My Vintage Tea Party
Ramblings and Reviews From a Lover of Tea and All Things Vintage
Hi everybody! I slacked a bit last month and didn't get around to doing any posts....grad school is evil that way. I am currently sipping Countess Grey tea from Fortum and Mason, and it is quite lovely on this unseasonably cool day. Apologies to those who won't find this interesting or relevant, but I would like to update you all on something more personal. I know I had mentioned a few months ago a very small bit about some health problems I've been having (I think I wrote about them back when they thought removing my gallbladder would solve things, but alas it did not). Basically, for over two years I have been in and out of doctors' offices and getting every test you could imagine, and many that I'd rather not talk about, trying to figure out why on earth I was always tired and nauseated and why eating made it infinitely worse. Of course, my gastro doc had decided it was still acid reflux (even though it was not being controlled with acid reducing medications) and "functional dyspepsia." Right. Well, me being the type who is absolutely not satisfied with "IDK" diagnoses, I insisted something else was going on. Long story short, after visits with an array of GPs, a neurologist, and a cardiologist, I was FINALLY diagnosed with something: POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.
For those of you unfamiliar with it, it is what is called a dysautonomia disorder. In the most basic of terms, my autonomic nervous system does not work properly. My dysautonomia doctor phrases it: "you're just wired funny." The autonomic nervous system controls everything we don't think about; heartbeat, blood pressure, digestion, and so on, so when the system doesn't work right, people like me suffer for it. We experience a rapid increase in heart rate upon standing, persistent nausea, trouble digesting, sleep disorders, crazy blood pressure, heat intolerance, fatigue, brain fog...and that's just a few of things. Treatment will involve greatly increasing my water intake, not overdoing it physically, and dietary changes. For me, that meant cutting gluten, increasing my salt intake, decreasing carb, sugar, and caffeine intake, avoiding overly-processed foods, and all of that good stuff. Progress is slow, but I am just thankful to have some kind of answer other than "functional dyspepsia." I couldn't have made it through all of these doctors' appointments, tests, and downright depression over not being able to get answers without the love and support of my family and boyfriend. Really, though. Sometimes I think Stephen is my guardian angel. But anyway! Next Thursday I will be traveling to Boston again, and we have at least two tea room visits planned, so stay tuned!! My next update is going to be a good one :D Thanks for bearing with me through the personal nonsense, but I feel like it needed to be said.
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About Me
Greetings, readers! My name is Jordie, and I am a tea obsessed, history loving young lady who just happened to be born about 60 years too late. Archives
February 2017
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