On this day, two years ago, I was diagnosed with a medical syndrome that would completely change my life. I was diagnosed with Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome. It is crazy to think that is has already been two years, I can still remember sitting in Dr. Thompson's examination room and talking with him about how I needed to have surgery to resolve the issue. In two years everything can change, and for me, everything did change.
I had my MALS surgery on November 18, 2010 early in the morning. Three months later I was diagnosed with a neuropathy that covered my entire stomach and then after another three months I graduated from Stephens College. During that six month time period from my surgery to my graduation, I was told I needed to deferr my final semester of school because some of my professors did not think I could handle the school work, my extracurricular activities and still have a healthy recovery from my surgery. I am proud to say I proved them wrong, and just as I did then, I am fighting to make sure my health issues, that I still deal with on a daily basis, no longer have a hold on my life and what activities I do.
Since my MALS surgery, I have been diagnosed with a neuropathy that covers my entire stomach, Vaso Vagal Syndrome and I have had my appendix taken out. It doesn't necessarily seem like a whole lot but it is for a time span of two years. The other thing that I have begun to realize is because of all these health problems I have, my immune system is down. I get sick really easily so I take 7 different vitamins just to help my immune system fight back against the common viruses that go around.
Vaso Vagal Syndrome, as I already explained in a previous post, involves my heart and blood circulation. Eventually a person with vaso vagal syndrome will pass out because of their blood circulation not being what it should be. Many things can set off this syndrome, for me, the biggest one is standing in one spot to long. Basically what happens is my blood does not move through my body as quickly as it should. So it begins to pool in my legs, and the lack of blood going to my brain causes me to pass out. I can stand for about seven and a half minutes without moving and at 10 minutes I will pass out. At seven and a half minutes I start to experience symptoms of vaso vagal syndrome which are nausea, dizzy, hot and clammy. Basically I can tell you that I can going to pass out. I can also pass out when moving from different positions to quickly. So if I have been laying down for more than 15minutes then I have to slowly work to a sitting up position and then slowly stand up. Otherwise my blood pressure drops and I pass out, which I actually experienced this past summer when I woke up late for work, jumped out of bed which caused me to pass out and hit my head on a table which knocked me unconcious for over an hour! How crazy is that? But what can I say...I have skill. :-)
One last thing before I wrap it up for today, I have actually found some local businesses that are willing to sponsor and help me put on a benefit concert here in the Lake area to raise awareness about MALS. I am so excited to finally get started raising awareness about this issue. Hopefully it has a great turnout.
So, like I said, a lot can change in two years and for me and a lot of the other young adults that have faced MALS it has.
Thanks for listening...
