Look How far I’ve come
My Story
By, Alexa Ravitz
In the beginning of 8th grade, I started having symptoms that began with pain in my feet, through my joints, and up to my head where I had headaches/migraines, dizziness, and brain fog. I had never had a headache before, so I knew something was up. My symptoms continued to worsen throughout the fall, forcing me to stop playing field hockey after playing since elementary school. I remember it hurting to carry my books in school, so my doctor wrote me a note so I could carry a backpack. (Yes, for some reason backpacks weren’t allowed at my middle school.) Then, I developed back pain so I had to switch to a rolling backpack. I continued my education, often not being able to make it to school because I was in so much pain. On the days that I could get to school, I would get home and nap until dinnertime. Not being able to get out of bed not only put me behind in my classes, but it also made it hard to keep up with my social life.
As for what was wrong, doctors didn’t know either. When my symptoms started, I saw my primary care doctor. She ordered blood work, x rays, and some other tests. They all came back negative. Although my primary doctor couldn’t give me a diagnosis, she was really helpful referring me to various specialists. I went to a neurologist first who ordered more tests. This included an EEG, where they attached a bunch of wires to my head to look at my brain. This doctor wasn’t able to diagnose me either.
Finally, I was referred to a rheumatologist at Johns Hopkins. This was about 10 years ago, but I somehow remember this day clearly. After going over everything with the doctor, she asked if I had ever heard of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Of course I hadn’t, like most people. She told my parents and I about it, suspecting that I had it. She couldn’t properly diagnose me, so she referred me to a cardiologist who could. He noticed immediately I had visible symptoms of POTS, skin discoloration and dilated pupils. A tilt table test, an EKG, and an orthostatic test proved the doctors right. My cardiologist prescribed medication and the common treatment for POTS: increased salt intake, hydration, and exercise.
I was able to continue attending school throughout the end of middle school with my accommodations. However, starting high school was tough. My symptoms had gotten severe and I started to have bad anxiety. I ended up having to medically withdraw after about a month of high school. As a result, I was homeschooled for the time being as I struggled to get out of bed everyday. That January, I was lucky to get into the Mayo Clinic’s pain rehabilitation clinic in Minnesota.
For that next month, I went through the outpatient program that taught me how to manage my chronic pain and other POTS symptoms. The program included informational sessions, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and meditation. It wasn’t always easy, but the program helped me get my life back.
Once I came back from Minnesota, I was able to go back to school thanks to the help of the Mayo Clinic’s program. I still had my physical “limitations,” but that didn’t hold me back. I attended classes and was enjoying learning again. I was able to catch up with friends from middle school along with making new high school friends, finally getting my social life back. I participated in Chinese club, a Chinese exchange program, and Best Buddies. Against the odds, I graduated on time with my class in 2017.
I recently graduated from college this past December. I earned two degrees in four and a half years, an associate’s and bachelor’s. This is something I really only dreamed of when I graduated high school. High school was simple, but I knew college would be a challenge. Entering college came with a larger workload, tougher courses, and classes with no one I knew. On top of that, I had to deal with my POTS symptoms which made it even more of a challenge. However, due to my resilience and determination, I was able to complete my coursework to earn an Associate of Arts in Asian Studies at Howard Community College, study Chinese with the Critical Language Scholarship, and earn a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese at University of Maryland.
During my academic career, I still dealt with challenges from stress induced flares, to intense migraine attacks, to extreme fatigue. Juggling these struggles along with a typical student’s struggles was not an easy task, to say the least. Thanks to my support system, I was able to complete my studies and graduate. A huge shoutout to my parents, my grandmothers, my fiance, and my friends. Throughout the good times and bad, they’ve always been cheering me on and I’m forever grateful for it. I also have to thank myself for my resilience and determination. If you’ve read up to this point, thank you for taking the time to read my story. Another (huge) thank you to Ella for giving me the opportunity to share it.
Thank you to our primary sponsor, Vitassium by Salt Stick.
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