I had one of the worst attacks of the low blood pressure today that I've had in a very long time. And I can already see what triggered it. The place I live in has this free food program for low income people for half the year. But the problem is, they give all things that people with our illness and with MCS or POTS cannot eat. They give us things that have garlic in them or nitrates or a combo of both. And they give us way too much sugary snack things. Lots of cookies, poptarts, granola bars and other fruit food bars. None of it is healthy for someone sick with our illness. And even if you didn't have this disease, it's like a diabetic's nitemare.
I have been eating some of the stuff and I've been getting sicker and sicker from it. I just can't eat that way. I had eaten a frozen entree they gave us and it had garlic and other stuff in there. And today, the low blood pressure was so severe that I was nauseous, faint, dizzy, and really felt like this time I was going to slip into a coma from it. I had to spend the day in bed, my legs were even shaky if I tried to stand. I'm still not okay after sleeping for several hours.
But I'm really seeing the connection with the food and the symptoms. When I cook for myself and I use plain, bland food and control my own amount of salt or sugar, I'm not even half as sick as this. I still get it, but not to this severity. I have more control over it if I only eat my own way.
So this is when free really isn't free. But I'm going to have a tough time trying to eat healthier on my tiny budget. But I think at this point, anything is better than how they have been giving us this stuff. I have to stick with things I can eat, even if it means alot more nights with plain white rice or plain pasta.
Another thing that really set this off today was a too hot shower. I know I should take colder showers, I didn't this time, it wasn't cool enough. The hot water always triggers a bad POTS attack in me. So, I need to be extra careful. It's horrible to be this sick and then to realize I didn't have to be as sick if I would have been more careful.
But there is a real connection with how disabled I am and the diet. There's no doubt there. If I want to be less sick, I have to eat better. But it is really hard to do on the small budget.
I have been eating some of the stuff and I've been getting sicker and sicker from it. I just can't eat that way. I had eaten a frozen entree they gave us and it had garlic and other stuff in there. And today, the low blood pressure was so severe that I was nauseous, faint, dizzy, and really felt like this time I was going to slip into a coma from it. I had to spend the day in bed, my legs were even shaky if I tried to stand. I'm still not okay after sleeping for several hours.
But I'm really seeing the connection with the food and the symptoms. When I cook for myself and I use plain, bland food and control my own amount of salt or sugar, I'm not even half as sick as this. I still get it, but not to this severity. I have more control over it if I only eat my own way.
So this is when free really isn't free. But I'm going to have a tough time trying to eat healthier on my tiny budget. But I think at this point, anything is better than how they have been giving us this stuff. I have to stick with things I can eat, even if it means alot more nights with plain white rice or plain pasta.
Another thing that really set this off today was a too hot shower. I know I should take colder showers, I didn't this time, it wasn't cool enough. The hot water always triggers a bad POTS attack in me. So, I need to be extra careful. It's horrible to be this sick and then to realize I didn't have to be as sick if I would have been more careful.
But there is a real connection with how disabled I am and the diet. There's no doubt there. If I want to be less sick, I have to eat better. But it is really hard to do on the small budget.