My First Post

Hi everyone!!!

I am so excited to be starting my very own blog! The purpose of my blog is to bring awareness to chronic illnesses & those who suffer from them. As my intro states, I am diagnosed with a few illnesses of my own & I would like to teach others about them. I mean - you know awareness is an issue when you tell someone "I have POTS." & they reply with "isn't that illegal?" or even the occasional "can I have some??" I LOL every time this happens! I will also be featuring other spoonies in order to share their stories.

Well here's how my battles with chronic illness started: I was born blind, due to a lack of optic nerve development (nerve that runs from the back of your eye to your brain). I gained some sight around age 1. One of the first things I saw was a butterfly & now I am utterly terrified of the creatures. I had stomach & kidney issues as a young child also. I suffered from cyclical vomiting syndrome (CVS) as well as abdominal migraines (yes that is actually a thing!) between the ages of 3-5... I vomited at least once a day during this time period. Around age 6, my health stabilized & remained fairly good until age 9 when I hit puberty. I began having migraines, shortness of breath, constant fatigue, chest pain, joint pain, dizziness, & a load of other symptoms... Then one day in February of 2014, shortly after a kidney drive removal & gallbladder removal, I woke up with a headache. It lasted 2 weeks before I finally went to the ER, where they treated me horribly (actually the night shift was okay but the day shift was terrible). I had a lumbar puncture, ultrasound, MRI - normal, normal, normal. Then they gave me Haldol. They said it was a "trial medication" for migraines but I later found out it was an ANTIPSYCHOTIC. It made me just that, except without the "anti" part. I thought I was going absolutely insane & no one seemed to care. I was discharged in that condition & haven't went back to that hospital since. Weeks later, I saw 3 different neurologists & I was diagnosed with POTS. I have since started Botox injections for my constant migraine but have had no relief.

Recently, my health has been declining. I have no energy & force myself to go to school everyday. I participated in the spring musical, "Into The Woods" this year, & almost had to drop out, which would've shattered me. I made it through, though & I will keep pushing through all my symptoms. I really hope you guys find that my blog is helpful in living with a chronic illness, & I look forward to hearing from you!

If you have ANY questions, go to that conveniently placed "add comment" button & ask away!

FIGHT LIKE A SPOONIE!

xoxo,
Johna