Tag: illness

Health Journey

Gotta Catch Em All…NOT NO THANK YOU

Teresa Love

As Rick’s cousin says “you need to stop collecting conditions like they are Pokemon to catch.”

This is so very true! So I have many complex chronic illnesses. I have POTS, CFS/ME, Vestibular Migraine, Small fiber neuropathy, CRPS, anxiety, depression…I wonder why?, EDS/Hyper-mobility, and which used to be the newest Pokémon I caught.

Which cause my joints shoulders, hips, neck, knees, and ankles to “go out of the socket sometimes with the least amount of movement, it hurts.

Ohh nope that’s not my newest condition. The other day I had my blood sugar tested just cause I’m in the Medi-Cal system new primary appointment. And my A1C was 8.3 so APPARENTLY I’m a diabetic now. The doctor thought maybe type 2 but that wasn’t even confirmed. So what’s Teresa’s fears? Hmm doctors, hospitals, needles….OH WAIT. Needles need to be used to test my blood. So now I have to test my blood. I haven’t got the hang of doing it myself yet causes me a lot of anxiety to do the poke but it’s only been a day.

So if I wasn’t already scared enough for listening to my body and making sure nothings an emergency. I sure am now. It’s insane how much these symptoms over lap with my other conditions.

According to ChatGPT yes I’m using this!

🔄 Symptoms high glucose and your conditions have in common

1. Exhaustion / fatigue

  • High glucose: cells aren’t using sugar properly → low usable energy
  • POTS/CFS-type issues: poor circulation + autonomic dysfunction
    👉 Feels like: “hit a wall,” heavy, drained

2. Dizziness / lightheadedness

  • High glucose: dehydration + electrolyte imbalance
  • POTS: blood pooling, heart rate changes
    👉 Can feel almost identical

3. Nausea / stomach upset

  • High glucose: slows digestion and irritates the gut
  • Your conditions: autonomic dysfunction can also affect digestion
    👉 Nausea, bloating, or even diarrhea

4. Headaches / migraines

  • High glucose: inflammation + fluid shifts
  • You already asked about migraines → big overlap
    👉 Can trigger or worsen headaches

5. Brain fog / confusion

  • High glucose: affects how your brain uses energy
  • Your baseline: fatigue + meds can already cause fog
    👉 Hard to tell apart sometimes

6. Rapid heart rate / “off” feeling

  • High glucose: dehydration → heart works harder
  • POTS: heart rate spikes with position changes
    👉 Feels like your system is “out of whack”

7. Weakness / shaky feeling

  • High glucose swings (especially if dropping from high):
    👉 can feel like a crash, even if not true low blood sugar

🚨 The tricky part

Because there’s so much overlap, it’s easy to assume:

“This is just my normal condition acting up”

…but sometimes it’s actually:

blood sugar being too high

So now I’m like how many times when I was so nauseous in bed was it POTS or high blood sugar?

It kinda feels like what do I believe. Okay I blackout from POTS. Yes that true. And I have eye issues with vestibular migraine. And I’m obviously exhausted with chronic fatigue but also that can be diabetes.

My niece has type 1 diabetes she’s only 5 years old. But now it’s all she knows. I think if she can do it I can do it. But she doesn’t have the over thinking side of it. The trying to stay away from sugar and it causes more depression, the fear of needles, ALL the other conditions I have.

Lately well for a while now, I’ve been using to use something to be able to sit up or go to something like out to dinner with hubby. I would need alcohol or soda. But now either are options!??? Am I going back to those 5 years where I could barely leave the house cause I couldn’t be upright for long enough to do anything!?

NO, I refuse to go back to those times.

Now that I’ve gotten a lot of emotions out let’s do what Teresa does best find the positives.

My dad texted this “I have been praying hard for you and maybe this latest challenge is an insight towards healing? Maybe the sensor needed to collect data needed to move the needle in the right direction and it will fix something. I still have hope.”

My mom texted

There is HOPE cause there’s one stationary belief that I have and that’s having God fight these battles with me.

I hear this song Battle Belongs.

“When all I see is the battle, You see my victory
When all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved
And as I walk through the shadow, Your love surrounds me
There’s nothing to fear now for I am safe with You

So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God, the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God, the battle belongs to You”

One thing I noticed today was sometimes diabetes awareness has a butterfly and a butterfly 🦋 has always been my own sign of HOPE.

So for now let’s take deep breaths, keep praying and hoping.

Love, T

Health Journey

Taking a Flight Without Anxiety

Teresa Love
Me on the airplane ✈️

After 7 years of dealing with my chronic fatigue off and on and then 4 years straight of it 24/7. I was finally able to do something I’ve wanted to do for so long.

My mom and I decided to just plan a trip to go visit our family friends in Spokane Washington. we had to fly since it would be an easier trip than driving.

There was definitely some fear and anxiety surrounding it 1) going to airport 2) going through TSA and 3) being on an airplane again. All the unknowns are the ones that tend to trigger my anxiety. Will I be okay in the drive there? Will I get sick while going through security like before? Will I not be able to sit up during the flight?

I’m HAPPY to say “I made it through it all.”

My wonderful boyfriend drove us to the airport which really helped my anxiety cause he distracted me on the way there talking and listening to music.

Then we were all loaded up wearing my backpack and my mom and I walked into the airport.

As we got closer and close to the security line I was getting nervous. But I kept saying “it’s okay, you’ve done it so many time before.” Trying to reassure myself. I read all the signs to make sure I didn’t have anything I wasn’t allowed.

I showed my Real ID (glad I had that!) and moved toward the security. This part kinda went into sonic speed, because next I walked up to the buckets put bag and shoes in it took our iPad and put it in the tote. There was a couple in front of us who didn’t seem to know what they were doing cause they were going too slow. But my heart rate stayed calm. Then I walked through the big machine stood there for 5 seconds with arms up, which I would have never been able to go before.

As I stepped out they stopped me and a lady with gloves started to pat down my chest and asked “is there anything in there?” And I said “just my boobs and bra.” We had a good laugh 😂 I got stopped before I have the pole in my back so the machine must have notified them. Then continued walking out everything back on and picked up everything and moved forward.

You have no idea how AMAZING it feels to 1) walk through security on your own 2) feel confident and “normal.” And 3) not feel like you were going to cause a scene or pass out.

This was definitely a really awesome milestone today! Did I still get sick on the airplane yes it was like car sick feeling. But we walked around before the flight and I was able to function walk to the bathroom alone.

I still don’t know how long this energy will last, but for now I am thankful and really enjoying the ride.

Love, T

Beauty/Lifestyle Blogger, Health Journey

Resting is Self Care

Teresa Love

Hey it’s me!

Something amazing happens!? It’s really cool. Haha that reminds me of when I used to watch The Wild Thornberries and she’d say “she could talk to animals but it’s totally secret.”

June 26th 2021 marks 4 years straight of being chronically ill. Barely leaving the house, using mobility aids whether it’s my walker or wheelchair, and watching my life fly by while I’m stuck staying reclined almost 24/7 in my chair.

I don’t even know when this started but for a few months now I started feeling better. First I could walk without my walker for like 20 mins and I was amazed. Then I felt more strength in my legs from all the movement my doctors have me doing. Then I started to be able to sit up for longer periods 10 mins to 2 hours now. Now I can walk without my walker most days and do a lot more. Now to figure out life but that will be another post. Lol

Honesty it’s so FREAKIN amazing. Like feeling better, having energy and motivation to do more is so great.

But what I forget about sometimes is I’m still sick. There’s no cure for my condition so I may get to a functioning level, but I will still need to rest. And honestly I’m okay with that. At first I was like doing all these things each day and then I’d get to day 8 and be exhausted and sad. But now I understand that I need rest days, hours, and minutes.

So when I start to feel tired or worn down I just have to remember self care is important and resting takes priority over anything else.

Love, Teresa

Beauty/Lifestyle Blogger

Emotions

Teresa Love

I think it’s interesting how much your emotions can change from one second to the next. At one moment you’re feeling okay and content and the next you can feel so distraught or sad and you don’t know why.

I understand it is my depression but I still feel like it’s such an abnormal feeling in my body. I’m the girl who is smiling because she’s happy. The girl who cheers other people up. But now I’m the girl whose sad. I’m the girl whose tired of feeling sick all the time. Who has all these emotions and she’s writing because she doesn’t know how to get them out.

I’ve always pulled my strength from God. I was doing a Bible study the other day with my mom and there was a part that said “ Happiness is dependent on what happens – our circumstances. Joy is far deeper and is not so dependent on our outward circumstances. It is a blessing from God. Joy is the characteristic of an encounter with Jesus.” I feel like this really speaks to how I feel. Even if I feel emotionally sad it doesn’t mean I have lost the JOY and HOPE we can find in Jesus.

Love, T

Health Journey

Can You Trust?

Teresa Love

I came across a post on Instagram of a fellow Spoonie today. She was showing her painting that she has been working on, it made me smile.

When I was first diagnosed with CFS/ME the doctor told me that it happens to woman between the age of 20 and 30, perfectionists, driven, and creative.

Well that’s me…

When I first heard that it honestly freaked me out like “should I have not pushed myself so hard?” “Could I have changed my path?” “And why did this happen to me?”

Growing up we are told to “do our best, try hardest, and never settle for mediocrity.” I always heard these phrases growing up and thought “yes I can do this, I may not be the smartest in school but I will always work my butt off “Could this be why I am sick?” All this pushing and striving for perfection?”

These thoughts go through my mind more often than not I would haven to admit. But I need to remember is they are just thoughts and it only matters what I do NEXT. Do I let these thoughts control my mind and body and let it control how I feel emotionally?

I don’t believe any of this! I know there is a big, huge, unbelievable plan for me. God is always here. Even in my darkest moments God is there hugging me.

In the world we always want to find the reason WHY. Why did your friend get sick? Where does cancer come from? Why does this happen to people? What will happen after we die, like I know Heaven but what Is it really like? Why is there violence and hate in this world? The truth is the ONLY one who know is God. He knows every single plan, moment, and person.

All we can do is trust in the Lord with all of our hearts. And I know that’s is to say and hard to do but I have learned through thick and thin, through negative and positive moments, through losing friends and making new ones God is ALWAYS there. And we need to trust in HIM wholeheartedly. Not for just this second, but every single second after that and with EVERYTHING.

So I ask you? Can you trust God wholeheartedly?