Standing Against the Fall

My symptoms began when I was a young teen—dizziness, racing heart, weakness that didn’t feel normal. That was the start of endless doctor’s appointments, years of confusion, and a decade without answers. I learned early how to hide what was happening inside my body. I’d grip countertops when no one was looking just to steady myself, pretending I was fine while my vision blurred and my legs went weak.

Eventually, after nearly ten years, I finally got a diagnosis: POTS. It explained the fainting episodes, shaking, crushing fatigue, and the way my body felt like it was fighting itself every day. But the label didn’t magically fix anything. New challenges came: cardiac issues, vascular compression, a stent, constant pain, migraines, and symptoms that changed by the day.

POTS became a hidden disability. On the outside, I looked “normal.” On the inside, I was battling dizziness, nausea, heart palpitations, sensory overload, and exhaustion that hit like a wall. I lost weight, struggled to eat, and felt like my body was slipping out of my control.

But this isn’t just a story of suffering. It’s a story of surviving. For the first time in a long time, I’m healing. I’m gaining back weight, finding treatments that actually help, and learning how to live in a body that once felt like it was failing me.

My journey has been long and painful, but it’s also proof that answers come, strength grows, and hope returns. I’m still fighting, but I’m rising stronger than ever.