This post is not medical advice. I am simply sharing my story.
I recently purchased this custom medical alert pendant for my POTS and asthma.
If you are wondering WTF is POTS is-it is a type of dysautonomia /orthostatic intolerance. It's a disabling condition where patients can experience rapid heart rate just by sitting or standing up. Patients can also experience brain fog, disorientation, blood pooling/cyanosis, crippling fatigue and loss of consciousness . These are just a few symptoms those suffering from this condition experience.
My case is severe. I can only be upright about an hour a day, but not all at once. I can sit up for maybe 5 minutes if I am lucky, before my heart exceeds 120+ BPM. The longer I am upright the worse the symptoms get and if I do not monitor myself very closely ,I will faint. This is not the only health condition I suffer from that leaves me bed bound.
There are no FDA approved medications for this condition despite it NOT being rare. There are some medications that help some patients but for me I haven't found anything that works long term.
I have had this condition since childhood and it took about 25 years to get a diagnosis-even after multiple fainting episodes . Even with very blotchy blue/purple legs doctors dismissed me every time.I was told I just had "anxiety" (anxiety is a legit health issue but it is not the condition I have). This mis -diagnosis has resulted in a lot of injuries from fainting. If I were diagnosed earlier and treated I likely wouldn't be as severe as I am now.
As with most conditions that primarily effect women, most doctors don't really understand the condition nor do they care how disabling it is. This leaves most patients on their own with little to no treatments that work for them.
A few months ago I decided to get a medical alert wearable in case I lose consciousness or experience pre-syncope symptoms which sometimes leave me so disoriented I cannot communicate or understand what others are trying to communicate with me.
Having this pendant helps me feel a little more secure that if I am found unconscious at least the medics should know what to do . I do not leave my house often due to my many chronic illnesses but it's good to know if I do lose consciousness outside the home, at least those treating me can get info from the pendant. I also included my asthma on the pendant as well in case I am having breathing issues.
This pendant is pretty and the cubic zirconias are quite sparkly. There are also dog tag styles and various other jewelry styles to choose from. Some people prefer bracelets. There are also pieces that are more expensive but are more like traditional jewelry.
I hope you learned a little bit about POTS and I hope this post reaches people whom it can help. I wish I'd thought of medical alert jewelry sooner, but am glad I got this pendant.
鈾ワ笍馃