Navigating POTS Appointments for Surviving the Summer Heat

Over the next few weeks, I am going to have several blog posts that highlight specific topics for the Navigating POTS appointments 📆 Since last week's Symptom of the Week was Heat Intolerance, and this week's Symptom of the Week is Sweating/Night Sweats, I decided to focus on Surviving Summer & the heat in this post ☀️🥵🌌😓🌞 First, I am going to explain how heat affects POTS and then explain some of the specific challenges that come with these symptoms. Then I will give examples of how Navigating POTS appointments can help with these symptoms, I have included questions that I wanted to discuss as a patient, so I hope this is helpful for you 🩵

How does heat affect POTS patients? POTS patients often feel worse in the heat and can experience heat intolerance and either increased or decreased sweating ☀️🥵 Heat intolerance can happen for a number of reasons, your autonomic nervous system controls temperature and sometimes has a difficult time regulating itself 🌡️ This is especially true if you can't sweat 😓 Also when you get hot your blood vessels dilate and your body increases blood flow to the skin which is why you can look "flushed" or red when it's hot🩸 These changes in blood flow and the sweating that occurs when you get hot often make POTS patients feel worse 🥵 

How does my heat intolerance affect me? Honestly, I kind of hate summer because I always feel so much worse 😎🌞🥵 I often joke that I "hibernate" during the summer and avoid going outside 🏜️ ☀️🥵 All of my symptoms are a lot worse, I sweat a lot, feel dizzy, nauseous, have headaches, get chest pain, presyncope and get really fatigued 😓 I have a really hard time sitting in the sun, but I also sunburn pretty easily haha ☀️😅 I need it cold in my house so I don't feel sick, but sometimes people can make insensitive comments about it 😕 It can be really easy to feel isolated, discouraged and alone when I am dealing with these symptoms 😓

What are the social implications of heat intolerance? It can be really embarrassing to sweat a lot😓 And it's hard to deal with heat intolerance because lot of people love summer, and most of our family trips happen during the summer because school is out 📆 I live in Utah so it's not very humid, but it can get pretty hot, especially down in Southern Utah where all the National Parks are🏜️ We also have family in North Carolina and Georgia and it is really hot and humid there 🥵💦 I have definitely had to miss some extended family trips because I knew I would feel too sick if I went and that can be really disappointing 😔 There have been other times when I have gone, but I planned specific ways to deal with the heat while I was there 🥵  And there have been other times when I have worked with my family members to plan a good time of year to go visit a particular place that might be hard for me during the summer 🗓️ And aside from trips, there are a lot of outdoor activities during the summer like BBQ, hiking, picnics, etc. Honestly, trying to plan things in the summer is still one of the hardest things for me, but I have learned a lot! 

So how can these Navigating POTS Appointments help with the physical, emotional and social affects of Summer & Heat symptoms in POTS patients? 

Consultation Appointments: These are 30 minute appointments focused on individualized education or help with specific concerns. Here is a list of possible summer or heat questions that we could discuss in a consultation appointment: 

-I feel like understanding why I am experiencing a specific symptom could help me, can you teach me more about heat intolerance or sweating in POTS patients?

-What are some specific ways I can manage heat intolerance during the summer? 

-What are some specific ways to help reduce the emotional or mental load of heat symptoms? 

-What are some specific ways to help address the social implications of heat symptoms?

-We are going on a trip and I am overwhelmed thinking about how to manage my symptoms, can we go talk about this and come up with a plan so I can be prepared? 

-I am going to a specific outdoor event that that I am worried about. Can we talk about strategies to manage my symptoms while I am there and how to best communicate with people about it?

-I need to have a conversation with a specific person about my heat symptoms, can we practice together?

-I feel so overwhelmed that I don't even know what to ask, but I want to talk to somebody who understands.

* Any other specific questions that you have! 

Coaching Appointments: These appointments are 60 minute appointments that involve specific hands-on help with various problems. These appointments are more in depth and often involve notes or a write up of some kind.  📆 Here is a list of possible things we could address, which type of appointment it would be and what I would create for you in those appointments: 

-Other: Can you help me create a plan for an upcoming trip I have? This would involve me typing up a list of things to bring on your trip, specific ways to deal with symptoms while you are there and any other specific things you would like. 

-Other: I want help creating a Summer Survival Kit, can you help me put one together? This would involve me typing up a list of things to include in your kit and links to the items you can include.

-Specific Goal Setting: I want to go to an event outside and have some specific goals around managing symptoms in the summer, can you help me create a plan for achieving those goals? This would involve me creating a list of goals, specific plans to achieve them and ways to follow up on track progress.

-Emotional Discussion Appointment: I am nervous about talking to a specific person about my heat symptoms, can you help me prepare for that conversation? This would involve me typing up specific talking points and notes for your conversation. 

Emotional Discussion Appointment: I am experiencing a lot of emotions around my heat symptoms and am feeling overwhelmed. Can we talk about some of my emotions and then come up with a plan to move forward? This would involve me typing up a summary of what we discussed and a plan for moving forward

Other Appointment: This is an opportunity to discuss anything you want and then request what you would like to have typed up or created for you, hopefully it can be a helpful resource for you! 

*Just a reminder that your first appointment is 1/2 off, so $25 for a consultation and $50 for a coaching appointment! If you have any specific concerns about scheduling or prices please email navigatingpots@gmail.com 

Navigating POTS Appointments for Digestive Symptoms

Over the next few weeks, I am going to have several blog posts that highlight specific topics for the Navigating POTS appointments 📆 Since last week's Symptom of the Week was Decreased Appetite, and this week's Symptom of the Week is Nausea, I decided to focus on Digestive Symptoms in this post 🤢 First, I am going to explain how POTS affects digestion and then explain some of the specific challenges that come with these symptoms. Then I will give examples of how Navigating POTS appointments can help with these symptoms, I have included questions that have been really helpful for me, so I hope this is helpful 🩵

How does POTS affect digestion? POTS affects digestion because the sympathetic nervous system, or fight or flight response, is often activated whenever a person is standing up🧍🏽‍♀️ When your body is not in the Fight or Flight (sympathetic) response, it is in Rest & Digest or the Parasympathetic response. 🛌 So, when a person is in the fight or flight response, blood is moved away from your digestive tract and this can make digestion harder ⬇️🩸😬 POTS patients can then experience symptoms like nausea, decreased appetite, constipation, vomiting, fullness, bloating, abdominal pain and a lot more! 🤢🤮💩

How do my digestive symptoms affect me? I have personally found my digestive symptoms to be some of the most difficult to deal with 😬 Food is essential to health and takes up a lot of time every day 🕖 I have to plan what I eat, shop for ingredients, make the food, eat, clean up and then start all over again for the next meal! 😅 Then adding the mental and emotional burden of trying to figure out what I can eat or trying to think of something that I can tolerate when I feel nauseous and have no appetite is really hard 🤢 And since I often experience pain and other difficult symptoms after I eat, it can be difficult to want to eat 😕 But if I don't eat, I feel way worse! I get dizzy, my vision gets fuzzy, I get really tired and weak and my nausea gets way worse 🥴 It's a difficult and exhausting cycle 😓

What are the social implications of digestive symptoms? Our society is totally focused on food 🍽️ We go out to eat to celebrate accomplishments, we invite people over for dinner, a lot of our holidays include specific foods, and almost all of our interactions with other people includes food 👥 And there are a lot of cultural implications around food as well! It can be viewed as insensitive or offensive to refuse to eat food that has been prepared for you, to not finish your plate or to not request seconds or thirds 😬 When I was younger, I used to try any food that was offered to me, because even if it tasted bad, I was totally fine after I swallowed it! But now, even the "safest" foods cause a lot of symptoms! And often, those symptoms last for days! 😕 Even though it is important to prioritize your health and do what is best for you, it can still be really uncomfortable to go to a social event and not eat what everyone is eating, or only eat a few bites 😬Also, our society is completely obsessed with body image, diet culture and an unhealthy relationship with food 🙄 This can cause a lot of problems and lead to a lot of insensitive comments and can make me feel really alone in my struggles 😔

So how can these Navigating POTS Appointments help with the physical, emotional and social affects of digestive symptoms in POTS patients? 

Consultation Appointments: These are 30 minute appointments focused on individualized education or help with specific concerns. Here is a list of possible digestive questions that we could discuss in a consultation appointment: 

-I feel like understanding why I am experiencing a specific symptom could help me, can you teach me more about digestive problems in POTS patients?

-What are some specific ways I can manage a digestive symptom? (Nausea, Constipation, fullness, no appetite, etc.)  

-What are some specific ways to help reduce the emotional or mental load of eating? 

-What are some specific ways to help address the social implications of digestive symptoms?

-We are going out to eat later this week at a specific restaurant and I am overwhelmed thinking about what to order, can we go through the menu together and come up with a plan so I can be prepared? 

-I am going to a specific event that involves food that I am worried about. Can we talk about strategies to manage my symptoms while I am there and how to best communicate with people about it?

-I need help coming up with a few ideas for meals or snacks while I am at work, school or not at home, can you help me? 

-I would like to talk to you about some of the emotions I have around food, eating and body image concerns, can we discuss this together?

-I need to have a conversation with a specific person about food, can we practice together?

-I feel so overwhelmed that I don't even know what to ask, but I want to talk to somebody who understands.

* Any other specific food or digestive symptom question that you have! 

Coaching Appointments: These appointments are 60 minute appointments that involve specific hands-on help with various problems. These appointments are more in depth and often involve notes or a write up of some kind.  📆 Here is a list of possible things we could address, which type of appointment it would be and what I would create for you in those appointments: 

-Food Help or Symptom Tracking Appointment: Can you help me create a way to track my digestive symptoms so I can notice patterns and trends? This would involve me creating a "Symptom Tracker" chart and a "Food Diary" form for you to use

-Appointment Prep Appointment: My digestive symptoms are severe enough that I want to talk about them at my next doctor's appointment, can you help me put my thoughts together and prepare for that appointment? This would involve me typing up a history for these symptoms and filling out a template to use while you explain your symptoms.

-Food Help Appointment: Trying to plan meals is exhausting, can you help me create a plan for specific meals? This would involve me creating a menu with you and can also include a shopping list and other specific plans.

-Food Help Appointment: I have not been good at eating consistently and I want to get better, can we set some goals about how often to eat and come up with a good schedule for eating? This would involve me typing up your goals and the plan we discuss together. 

Emotional Discussion Appointment: I am experiencing a lot of emotions around food and am feeling overwhelmed. Can we talk about some of my emotions and then come up with a plan to move forward? This would involve me typing up a summary of what we discussed and a plan for moving forward

Other Appointment: This is an opportunity to discuss anything you want and then request what you would like to have typed up or created for you, hopefully it can be a helpful resource for you! 

*Just a reminder that your first appointment is 1/2 off, so $25 for a consultation and $50 for a coaching appointment! If you have any specific concerns about scheduling or prices please email navigatingpots@gmail.com 

Navigating POTS Appointments

Today is the Official Launch of the Navigating POTS Appointments!! 🎉 Even though Aubrey George is a trained Registered Nurse & Family Nurse Practitioner, these appointments are not designed to replace appointments with your healthcare provider. Instead, Aubrey George will use her personal experience as a POTS Patient and her educational background to help you understand and cope with your POTS diagnosis in order to not just survive, but live a meaningful life 🩵

I am currently offering POTS Consultation Appointments and POTS Coaching Appointments. In honor of the Official Launch of these appointments, I am offering an Official Launch Discount of 50% off your first appointment! 🥳 Both POTS Consultation & POTS Coaching Appointments can be scheduled through Calendly 📆 Then the virtual appointment with be through Google Meet 👩🏼‍💻 I have included specific instructions with links to explain how to schedule appointments at the end of this post 🔗 If you have any specific questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out! ✉️

POTS Consultation Appointments: 

POTS Consultation Appointments are a 30 minute 1-on-1 appointment with Aubrey George, the Founder of Navigating POTS. These shorter appointments are designed for individualized education and are a great setting to ask specific questions! 🙋🏼‍♀️

Price: $50 for a 30 minute appointment 

-Student Discount: $40 for a 30 minute appointment 🎒

*I will also be offering more discounts and sales throughout the year, so watch for those 🏷️ If you have any specific concerns or questions about pricing, please reach out to me through my email. 

POTS Coaching Appointments: 

POTS Coaching Appointments are a 60 minute 1-on-1 appointment with Aubrey George, the Founder of Navigating POTS. In general these appointments are more in depth than POTS Consultation appointments and involve more hands on work 🤲🏼 These POTS Coaching appointments can include setting specific goals, problem solving, compiling information and following up over time.

Price: $100 for a 60 minute appointment

-Student Discount: $80 for a 60 minute appointment  🎒

-I will also be offering more discounts and sales throughout the year, so watch for those 🏷️ If you have any specific concerns or questions about pricing, please reach out to me through my email. 

These appointments are opportunities for individualized help with a variety of topics that can include but are not limited to the following:

• POTS Basics: This appointment is really helpful for people who have just been diagnosed with POTS! In addition to basic POTS education and information, they can also involve setting specific goals, creating ways to track symptoms and planning meaningful ways to move forward.

• Health History Compilation: Discuss your health history with Aubrey George and she will type it up in a clear way so you can bring it to any appointments.

• Medication Schedule Organization: This does not include prescribing any medications, instead it involves creating an organized list and schedule based on what has already been prescribed. Then you can take this organized list of medications that you can take to appointments and more easily manage your medications at home.

• Appointment Preparation: This appointment will involve compiling a list of things you should bring to a doctor's appointment. This can also include dictating what you want to say and translating it into the "medical jargon" that health care professionals use.

• Symptom Tracking: This appointment will involve discussing various symptoms and creating a organized way to track those symptoms throughout the month.

• Daily Habits Planning: This appointment will involve discussing various daily habits you want to start and setting appropriate goals. We will create an easy way to track your progress as well.

• Food Help: Aubrey George is not a Dietitian, but she understands that POTS often comes with dietary complications. This appointment will provide the opportunity to discuss specific concerns, track symptoms and set specific goals.

• Specific Goal Setting: This appointment will focus on setting specific goals. It will involve creating smart goals that are manageable and coming up with an action plan to achieve them. 

• Emotional Discussions: Aubrey George is not a Therapist, but she understands that having a chronic illness creates a lot of complex emotions. This appointment will provide a safe place to discuss various emotions that come with POTS and can involve setting specific goals and following up.

• Question or Answer: This appointment will provide an opportunity for specific questions to be answered in an individual setting. These appointments will involve more than just individual education and can include goal setting or other plans.

• Other: These appointments will be whatever you want to focus on! Please make sure to include the specific questions you have or information you want to discuss when you schedule your appointment.

How to Schedule an Appointment: 

1) Even though there are currently only 2 appointment types offered, on the Calendly home page you will see 6 different appointment types based on different prices and discounts 📆 💲 In the future I will have discount codes, but for right now they are listed as separate events due to the different prices. The POTS Consultation Appointments are all blue 💙 and the POTS Coaching Appointments are all Cyan🩵 The first event listed for both appointments is the regular price, then there is a "First Time" option that is 1/2 off for the Official Launch Discount and the "Student Option" that is 20% off for the Student Discount.  All students should select the "First Time" appointment for their first appointment and then the "Student" appointments after since the discounts cannot be used together. Please be honest about which appointment you select 😊

2) After you click on the event you want to schedule, it will take you to a calendar page 📆 First, read through the information on the left side about the appointment, especially if you are scheduling a POTS Coaching Appointment because it describes the different appointment types. Then on the right side, you will see a calendar. Right now I am allowing appointments up to 30 days in advance and I am available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I will adjust my availability once I finalize my schedule at my other job. Once you select a day that works, you will see the time slots listed on the right, please note that I live in Utah, so the appointments are in Mountain Daylight Time 🏔️ If you would like to schedule an appointment, but these dates or times will not work for you, please reach out to me at my email. ✉️

3) After you select a date and time for your appointment, the next page will have details for you to fill out for your appointment like your name, email and phone number 📝 It will also have specific questions related to your appointment, the required questions will have a * next to them. Any information you include in these responses will help me know what to focus on in the appointment. 

4) Under the questions, there is a place for you to pay through Stripe with a debit or credit card 💳 You need to enter the name on your card, your credit or debit card number, the expiration date, the CVC and your zip code. Please be honest about if the Student Discount or Official Launch discount apply to you. You must pay as you schedule the appointment, but I understand that POTS can make keeping appointments difficult so I will offer a full refund if you need to cancel up to 24 hours in advance. You are still welcome to cancel within 24 hours, but there will be a $10 cancellation fee since it is hard to fill appointments that late. If you neglect to cancel, are more than 15 minutes late without contacting me, or you do not show up for the appointment, there is a $25 "No Show" fee. All fees will be taken out of your refund, but the rest will be refunded💸 There are more details about the cancellation policy on the Terms & Conditions page. If you have any specific concerns or questions about pricing, please reach out to me through my email. 

5) After you have submitted your questions and payment, you will get a copy of your receipt and a confirmation email sent to you🧾📧 The confirmation email will have a link to the Google Meet that we will use for your appointment🔗👩🏼‍💻

6) After the meeting is confirmed, Calendly should redirect you to a Navigating POTS Appointment Terms & Conditions Google Form to fill out 📑 You must fill this out before our appointment! This form includes the general Navigating POTS Terms & Conditions, the Navigating POTS Terms & Conditions and the Cancellation Policy, please read through the terms and conditions and check the box to acknowledge that you have read and agree to the Terms & Conditions ☑️ You will also need to include your name, email and the date. After you submit this form, you should get a copy emailed to you 📧 After this step, you are done with everything you need to do before our appointment! 🥳

 7) Once you are finished scheduling you should have 3 emails: a receipt 🧾 a confirmation email with the Google Meet link 🔗and a copy of your completed Google Form📑 You should also get an email and text message reminder 24 hours before the appointment 📧 Then on the day of the appointment, click on the link and I will let you in the meeting 👩🏼‍💻You don't need to bring anything to the meeting, just yourself:) I'm excited to work with you!! 🩵 

Disclaimer: Individual POTS Coaching Sessions are not the equivalent of a doctor’s appointment. Aubrey George’s licenses are not required nor used during these sessions. These sessions will not include an official diagnosis, prescriptions, treatment plans or any official medical advice. These sessions are meant to provide 1-on-1 education, encouragement and goal setting or non-provider related tasks. It is the responsibility of the user to discuss any specific and personal questions about a diagnosis, prescriptions, treatment plans, medications and interventions with  their personal health care provider. Anything shared during these coaching sessions is the intellectual property of Navigating POTS, LLC and its Founder Aubrey George. Any recording, distribution or sharing this information without specific permission is expressly prohibited.