Jen

My name is Jen, I am 22 years old and I have recently been diagnosed with PoTS!

I am a Spa and Massage Therapist as well as a Makeup Artist, and prior to my diagnosis I was a fit and healthy individual who had just completed a teaching degree to enable me to teach makeup and beauty.

After contracting Covid in February 2022 I began to feel extremely fatigued. Throughout the summer months I began to overheat and have dizzy spells, which at the time I put down to the heatwave we were having in Ireland! On 4th August 2022 I collapsed and hit my head at home causing concussion, this was due to my low blood pressure. As the weeks went by I had more dizzy spells and felt like my heart was constantly racing. After seven hospital visits, multiple fainting episodes, a trip to cardiology with a heart rate of 158 bpm and multiple cardiology tests, in November 2022 I was finally diagnosed with PoTS!

I was prescribed medication but then unfortunately I contracted Covid for a second time which resulted in me being hospitalised over the Christmas week of December 2022. This second infection of Covid has certainly made my PoTS symptoms so much worse. Now, unfortunately I have severe flare ups several times a day but I always try to stay as positive as I can!

I still believe there is some hope for me and if approved, I am going to try IV fluids to see if they will help. I am very lucky to have a good support network of friends and family to help me on my PoTS Journey.

I originally became aware of PoTS through a TikTok video and realised that all my symptoms matched up! So I really want to raise awareness of PoTS by sharing my journey on my Instagram makeup account. Sharing my story with others makes me feel that I am not on my own and I will continue to fight my symptoms because, even though PoTS has limited what I can do, it doesn’t define the bubbly, kind person that I am!