Having POTS is like playing a game of Monopoly, acquiring the rare Boardwalk card would be compared to a symptom free week and drawing the Mediterranean card is like landing in the hospital with some symptom of POTS gone terribly wrong. The pale face players are familiar, they're my POTSy FaceBook friends. Each roll of the dice sends dread to the roller and all those playing. Will it be a good week or bad?
Having POTS and being involved in several support groups on Facebook has connected me with many awesome woman who I've grown to care very deeply for. We share our ups and downs, we share what's working for us and cover one another in prayer when needed. But I have to admit it is difficult at times to watch the lives of these woman go from good months of travel, work and "almost normal" activity to a POTSy crash that lands them in the hospital many times worse than they started. Having POTS is like rolling a dice and not knowing if this is the day that "almost normal" will take a devastating turn to kidney failure, pacemakers or feeding tubes. I worry for my friends, but in the back of my head I'm asking "when will this be me?" There are times when my friends completely disappear off Facebook, and I wonder are they feeling better and enjoying life with no need to check Facebook or are they too sick to post.
I sometimes ask myself if it might be better to quit Facebook so I wouldn't be so affected by how my friends are doing, but then what would I do? Read a book or watch braindead TV? Hummm that's uplifting. These support groups give me the opportunity to uplift others, pray and share my experiences as well as get my questions answered and be uplifted and prayed for when I'm in need. I know worrying about what hasn't happened yet isn't smart and a waste of time and energy. I need to focus on today. Today I have mild to moderate POTS symptoms, my meds work better for me than most and I'm able to work. Today I can uplift others, share and pray.
Some day I'll be able to burn that Obnoxious POTSy Monopoly board, throwing each card labeled with an obnoxious symptom into the roaring flames while doing the happy dance around the flames.
Inspired,
Michele
Matthew 6:34
Do not be anxious for tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own.
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I feel the same way sometime, which is why I take breaks even when I'm feeling good or badly. As much as I love and care... it's also sometimes stressful to take on issues from people that are so much like we're going through and it can really effect me emotionally.
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