Super Curse or Super Power?

Autonomic dysfunction or more commonly called dysautonomia, is a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system which controls all our involuntary bodily functions. The nerves are unable to communicate correctly with the brain and thus false signals are sent to the brain and vice versa. It is normally brought on by some sort of stressful situation i.e. a virus, giving birth etc. These “miscommunications” cause the body to have organ malfunctions, not to the extent of failure but enough to be noticeable to some people. I say some people because there are others who don’t even realize they have a problem because their body was able to use the “malfunctions” for its benefit. It is for this reason that I am theorizing people with autonomic dysfunctions are experiencing the next micro-evolution of the human body.

Whether Christian, Buddhist, or Atheist we can all agree that all living things adapt at a micro level. I myself am a Christian and I believe that God created the human body (and all other living organisms) in such a magnificent way that we can adapt to our surroundings. As the world we live in changes so does the human race and that’s where the autonomic dysfunctions come into play. As I said some people go there whole lives with not realizing they have an autonomic dysfunction. The most commonly seen are with people who have Ehlers-danlos syndrome (EDS) which is a connective tissue disorder that can cause the patient dislocations, joint pain, and flexible muscles. You can see this syndrome in athletes like Michael Phelps, Simon Biles, and so many others. What is the defining moment that chooses whether they are a great athlete or disabled with multiple dislocations? Simple, when they are a baby your brain either helps you train your muscles to use the extra mobility to their advantage or their brain doesn’t and they have a life with pain and dislocations.

Those who have dysautonomia (I like to call them(us) dysautonomians) and are debilitated from it are in a hard place as much as they want to get up and get better they can’t. The hardest hill to go over is the mental one. Receiving all these diagnoses makes it hard to define the illnesses when you feel like they are defining you.  Together we should change this and make these diagnosis work to our advantage and not the other way around. Below I have made a list of how I am choosing to make these syndromes work for me.  I know that it can feel like a losing battle, but I know we can win. If something can go downhill then it can go uphill too, it will just take a little more effort.

Diagnosis	Defining It and not
POTS~ Patient experience dizziness, fainting, blood pressure spikes/drops, and rapid pulse or low pulse (my highest pulse was 203 and lowest was 33)	I don’t have an issue with my pulse. I have a strong heart! Can yours spike 100 beats and you not feel a thing?
EDS~ connective tissue disorder characterized by joint pain, dislocations, and flexible muscles/joints	I don’t have dislocations. My limbs are just independent! (Also, when you do get better EDS helps with lots of physical activities.
Horseshoe-shaped kidney~ A person whose kidneys are conjoined at the top and are at a higher risk for kidney disease.	My kidneys aren’t conjoined they are giving each other a hug!
MCAS~ a syndrome characterized by overactive mast cells triggered by an excess of histamines, patient becomes flushed, itchy, have a rash, or anaphylactic shock.	My mast cells have ADHD, but boy, do they get the job done!
Sjogrens~ dry eyes, throat, due to reduced salivary gland production	My body gives me daily subtle reminders to drink water.
Dysautonomia~ malfunction of autonomic, an umbrella term for other syndromes, nervous system is on high alert and patient can get overstimulated very easily	Overstimulated? No, I just notice the small things, big things, and everything.