It has been so long since I have been able to blog full-time, but I am so excited to announce that I am jumping back in!
But before I talk about all the exciting changes to come on the blog and what you can expect from me moving forward, let me first catch you up on a few things.
If you have been following my journey, you know that for a long time, I had mysterious episodes where I collapse and have temporary paralysis in my arms and legs followed by seizures. In this post from 2018, I told you about how I had seen a couple of different specialists with conflicting diagnosis’. Since then, I have had additional testing that confirms I do indeed have POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) as a result of having a genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS).
I have also been diagnosed with a couple other things called Gastroparesis, Mast Cell Activation Disorder, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. So while I am still having episodes, I now have a name for what I am going through. With that has also brought the beautiful gift of community.
If you want me to make a post that talks more about my diagnosis’, let me know in the comments below!
There is no cure for my major diagnosis’, (POTS & EDS). Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is considered a degenerative disorder that worsens with age and if I am being honest, in the last year I have seen a major decline and have found myself in much pain as well as my joints dislocating and subluxating more often which has also led to a worsening of my POTS episodes.
While there is no cure, I have been trying a number of different things to manage as best I can. I am currently working on finding the right regiment of medication, lifestyle changes, supplements, physical therapy, IV fluids, and I also eat a strict Paleo diet.
Perhaps the biggest transitions have been receiving my service dog Heidi and becoming an ambulatory wheelchair user. Here is a team photo of us from Easter.
She is simply amazing. The last time I mentioned her, I had just begun raising money to receive a service dog. If you were someone who donated towards her, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I have had her for about a year and a half now. She helps me in many different ways. Her main job is alerting to oncoming POTS episodes. She can sense my blood pressure and heart rate changes and alerts me whenever they are out of my “safety zones”.
She also does a number of mobility tasks for me that include shutting doors, getting me water, bracing for whenever I am too weak to stand up or sit up on my own. She also currently has seven different titles, four of which include trick titles. Additionally, she also does deep pressure therapy whenever I am coming out of an episode (pictured). She has greatly minimized the amount of falls I have had by alerting early enough for me to get somewhere safe to have my episode.
In addition to having Heidi, I have also moved into a wheelchair.
Since changing positions and standing for more than a few minutes (especially in lines) are some of my biggest POTS triggers, my doctor recommended I get a wheelchair. I was honestly SO reluctant to do so, but now I don’t know how I functioned without it. Using my wheelchair has even me the ability to show up and just be without my body overreacting to standing. It has allowed me more independence and I am so thankful for it.
Another big change that happened this year is that I graduated college!
Whoop Whoop! I FINALLY graduated. After I moved off campus in 2018, I switched to taking classes part-time as an online student. Then, in December 2020, I graduated with my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Missions & Evangelism from Southeastern University.
As of right now, I have not made any future academic plans. Though, I am greatly considering going back to school for a master’s degree in counseling or maybe a Master of Divinity. We will see. All I know is that right now, my mission is to equip women with tools and resources to help them deepen their relationship with Jesus and thrive in the midst of their struggles.
Now, about this blog...
As I come back to give my entire effort to this online platform, I am circling in on my goal which is, as I said above, to equip women with resources to help them deepen their relationship with Jesus and navigate difficult circumstances; especially chronic illness.
So along those lines, I will continue to write about faith based topics and am working on creating some Bible studies to release to you all in the near future. But in addition to this, I will also be writing and creating resources around the topic of practical chronic illness management. There might be a few other topics that I include, but I haven’t really figured out those other pieces yet.
In addition to blogging, I am starting a YouTube channel! On the channel, I will be doing Bible Studies and discussions exclusive to that platform all centered around the goal of helping women thrive in faith, life, and chronic illness. I would love for you to check it out and subscribe! Do you need to be a person with chronic illness? Nope! You just need to be a woman who desires to deepen her relationship with the Lord.
For now, that is all the updates I have for you. If you are already a subscriber, I will be popping up in your inbox with weekly updates on blog posts, YouTube videos, and new Bible Studies. I can’t wait to see what all God has in store!
