“Your health is the most important thing in your life, and money can’t buy health. It’s coming to POTS Care that is worth it. I have tried everything else and nothing has worked. I feel like I have hope for the first time. ”
Denise came to POTS Care after suffering for two years, with diagnoses of POTS, Sjogrens Syndrome, and Small Fiber Neuropathy. Denise suffered with extreme fatigue and dizziness, but leaves POTS Care with answers for her symptoms and a solid treatment plan in place.
INTERVIEWER: Can you just talk a little bit about how your illness has affected your life. What are some of your worst symptoms and how does it affect your life?
PATIENT: I went from playing tennis three to four days a week, to having a knee surgery, to not being able to walk around the block and having horrible, horrible dizzy spells. I could not drive so I had to have my son drive me to all my doctors’ appointments. It was the dizziness and fatigue that seemed to hit me the hardest. I also got two frozen shoulders. It made me really nervous to commit myself to anything because even though I wanted to do something, I knew that I could not commit myself, because I never knew how I would feel on a day to day basis.
INTERVIEWER: How long have you been sick?
PATIENT: Two years.
INTERVIEWER: Do you feel that the care you received at POTS Care is different than previous care you received?
PATIENT: Oh, absolutely it is! Just for me being here this week and being with Dr. Driscoll it is like day and night. I felt like before when I was seeing a POTS specialist I was put into a category and was treated like everybody else is being treated. At POTS Care, I feel like she took every little thing about my POTS and broke it down.
INTERVIEWER: I am glad you feel that way. Were we able to find any underlying problems that other people had missed before?
PATIENT: I think we are addressing issues that nobody has addressed before. Dr. Driscoll has found things that nobody has found. Whereas I saw a neurologist, and they just said go on and live your life. Dr. Driscoll is addressing those things.
INTERVIEWER: Do you feel like the things that she presented you with are backed by real science?
PATIENT: Oh, absolutely! I don’t even question that.
INTERVIEWER: Do you feel like you have a better grasp on where we are going from here?
PATIENT: Yes, I have got a grasp and a plan, and I love that. I feel like I have hope for the first time.
INTERVIEWER: Good. We are so glad. What would you say to someone who is unsure about coming to POTS Care and making the financial commitment?
PATIENT: I would say to them that you cannot have a life without your health, and your health is the most important thing in your life, and money can’t buy health. It’s so worth it. I feel very fortunate because we are in a position that we could pay for this, but even if I was not, I would still find a way to pay for it. I have tried everything else and nothing has worked, so if something else would have worked, I would not have needed to come here.
INTERVIEWER: Exactly. Thank you for talking with us today, Denise.
