outside of a dog…

Ever since I was diagnosed with POTS in February, 2011, I have been trying to read as much about the condition as I can. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information available about POTS, and I have read all the books on POTS that I could find – all one of them.

There are a few more resources on dysautonomia (all POTS is dysautonomia, but not all dysautonomia is POTS) and even more on chronic and invisible illnesses. In fact, I’m currently reading After the Diagnosis: Transcending Chronic Illness by Julian Seifter, M.D. which is about living with a chronic illness. All of these books have been tremendously helpful, so I recently asked some POTSie friends (i.e., friends who also have POTS) if they had any book recommendations. One young woman recommended that I NOT visit her local library where they had an incredibly outdated book about POTS.

This inspired me to search my local San Diego library system for POTS or dysautonomia resources. It turns out there is not a single book about dysautonomia or POTS in the entire SD Public Library System. In fact, I couldn’t even find a book on the autonomic nervous system that might include a small chapter on ANS failure. However, in my local library branch there were four books about peanut allergies (not just food allergies, but peanuts specifically). Now, I understand peanut allergies are common, likely more common than dysautonomia, but there are 36 library branches within the SD Public Library System, and just this one branch had four books on the allergy, all of which were over 200 pages. Perhaps the valuable shelf space consumed by one peanut allergy book could be donated to the dysautonomia cause, or as I call it, the cause to stand up for the ability to stand up.

Your Homework

That’s right – by reading this post you have automatically agreed to the secret terms and conditions which include homework. Don’t worry….it’s a pass/fail assignment, and you can show up in your jammies still hungover from the previous night (ahhh….college). Here it is:

Visit the website for your local public library system and search their catalog for any books on dysautonomia or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). If your search does not return any resources, find out how to recommend a book to the library. The San Diego Public Library System has a simple form where you can submit recommendations (San Diegans, you got off easy, I already did your homework for you). Submit a recommendation for your library.  I personally feel this book would be a good library resource, but please feel free to recommend your favorite POTS/dysautonomia resource.

It is so important for newly diagnosed POTS patients, POTS veterans, family, friends, coworkers, and employers of POTS patients to understand the condition, its challenges and effects.

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend.  Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.  ~Groucho Marx

Stay tuned.
– L