A 28-year-old woman in the United States, who describes herself as “allergic to gravity,” has revealed that she spends 23 hours in bed, faints up to 10 times a day and can’t stand for more than three minutes without falling out. Lyndsi Johnson, a former aviation diesel mechanic for the US Navy, claims she suffers from one of the world’s least understood illnesses, sometimes requiring her to sit cross-legged to avoid getting sick.
According to the IndependentMs Johnson said she started experiencing abdominal and back pain in 2015. Over the years, her symptoms worsened to the point that she started vomiting and passing out up to 10 times a day.
After years of going back and forth to doctors, the 28-year-old was then diagnosed in February 2022 with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) — a condition that causes decreased blood volume and an abnormal increase in heart rate when a person stands or stands. to sit.
Ms. Johnson refers to her condition as an “allergy to gravity”.
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“I’m allergic to gravity – it sounds crazy, but it’s true,” she said, according to the Independent. “I can’t get up for more than three minutes without passing out, being sick, or passing out. I feel much better when I’m lying down.”
“I’m in bed all day – up to 23 hours a day. I never thought I’d have to use a shower chair at 28. I can’t get out of my house. There’s no cure, but I’m so grateful for what I do,” she added.
According to News week, the 28-year-old first began to feel unwell while serving in the navy overseas. While her symptoms persisted, she struggled with chronic pain. Doctors couldn’t figure out what was going on, though.
Ms Johnson said she was medically discharged from the military in 2018 due to her illness. Six months later she developed severe abdominal pain and started vomiting.
“It was so bad that I was screaming in pain and the vomiting was like The Exorcist,” Ms Johnson said. But the doctors still couldn’t figure out what was going on, and she continued to fight her illness. In fact, she was hospitalized several times in recent years, but she was told it was probably her anxiety that was causing her symptoms.
In early 2022, Ms. Johnson was unable to keep the food down. Her condition deteriorated so much that she had to stop driving. She even had trouble bending over without feeling lightheaded. “I would vomit so much that my heart would have prolonged QT intervals and I would be in the hospital for heart monitoring,” Ms Johnson revealed.
A cardiologist then theorized that the 28-year-old might have PoTS and suggested she undergo a “tilt” test — which measures heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen. In February, she was then officially diagnosed with the syndrome.
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“I was so grateful that I finally knew what was wrong with me so I could be treated,” she said.
According to the outlet, Ms. Johnson said she is now taking beta blockers that have reduced her fainting up to three times a day and helped with her nausea. However, she is still unable to live a normal life and relies on her husband, James, to be her caretaker.
But despite her illness, a determined Ms. Johnson is now studying a music business degree from her bed. She hopes to return to work – in a job where she can work and lie down remotely.
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