking a little look into the day plans and thoughts of those who are focusing on simplicity...beauty of the 'everyday moments'.

~ The Simple Woman - Created Spring 2008

FOR TODAY - Tuesday, May 18th

Outside my window.....it is partly cloudy, humid and a very warm 76 degrees.

I am thinking.....about how overwhelmed I feel, and have been feeling, especially over the last few weeks. There is SO much 'stuff' that needs to be done, but with all that has been going on in our lives lately, the list just continues to grow. And because I can't help with hardly any of it, it makes me feel completely useless some days.

I am (so very) thankful for....being able to attend the Band Awards Ceremony at school last night! It was very physically challenging and I am REALLY paying for it today, but I'm so glad I made it! Morgan and Rebekah each received several awards and I'm SO very proud of them! Morgan also received the Director's Award; one of the highest honors bestowed upon any band member. She truly deserved that honor and recognition. She has performed in multiple bands and ensembles (Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Honor Band, Solo & Ensemble, etc.) throughout her four years of high school. Plus, she proved to be a wonderful leader as she served as Drum Major for three of those years. She truly dedicated her entire life to band for four solid years! So, her dad and I were so very happy to see her receive the recognition she deserved for ALL the time and hard work she put into it.

From the kitchen.....our pantry and refrigerator are moaning and groaning because they are hungry. :0)

I am wearing.....shorts and a band logo t-shirt.

I am remembering.....that I need to schedule a couple of doctors appointments for me and a sports physical for Rebekah.

I am going.....to take a nap and get some rest as soon as I finish this entry. I am really hurting a lot again today.

I am (still) reading.....'When The Soul Mends' - the third book in the 'Sisters of The Quilt' series by Cindy Woodsmall. I have not been reading much lately.

I am hoping.....that David will be able to get home earlier tonight so, hopefully, we can watch Dancing With The Stars which we had to record last night.

I am praying......that the pain eases soon, that I will stay free from infection and that I will be able to make it through Morgan's graduation next Friday evening (May 28th).

I am hearing.....the garbage truck roaming through the neighborhood, squealing to each of its stops.

Around the house.....there is a big mess where my husband is still working hard on our built-ins to go on either side of the fireplace. I will be SO happy when they are complete!

A few plans for the week....thankfully, no plans for the rest of the week or weekend! That means I'll have someone with me most evenings and this weekend! YAY!

Pondering these words......'If God, like a father, denies us what we want now, it is in order to give us some far better thing later on. The will of God, we can rest assured, is invariably a better thing." ~ Elisabeth Elliot

From my picture journal.....

Morgan at one of her last competitions

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderfully blessed day!

Teresa

If you would like to join in with 'The Simple Woman's Daybook', please feel free to visit Peggy's blog. She is a wonderful hostess and would love to have you stop by.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY, FRIDAY FOLLOW #4 and HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Jonathan and Morgan
Prom 2009

This weekend is Prom weekend for all the high schools in our county. This year, however, my girls will not be going for various reasons. Rebekah is only a sophomore, so she will have a chance her junior and senior year. It just depends on what is going on in her life at the time.

Morgan has definitely never been much for getting all dressed up in 'girlie-girl' stuff. She has always been my tomboy and has loved every single minute of it! Give her a football and a yard full of boys to mow down while she is running with it and she is happy - and pretty darn good at it, too! :0) Originally, she swore she would NEVER, EVER go to the prom but somehow down deep I think she really did want to go....or she at least wanted to appease her mother by doing so.



Last year, Morgan's best friend, Jonathan, was a senior and knew he was going to enlist in the Marines the very day he turned 18. It was something he had always dreamed of doing. That meant he would be heading off for basic training as soon as he graduated. So, after much debate, he and Morgan decided they would go to his senior prom since he wouldn't be here this year to take her to hers. I was SO excited when they announced they would be going!

They looked so amazing. It made me so happy to see the two of them all dressed up and I think they really did have a great time after all.

Silly, as always! :0)

Now Jonathan is almost finished with his training. He is coming home next week for a short visit. He will be here for Morgan graduation and graduation party and then he's off to Camp LeJeune, N.C. for a short time. After that, it is quite possible he will be deployed to Afghanistan in July. We would truly appreciate your prayers for this incredible young man as he goes off to serve our country.

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FRIDAY FOLLOW #4

If you're stopping by from Friday Follow, I'm SO glad you are here! If you like what you see here, I'd be extremely honored if you'd 'Follow Me', 'Subscribe', and/or hit me up on 'Twitter'. I will be sure to return the favor.

If you're not familiar with Friday Follow, it is a blog hop, hosted by One 2 Try and Midday Escapades. It is a way to get more blog 'Followers' and to find and follow other amazing blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun! Just click on the icon below and check it out!

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Last but certainly not least, I would like to take a moment and wish my mom a very, very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you so much, Mama, and hope your day is extra, extra special!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Blessings,

Teresa

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I have SO much to be thankful for but today I want to give thanks to the Lord for the most incredible Mother's Day weekend I've had in quite some time. It was full of lots of good stuff. Not only was I able to spend a wonderful evening with my amazing mom, but I also spent another evening with my three daughters, ALL at the same time! That hasn't happened for Mother's Day in a very, very long time. I received a ton of wonderful goodies, but better yet, we simply had a great time together. I was truly thrilled to be with all three of my girls again. I was also blessed to have my youngest grandson, Mason, here. I wish both of my grandsons could have made it, but, unfortunately, Connor had a bad day at school, so his mommy decided he needed to stay at home with dad. That was a little disappointing because I don't get to see them that often but I still had a wonderful time visiting with Mason. He was a complete mess and kept us laughing the entire time. We took a few pictures that evening and I wanted to share them with you. I hope you enjoy them.....

My girls......Whitney, Morgan and Rebekah

Whitney, Mason, Morgan and Rebekah

Whitney and Mason

Mason checking things out....

Bekah stealin' kisses...

Mason peeking out the window,
Casper making sure he doesn't miss anything.

Time to go home.

If you haven't already, please take a moment to read some of the other Mother's Day posts I've done over the last few days. You can find them here:

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

SUNDAY CITAR: ~ MOTHER'S DAY EDITION ~

FLASHBACK FRIDAY and FRIDAY FOLLOW #3

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'd love for you to join us in Thankful Thursday and take a moment to share what YOU are thankful for. Visit Sonya at Becoming a Strong Woman of God as a Wife, Mother and Friend to link up.

Blessings,

Teresa

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

The following piece was shared with me by a very good friend and I felt compelled to share it with you, especially right here on the heels of Mother's Day. I am dedicating it to my amazing mom and all the other moms out there who have ever felt invisible. I hope it lifts your spirits and makes you feel like the treasured lady you truly are.

It started to happen gradually …

One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?"

"Nobody," he shrugged.

Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh my goodness, nobody?"

I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV down?" Nothing.

Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking.

That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me.

I'm invisible.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going … she's going … she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

• No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
• These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
• They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
• The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."

And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Printed with permission from the website Nicole's Freshly Brewed Life - Excerpted from the book, ''The Invisible Woman: When Only God Sees', by Nicole Johnson.

SUNDAY CITAR:~ MOTHER'S DAY EDITION ~

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY
To My Wonderful Mom
And all the other moms out there!


A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving

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Anyone who doesn't miss the past, never had a mother. ~ Gregory Nunn

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Honor your Father and your Mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. ~ Exodus 20:12

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The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. ~ Honore de Balzac

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My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. ~ Proverbs 6:20-22

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The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

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The most important thing a father can do for his children is love their mother. ~ Theodore M. Hesburgh

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Welcome to Sunday Citar! I'm so glad you stopped by. This quote meme was created by Tabitha at FRESH MOMMY. Please take a moment to check out her blog to see more great inspirational quotes and photos that she and many others are sharing today. Feel free to join us if you'd like!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Blessings,

Teresa

FLASHBACK FRIDAY andFRIDAY FOLLOW #3

Granny Jewell and Mama

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, GRANNY and MAMA!

With Mother's Day coming up this weekend, I thought I'd share this picture of my Grandmother and my Mom taken 2 years ago on Mother's Day. This is the last Mother's Day we were all able to spend together as a family before my grandmother (now 95 years old) fell, fractured her pelvis and eventually ended up having to go live in a skilled nursing facility where she could be properly cared for. The last couple of years have been very hard for my parents and a select few family members who take turns visiting and helping to make sure she is taken care of.

Granny Jewell has always been a very intelligent, dignified and self-reliant woman, who proved all that to be true by living alone more than two decades after my Grandfather died of cancer back in 1986. Needless to say, it has been extremely difficult and sad to watch as her once very beautiful human body has really started to deteriorate, her mind has begun to fade and, bit by bit, she is losing all of her glorious memories she used to enjoy sharing with us each and every time we would see her. I can remember she LOVED to tell us stories about when she was a little girl. Her mind would wander back in time as she would recount how different (and better!) things were back in the day. Oh, how I wish I would have thought to capture those stories, her memories, either in writing or on video. What treasures those would be! I'm not sure that it is completely too late, but it definitely won't be the same quality as when she was well and completely lucid most of the time. My parents say you just never know where her mind is going to be when you visit. Unfortunately, I wouldn't know because I haven't seen her since she moved. I just haven't been well enough. I want to go, I need to go. I just haven't felt well enough to do so. Part of me really just wants to remember her like she used to be but part of me knows that if we should get the call that something has happened, I will never forgive myself for not going. *sigh*

Thankfully, I am very blessed to still have my amazing mom here and close by to me! However, her health is not very good and seems to be progressing in the wrong direction. That really scares me. I can not imagine the day when she is no longer just a phone call away. My mom (and dad) has always been an unshakable anchor for me, no matter how rough the waters have ever become; no matter what kind of mess I've managed to get myself in. She never, ever says no! She only asks when, where and/or how much! Unfortunately, it has only been in just the last few years that I have truly grasped the magnitude of my mother's love for me and just how incredibly smart she really was during all those years when I thought 'I' was the one who had all the answers. I sure wish I had listened to her a long, long time ago. I'm certain it would have saved me a whole lot of pain and heartache. But, as the old sayings go, 'Hindsight is 20/20' and 'We all have to learn from our own mistakes'. Well, let me tell you, I have learned plenty - for me and lots and lots of other folks, too! :o)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a VERY HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

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FRIDAY FOLLOW #3

It's Friday Follow again! I have REALLY enjoyed this blog hope and have met some AMAZING bloggers. Friday Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades. They started this awesome and very popular blog hop as a way to get more blog 'Followers' and to find and follow other interesting blogs. It is all about sharing and having fun! Just click on the icon below and check it out!

FF Sponsored By:

If you're stopping by from Friday Follow, I'm SO glad you are here! Please take a moment to check out my menu of links across the top of this page. There is the 'About Me' link where you can get to know me a little better. There is also the 'Must Reads' link. I have been working on those but I hope you'll take some time to read a few that are already there. If you like what you see here, I'd be extremely honored if you'd 'Follow Me', 'Subscribe', and/or hit me up on 'Twitter'. I will be sure to return the favor.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope to see you again really soon! Have a wonderful Mother's Day.

Blessings,

Teresa

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY

Welcome to Word-Filled Wednesday! As always, the purpose of WFW is to share God's Word (no famous quotes or other literature, only the beautiful Word of our Heavenly Father) through scripture and pictures. The host for this week is Penny at PennyRaine. Please take a few minutes to visit her and be encouraged!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

~ Proverbs 3: 5-6 ~

This is something I'm trying to do more and more every day. I am REALLY struggling right now, even more than usual. I have been experiencing an extreme amount of pain over the last week and have been excessively sleepy. I usually can't sleep much at all, so this is very unusual. I would very much appreciate it if you would please pray for me and my family.

This month is going to be filled with tons of activity due to family birthdays, Mother's Day, End-of-School activities and then the graduation of our middle daughter, Morgan, from high school. I'm really praying that I will be able to attend at least some of these events, most importantly Morgan's graduation at the end of the month.

I hope you're all having a great week. See ya soon!

Blessings,

Teresa

DYSAUTONOMIA: The Story of My Illness - Revised

(I am having a really difficult time right now, so I picked this post that I wrote back in July of 2009 to revise and update for everyone to read again. I'm hoping it will help my newer readers understand my illness a little better and, hopefully, refresh the minds of those who have been following me since the beginning.)

I thought I'd take the time to write a post to try and explain exactly what my illness is and hopefully do it in a manner in which you can understand it better.

In 2007, I was diagnosed with a very rare neurovascular disease that has greatly affected my life and the lives of my family. It is so very rare that most physicians have never even heard of it. However, I was very blessed to be referred to an amazing cardiologist who was very familiar with the disease and recognized the symptoms right away! That is almost never heard of.

The disease I have is called Dysautonomia, or sometimes Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), with Reflex Syncope. It is a disease of the autonomic nervous system. In my case, it causes very frequent syncopal episodes (fainting/unconsciousness). I have had HUNDREDS of syncopal episodes since becoming sick in 2007.

In case you are not familiar, the autonomic nervous system controls the bodily functions you are not consciously aware of like your blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature regulation, perspiration, salivation, urinary and gastrointestinal function, etc. Since my autonomic nervous system is not working properly, it results in a reduction in the ability of my heart and circulatory system to compensate for the changes in posture which causes extreme dizziness and often syncope (fainting) when I stand, especially if I stand suddenly or for more than a few minutes, often just seconds.

When you stand, your body should adjust to the affects of gravity on your body and compensate for that. For some reason, mine does not compensate well. When you stand, the vessels in your legs and abdomen should constrict so that blood and oxygen gets to your heart and brain adequately. For me, when I stand, the vessels, particularly veins, become unnaturally dilated, causing blood to pool (get caught) in my legs and abdomen. Therefore, my heart beats way too fast in an effort to make up for the reduced blood volume transferred by each beat. This quickly results in my blood pressure dropping incredibly low and at that point I usually pass out due to the lack of oxygen to my brain.

Once I am lying on the ground, I eventually regain consciousness when the oxygen becomes adequate again. This can be anywhere from a couple of seconds to 10-15 minutes. Often while I am still unconscious, I will have seizure-like activity such as jerking of my extremities, loud snoring, drooling, sweating and sometimes incontinence. A couple of years ago, I had several tests and was told that it was not epileptic-type seizures and that they did not know what it was. However, later I was told that it is a response due to lack of oxygen to the brain. This is thought to be Reflex Anoxic Seizures or, in other words, seizures caused by lack of oxygen to the brain.

There are TONS of other symptoms that go along with this disease but the situation above is the most major one for me. Some others include :

* Syncope (fainting) or near-syncope
* Falls
* Hypovolemia (dehydration/low blood volume)
* Tachycardia (elevated heart rate)
* Hypotension (Low blood pressure)
* Pain
* Extreme fatigue and weakness
* Delayed gastric emptying
* Nausea/Vomiting
* Diarrhea/Constipation
* Chest pain and palpitations
* Dizziness, lightheadedness, vertigo, disequilibrium
* Migraines
* Loss of temperature regulation - intolerance to heat/cold
* Sleep disorders
* Small Fiber Neuropathy
* Cognitive impairment/brain fog/memory loss
* Fever/Chills/Flushing
* Noise/light sensitivity
* Visual disturbances
* Tremors

It is thought that I have probably had this since childhood but it became active in 2007 after I had myriad medical issues in late 2006 and early 2007. In September 2006, I had multiple treatments for a failed root canal. None of them worked so I ended up having the molar extracted the week before Christmas. The extraction not only dry-socketed but opened a hole into my sinus cavity. This needed to be repaired surgically but it was during Christmas and everyone was on vacation, plus I was scheduled for abdominal surgery in January. In January, I had surgery for endometriosis, bladder sling placement and hernia repair. After recuperating from that, the surgery to repair the hole in my sinus was scheduled for March. I had that surgery and everything went well until I developed Pericarditis (inflammation in the sac that surrounds the heart caused by an infection) in July. From that point on things began to go downhill very quickly. I began to experience all kinds of symptoms as listed above. That is when I was sent to my cardiologist, Dr. Olubi. After the first couple of visits, she started to suspect POTS. She then scheduled me for a Tilt Table Test and the diagnosis was confirmed a few weeks later.

There is no known cure for my illness, all they can do at this time is treat the symptoms. I am currently going back and forth to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment. They are the leading research facility in the world for this disease. I have been three times so far and I am really pleased with the staff there, especially my doctor. However, even with treatment, I am basically home-bound and bed/recliner-ridden as I can't walk very far without the fear of passing out and injuring myself.

In September of 2008, I had a port placed in my chest in order to receive IV fluids on a regular basis. This helps to keep my blood pressure at a more suitable level. The port was truly an answer to prayer because I have really poor veins. However, since having that initial port placed, I have had several severe bacterial infections that either originated in the port or ended up there. Each time, I have developed acute sepsis and spent at least 7-10 days in the hospital. On 2 occasions I have had to have the port removed and be completely free of any infection before they could place a new port. I have written more about this in these posts:

SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED

MY MOST RECENT HOSPITAL STAY

ENDURING SEPSIS with Dysautonomia Part 1 of 2

ENDURING SEPSIS with Dysautonomia Part 2 of 2

I know this is a lot of information and a lot to digest. I am still learning about it and so are the doctors! I do not mind talking about it, so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. My family and I would also really appreciate your prayers. Even though there is no known cure at this time, we know our God is a BIG, BIG God and that through Him, all things are possible!

Philippians 4:13

Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to know you've been here so please leave a comment and let me know! See ya soon!

Blessings,

Teresa

P.S. For more interesting posts about my illness, my MUST READS are a great source of information!