How To Create A Dream Team

I have a dream…team that is. A dream team is a team of totally amazing healers, friends, family members, and animals (pets) that rally around you at any given moment to help the healing process move forward. That is the official definition according to me. Maybe someday that will make it into the dictionary? Anyway, my dream team is awesome but it took quite some time to get it just right. I “fired” plenty of doctors, nurse practitioners, alternative healers, and even some friends along the way. The idea is that whoever isn’t supporting you and making you feel loved and important is probably placing an extra burden on you and your healing and they GOTS to go.

I have seen over 25 different medical professionals. Some just weren’t a good fit, some were completely incompetent, and some were not listening to my needs and desires. If you take nothing else away from this post take this advice; DO NOT SETTLE. If you do not like your practitioner find a new one! Any healer in my opinion should make you feel good. They should be knowledgeable, you should feel comfortable telling them exactly what you are in need of at any given moment, and you should have a warm relationship with them. If they disregard what you say, if they are pushy, and if they don’t take time with you get your booty outta there.

The other very important piece of advice about creating a dream team is that it takes more than just one person to heal. Don’t depend on one doctor to give you all of the answers. I think the key is to seek a multi-faceted approach that combines both eastern and western medicine. Each approach has its place and its benefits. Find what works for you! Ayurveda may work for some but not others. Maybe you are more of an acupuncture type of person but you also need a little splash of kinesiology. Do what makes YOU feel good, supported, and well taken care of. For me personally, I feel best when I see a kinesiologist, my primary care physician, and a dietician with occasional chiropractic tune-ups and massages.

Last but not least. Always remember that the #1 person on your dream team is YOU! You know your body best. You know what food makes it feel good and what kind of exercise it likes most. You are the only one that knows when it’s time to rest. Be kind to yourself, be patient, and be your own advocate (or bring another dream team member along who can advocate for you).

So, that is how you create a dream team. I highly recommend having one as it makes everything a little easier and more enjoyable. I think the same concept as raising a child applies to healing a chronic illness, it takes a village. So go out there with your awesome village of awesome people and kick your illness to the curb.

Getting Started, What Is POTS?

Hello everyone! This is my first blog post EVER so feel free to give me pointers along the way. I have so many things to talk about! I think a good place to start is to give a general idea of what postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome or POTS is. Everyone’s experience is different but simply put, POTS involves an increase in heart rate when changing positions like going from laying down to sitting. The not so simple part about POTS is the cause and some of the debilitating symptoms. POTS is a form of dysautonomia. This means that something went wrong with the autonomic portion of the nervous system and it isn’t working just right. When changing positions the body and brain have a sort of miscommunication and the brain thinks that the blood volume is low. To compensate for this the heart speeds up to pump more blood. This results in lots of unpleasant symptoms some of which are fainting, dizziness, extreme fatigue, chest pain, muscle weakness, and lots of generalized pain (not to mention some bad digestive issues). These symptoms can make life very difficult and have had a huge impact on my own life. It took seven very long years to get my diagnosis and I am sure that the healing process will take some time too.

The one thing that is important to remember is that the body wants to heal from illness or trauma. I have done extensive research and have experienced many different forms of healing both Western and Eastern. I have seen more than 25 different doctors/healers (more on that later) and what I have learned from it all is that we just need to get out of the way. Healing is about supporting the body, nurturing it, being in tune with its needs, and not covering up symptoms with a band-aid but getting to the root of the problem. Patience is also key to this process. One of the blessings of having a chronic illness is how well you get to know yourself and your body. I believe that what we put into our bodies in the form of food and drink has giant impact on our well-being and the way that we move our bodies does too. The way we think is crucial to healing as well so keeping it positive but letting our emotions happen is a great thing to strive for! So, on that note, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read. There are lots of topics to cover and there are some wonderful people waiting to guest post so stay tuned! I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes. Have a wonderful week and happy healing!

This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.
-Rumi