It is not news that Rogers faints; everyone knows that about him, and it is a thing. The first incident of what was going to be a life-long occurrence happened nearly five years ago. It was a bright morning, and he was in the best of his moods. He was taking a shower when he started to feel a bit unstable. He did not give much thought to it until suddenly, he realized that he was about to faint. It was a rather alarming moment. Before Roger knew it, he passed out.
Since he was alone, nobody came to his rescue. Some few moments later, he self-resuscitated. It was a new experience for him. Rogers put the incident to having a skin-blisteringly hot shower after not eating for a day because of a stomach bug. It probably was not an excellent idea as he had assumed. Eventually, he forgot all about it after finding a meaningful explanation for it.
However, three months later, he had another fainting episode. This time around, it got him at a terrible time. Not only was Rogers out of the house, but he was also far away from home. He was an outdoors person who loved being fit. So, on this fateful day, he went for a hike. Rogers was only halfway through his eight-mile walk when he fainted. If you ever plan on going for this type of exercise, please, make sure you do not have to walk an additional four miles to the nearest train station afterward. As for Rogers, that was what happened to him. He made it to the train station only by determination, perseverance, and sheer luck. He felt as if his entire body was on fire with the exertion of the walk and the sun.
Nonetheless, the incident was not enough to get him desperately worried. With a tidbit of concern, he went to the hospital for a checkup. He believed that through that, he would get to the bottom of what was wrong and put an end to it. The doctors wrote out a string of blood tests for him which he did. However, the results all showed that apart from having slightly low levels of iron, he was otherwise fine. Certified fit and agile by the professionals, Rogers felt he had nothing to worry about. He resolved to eat more spinach to get his iron levels up. With that resolution and consequent action, he gave no thought to the episodes again.
Unfortunately, Rogers was only experiencing what turned out to be the appetizer of the meal course; the main dish and desserts were soon on their way. One month later, he had another fainting episode, and then another, and it went on like that. Rogers became somewhat more concerned. Whatever it was, it was getting out of hand to become a major worry. As expected, and the proper thing to do, he went back to the doctors again. To his utmost surprise this time around, he got referred to a cardiologist. That was when Rogers felt the first hint of trouble; something big and unpleasant was probably the root of all his experiences. Nonetheless, he had no idea what it was and also knew that whatever it was, medical science would have a cure for it. Fainting should not be such a big deal with all the sophistication of medicine, or so Rogers thought.
The cardiologist had one goal: to see if anything was wrong with Rogers’ heart. Fainting or “syncope,” as medically called, occurs as a result of a “temporary reduction in blood flow to the brain,” which can happen when the heart beats too fast, too slowly, or does not function as it should. As such, it was imperative to have his heart checked to know if there was any form of malfunction; leaving it unchecked could have fatal consequences. It became an eye-opening session for Rogers.
His heart turned out to be in excellent shape. The observations and checkups could not find anything wrong with Rogers. The heart rhythm was normal, and it optimally performed its functions. However, there was still the hitch of fainting episodes. With the new turn of events, it became baffling why everything could be normal while he continued to faint. Finding the reason became Rogers’ new obsession. If the tests had confirmed that something was amiss, it would have brought peace, and his energy would become channeled to finding a cure. But now, he had nothing but to grasp at straws. Rogers found himself feeling disappointed that his heart was ok. Having something wrong and not knowing the cause was akin to torture. It became a nightmare for Rogers.
He nearly drove himself crazy searching Google for things relating to “fainting,” “syncope,” and other similar terms, all in the bid to find answers. The maze surrounding his condition became more puzzling as the days went by. He read and re-read descriptions of illnesses that were associated with fainting to see if he could identify with any of them. None came too close to home. Rogers regularly diagnosed himself with scary-sounding genetic conditions that were medically impossible for him to have, given that no one else in his family had them. His nightmare was slowly becoming a reality. He found his mornings, afternoons, and nights occupied with the search for answers.
On the other hand, Rogers did not stop going to the hospital. However, the doctors continued to tell him “not to worry” because whatever was responsible for his fainting was not going to kill him. Instead of finding respite in that, it caused him more concern. Not only was it beginning to appear that whatever was wrong was difficult to pinpoint, but he could also sense a long-term condition from the statements. But the last thing on anyone’s mind when you have no idea why you keep finding yourself on the floor, not able to speak or move while complete strangers attempt to fix you up, is not to worry. Worry became Rogers’ constant companion, and it was directed at nothing else but his fainting.
Finally, after nearly four years of hearing, “There is nothing wrong with you,” Rogers began to accept what had always been at the back of his mind for a long time. It was also a consensus among his friends and family members. They suggested that the cause of the fainting episodes was not physical. Instead, they believed it must be a stress reaction. Of course, the hypothesis was not reached without an explanation. The previous year before the fainting episodes began had been a particularly mentally and emotionally stressful period for him. He had lost two family members within months of each other, causing him severe emotional trauma. The incident had left him completely devastated and sometimes still kept him moody and sad. Also, Rogers was not exactly known as a laid-back type. With the two factors coupled together, he believed he had the perfect recipe for what was wrong with him.
During one of his searches for answers on the internet, he discovered that there was a thing called “psychogenic blackouts.” In such a situation, it will appear as if the person has fainted whilst it is actually more than that. The brain “shuts down” as a reaction to too much stress or anxiety. As a result of his findings, Rogers made a private medical appointment with a doctor, a specialist in “syncope of unknown cause.”
His entire thought was that his fainting had roots in psychogenic blackouts. This action was against his nature and principle. Hence, it was a major decision and step for him. Rogers admitted that it was one of the most difficult decisions he had ever made, especially since he began to faint. Eventually, he found himself in the specialist’s office, and he had to take a deep breath before anything else. After regaining control of his nerves, he told the specialist that he believed that he has a psychogenic blackout.
The doctor’s reaction took Rogers by surprise. With an expression that screamed, “You cannot be serious!” the doctor burst out laughing. Rogers became confused. He could not think of any funny thing he had said since he entered the doctor’s office. Did the specialist think it was amusing? A matter that caused him to have pain every day was what the man laughed at. It soon became clear to him why the doctor laughed. It turned out that on average, it took seven years to establish a diagnosis of a psychogenic blackout. One had to make sure that all other possible causes of fainting got ruled out. Aside from that, no one ever readily accepted it as a diagnosis. The specialist confessed that Rogers was the first person with it that he would come across, who would suggest it themselves as a diagnosis. It was a unique and rare happenstance.
Nevertheless, the specialist mentioned PoTS as an alternative diagnosis. That was the first time Rogers would hear something like that. His journey to getting a diagnosis for his condition had been nothing short of informative. He got to know about many conditions with fancy names. He discovered that the autonomic nervous system was always at fault for one who had PoTS.
From the doctor’s explanation, Rogers discovered that PoTs brought about fainting when the blood pressure of the body does not sufficiently increase to match the high rate of the heart. Why the body would go through such an incidence was beyond him. But Rogers also understood that some things simply defied explanation. The specialist advised that Rogers undertook some tests that would help them determine if he had PoTS or not. Knowing how expensive they could be, the doctor kindly advised Rogers to refer himself via the National Health Service (NHS) platform. With that, he would not have to pay for the tests even though he did not have medical insurance. Rogers appreciated the doctor’s kind words; another person would not care.
Eventually, everything was beginning to fall into place. Rogers could, for the first time since his battle with the sophisticated condition, see the glimmer of hope and light beginning to form. As someone who liked to conduct his own investigations, an act he had indulged in many times since he started dealing with the sophisticated condition, he turned to the internet again. His trip to the specialist and the doctor’s statements about PoTS spurred him into action. He researched both PoTS and dysautonomia. His proactive approach opened the door of knowledge for him.
Rogers discovered that PoTS went beyond fainting; it was only one of its numerous signs and symptoms. As a matter of fact, most people with the condition do not even faint at all. It was an eye-opening step for him. He discovered other symptoms such as insomnia, discoloration of the ankles/feet, loss of concentration, body temperature regulation issues, and fatigue. Reading the list of symptoms, Rogers realized that the freaky aspects that he had always accepted as being part of him might actually be signs of a medical condition!
Rogers had always had blotchy lower legs. It was so much that he does not show off his bare legs in public places except during extremely hot weather. Seeing the discoloration of his feet/ankles jolted him to reality. Also, he had always been a picky sleeper. He had issues falling asleep, but once he did, he would stay asleep. Again, once he got cold, getting warm would be a struggle regardless of the uncountable number of layers of clothing he covered himself with. These signs and symptoms jumped out at him as he read on PoTS. Rogers realized that indeed, it went beyond fainting. All these other things had been there all along, staring at him in the face, but he had been paying the price of ignorance.
Nevertheless, his biggest red flags were fatigue and lack of concentration. Rogers had been vaguely aware and suspecting that his fainting and fatigue had a connection. He had noticed that he fainted more when he got fatigued. However, as always, he had assumed that his late nights, chiefly as a result of his reluctance to spend lots of time lying awake in bed, and the long working hours were the culprits. When Rogers got tired, it was not just “tiredness” as it were, he felt completely and utterly exhausted. He would become incapable of doing anything; not even reading a book or watching TV. At least, those activities required little or no energy input from him, but the tiredness made them impossible. He often resorted to simply lying down to get his energy tank filled again before doing any chore around the house.
As for the poor concentration, sometimes also known as brain fog, Rogers had episodes where he could not focus. During those times, figuring out what to do, something as simple as writing an email would become a struggle. It was frustrating! He also remembered instances when he would only be talking without producing any sounds. Not that he lost his speech ability, but he simply could think of the words. Those days were not only frustrating, but they also came with the excruciating pain of loss. Often Rogers would give up trying to say anything at all. They were embarrassing times that left him with a red face. It did not matter if he was among many people or alone. If they would happen, then they did.
The results of the several tests requested by the specialist confirmed one thing for Rogers: he had many episodes of increased and high heart rates. Although they may still be unrelated to PoTS, it was clear that people with the condition have increased heart rate on standing up from a previously reclining position. For Rogers, however, it did not matter whether he was standing or sitting; his heart rate was often high regardless of his position.
One thing Rogers appreciated the specialist for, aside from finding the cause for what had been troubling him for several years, was the way he broke whatever news. The doctor, while being professional, empathized with him, and did not add cause any unnecessary alarm. Rogers believed that his condition could be a result of inappropriate sinus tachycardia, but the specialist knew better. Without dashing Rogers’ hopes, he advised that they should wait for the remaining test result, which was the autonomic function test. It would clear the air about the similarity between inappropriate sinus tachycardia and PoTS.
Nonetheless, the doctor made him understand that he had a chronic condition. There was no cure for it yet as it was a relatively novel area in medical science. He advised Rogers to take more fluid, eat more salt (both of which would keep his blood pressure up), and gradually increase his exercise regimes. Those activities could help alleviate his symptoms. The specialist also told him to cut down on the volume of caffeine he drank each day.
During their discussion, Rogers had been honest about his habits and lifestyle. Although it appeared as a stupid mistake on his part, it was also part of those things that saved him from the gnarled hands of PoTS. According to the doctor, consuming a fairly large amount of coffee and half a liter of diet coke qualified as high caffeine intake and needed to be cut down. Since then, Rogers made sure he increased his daily water intake. Cutting down on caffeine, on the other hand, had been a struggle. No day would pass by without him taking some amount, no matter how small it was. It had become an intimate part of him, but he continued to intensify his daily efforts to curb, and then stop it.
Another area of struggle was the issue of exercise. Anyone with PoTS understands the pain and effort it takes to exercise as any little exertion causes the heartbeat to increase. Rogers was not a stranger to exercises, but with PoTS, the story became different. His numerous attempts to increase his levels and intensity of exercise woefully failed. He had stopped exercising for a long time; hence, his body was relaxed, and getting it to the necessary exercise state was difficult. Therefore, the slightest exercise was hard, causing him much pain. Something as basic as walking up the stair brought him untold problems. That was the vicious circle in which keeping fit operated. Apparently, the key was to gradually increase the amount of exercise he did, and it must be one that did not involve standing; for instance. However, talking about it was harder than getting into action mode.
Sometimes, all we need is a change of approach and lifestyle to get the result we need. You cannot keep using an old method and expect a change. Rogers understood how true and important it was for him to get rid of some habits to start his journey to wellness. As harmless as consuming a large quantity of coffee was, it was one of the aiding tools that promoted Roger’s condition. It was not an easy decision for him to let it go. But he was open-minded, recognizing that his health was more important than the daily volume of caffeine. The same attitude was shown in exercising. It was not easy going to the training pad again, but he would keep working on it. That mindset will go a long way to curb the effects of PoTS.
Also, he was honest enough to admit his weaknesses. As simple as the act appeared, it helped him to find ways to curb them. Although it did not totally stop them. Honesty pays, regardless of the circumstances. Rogers could have withheld information, and by doing that, continue to endanger himself by empowering PoTS symptoms. But by coming clean to the specialist about his history, he knew what danger it posed to him. You should let others know whatever it is you have to tell them to stop PoTS in its track.
The fainting has not stopped, but Rogers was no longer under the strong and unrelenting claws of PoTS. Before now, he used to believe it had gone away after having relief from frequent fainting. But Rogers knows now that no matter how the relief lasts, PoTS is lurking around, waiting for a time he would go slack to rear its ugly head. Although he still had his battles with feeling tired, he believed that by sticking to the specialist’s recommendations, he would live a better life. At the beginning of the year, the fainting episodes had reduced to once a week. With further care of his side, he hoped to further decrease the episodes to occurring once in a while, especially with the way he had turned down the temperature in the shower. On a lighter note, Roger knew that his flatmates finally heaved sighs of relief as they no longer feared getting scalded every time they had to use the shower after him.
Roger knows that regardless of whatever happens in the future, he at least had an inkling of what was wrong and a better idea of how to manage it. And having an idea, after four years of not having a clue, was good enough for him.
