Jello-Legs and Other Strange Sensations

One symptom I never ever experienced before POTS is jello-legs. It is quite possibly the strangest sensation in the world. I'm sure there's probably a more technical term for it, but really jello-legs sums it up accurately. When an episode strikes, my legs go weak and feel like they could give out at any second. For me, a jello-leg attack is usually a sign of low potassium. My chest gets heavy and it's hard to breathe when this happens. The other day I had worked nearly 7 hours and got so absorbed in my work that somehow I had skipped dinner. Never a good idea. I literally collapse when my potassium starts to get low. However, I have successfully avoided the emergency room these last few episodes by downing the V8 at home. It usually does the trick and I feel remarkably better in about twenty minutes.

Another strange symptom I have experienced with POTS is a little black floating speck that seems to hang out in my left eye. It is not there all the time, but often, and it is more noticeable when there is a lot of light. Lately I have been contemplating if this should warrant a visit to the eye doctor. I just hate the thought of wasting my time and money on another possibly unnecessary appointment, but part of me thinks maybe I should just to rule out the possibility of something more serious. Lately I tend to chalk everything up to POTS and ignore potentially serious symptoms. It's easier that way. Self-diagnosis almost always saves a trip to the doctor's office.

I'm not sure if it's just the natural aging process or if this is also related to POTS, but the last year or so I have suffered from dry skin, especially on my legs and arms. Of course, this malady is a minor one considering it's fixable with lotion, it's just that my skin never used to be like this. It troubles me almost as much as the handfuls of hair I seem to lose with each shower. I brought the hair loss up to my primary care doctor before and of course he takes one look at my head of thick curly hair and says that "shedding is completely normal and happens to humans periodically. It's not really a problem unless you can see scalp." But what I want to know is, how long should this shedding period last, when will it cease? Do I have to wait to be able to see scalp before it is actually considered a problem? In my book, by the time that happens it's too late to treat it.

Last on my strange symptom list: I do not have the same voracious appetite I used to. I used to be able to consume ridiculously large amounts of food compared to the diminutive size of my body. Lately though, small meals fill me up, and I don't even snack as much as I used to. This is actually quite alarming. I have had heartburn ever since I was a little kid but this is different. Like I actually don't have much room for food anymore. And I love food. It's one of life's greatest and simplest pleasures.

This week's post was kind of a downer, so I thought a song might perk it up a bit. For some reason when I think of jello-legs I think of this R&B ballad, a throwback to the early '90s. Too bad its just low potassium and not love that makes me weak in the knees...