Supermom Saturday!

Today is one week, exactly, from my first experience with Thrive. One week ago, today, I took my first supplement pill, and ended up making myself breakfast and eating it while standing up in the kitchen!!!

This.

Was.

HUGE!

I normally have breakfast brought to me, most often still in bed. Even when I'm up in the morning before 9am (which happens about once every two months) I don't get my own breakfast because standing is so hard on my system, and my symptoms are at their worst in the morning. Then, the kids watch cartoons while sitting on me while I nap on the couch till almost noon.This pattern had been in effect for over two years, since the summer of 2013, when I had my first major syncope episode (blacking out.)

For SIX of the last seven days: I've been up by 8am, fed myself AND MY KIDS breakfast, done laundry for the first time in over a year (laundry's in the basement; stairs normally=tachycardia), put laundry away, run errands, puttered around the house and stayed awake and active and up ALL DAY!!!

Last Saturday, which started with my eating in the kitchen, ended up being the busiest day I've had in years. Sunday, despite feeling tired from the previous day, I made it to two hours of church (instead of my habitual attendance of half an hour every third to sixth week!) before needing to go home. Monday I was really tired, and my mom helped around the house and took my kids to and from school for me; but I was still up all day. I know from experience that after a day like last Saturday I usually spend at least two days lying down in bed because I simply can't sit up without getting light headed and dizzy; and this week I was able to not only be up, but to be up by eight each day and not nap the morning away!!!

Holy!

Freaking!

COW!!!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I paced myself better. And I began to feel like a person again!

Friday, I slept till noon thanks to my mom telling me I could sleep in. But when I got up, instead of dragging all day because I was just exhausted (and I was) I was able to run errands and get some chores done, help my mom with her computer software, etc!

My life, at the moment, is 1000% better than it was, last week. I have no idea if it'll last, but I'm 100% certain I'm going to keep using it, because it's amazing!!!

Snack Time with my Kids-Yum!!

Today, I went on a walk with my kids in the morning. I haven't done that in over a year and a half! After a day of errands, three different stores (one of which I didn't use the motor cart for the first time in over a year!), lots of driving, the park (again, only been to the park with my kids twice in the last six months!) and being supermom; we finished grocery shopping and I started getting dizzy. It's 4pm, and I've done more today than I normally accomplish in TWO weeks, before getting light headed and dizzy. I'm going to take a nap, instead of making it to my bi-annual women's confrence, because I totally forgot to pace myself today. But I'm ok with that!

My Daughter loving her snack and Mom Time

It's a miracle, and I'm so happy! We came home, tired from shopping, and I pulled the kids up to my room ('cause I'm too tired/dizzy to sit at the table) for a treat we picked up from WinCo. They have these new pumpkin flavored Greek yogurts, with toppings. Can I just say how awesome it is to hear my children "yum-yum-yum"ing over a snack so healthy???

My Son: Making the cutest "mmmm" "oh-mmmm"
 sounds as he enjoys his pumpkin greek yogurt

Today? Fabulous!

And I'm actually excited for tomorrow!

That hasn't happened in years!

See ya 'round!

Crystal

Straight up!

I'm experiencing a miracle!

I saw a post from a friend about an energy/weight loss/vitamin supplement called "Thrive". She was offering free samples. I've been trying it for a week and for the first time in almost three years, I have been able to do a load of laundry each day, drive my kids to school, run errands and FUNCTION; if not on a "normal" level; a whole lot better than I have in YEARS!!! I haven't slept through the morning since I started taking it. I'm up in time to take over from my husband before he goes to work and even on my bad days, I'm quietly puttering or getting things done. Instead of being up for two to three hours (where "up" means sitting on the couch, listlessly watching cartoons with my kids) and then having to lie down for a few hours, before doing the same thing again, I'm a PERSON AGAIN! My kids have, for the FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES, watched less than two or three carton episodes each day!!!

Just now, between paragraphs, I went up the stairs at a "brisk" pace and only realized on my way back down that I wasn't out of breath or light headed! I even ate my breakfast yesterday, STANDING UP, and only realized I felt fine when someone in the house asked if I was OK standing so long. I blinked at them for a moment, as I thought about how long I'd been standing there, before glancing at my feet (which were turning slightly purple) and and realizing that I felt fine, despite the blatant discoloration in my feet!! I just started stupidly for a moment before smiling hugely and beaming at everyone in the room!

The "Thrive" Patch on my ankle

I have no idea if it will last! The Thrive supplement has caffeine in it, which is hit and miss for folks with dysautonomic disorders, and a complete NO-GO for certain types of POTS patients. However, it's an actual method of treatment for hypotension disorders, which is one of the two dysautonomic conditions I have, POTS being the second. I don't know if it will eventually cause more harm than good; I don't know if I'll build up immunity and not be able to function, even with it; I don't know if it will last me my lifetime and be an honest to goodness long term solution; but I'm hoping! For a week, I've felt like I've reclaimed myself! And even if it isn't a long term solution, for this week, it has been SO WORTH IT!!! Guys, if anyone struggles, even a little bit, with feeling like they have the strength to make it through each day; try this!!! http://cjeffs.le-vel.com

Love you all!
See you round the webs!

Crystal

P.S. UNDER NO CONDITION DO I RECOMMEND TRYING THRIVE IF YOU HAVE DYSAUTONOMY WITHOUT CONSULTING A DR FIRST! I kind of did, but only because my doctor and I have been working together for so long, and had so little success, and he's all for trying new things as long as we introduce them gradually and I use my heart and blood pressure monitors regularly to be sure I'm safe. AND I check in with him every few months to update him on what I'm trying and what my results are. So really, I consulted with him for years, and knew that he'd tell me to try it, since we haven't tried anything new in several months, and since nothing else is working, but to take it slow and to stop if I had ANY problems, and then to follow up with him. Which is exactly what I'm doing and it's fabulous! However, there ARE subtypes of POTS and DYSAUTONOMY which CAN NOT have caffeine, so be sure that isn't you before trying it!