It all started at a softball practice during my freshman year of high school. We were taking routine plays and I was taking grounders from the pitcher's position. My heart started racing, my legs felt like jelly. Next thing I know, I woke up on the sideline with my teammates and coaches standing all around me. I had fainted on the field. The athletic trainer at my school chalked it up to being a dehydration issue, which was all I personally thought it was as well. I went home and everything was fine for a few hours. As I was about to go to bed, I start walking up the stairs and I get the same feeling. Heart racing, jelly legs, black out. My mom realizes there is something deeper going on and decides to take me to the hospital.
We go to the closest one and the staff decide it'd be best for me to be transported to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Finally arriving there at 4 a.m., there wasn't anything for them to do until the next day. After some evaluation, they decide there is nothing major wrong and that this is just something my body would work out on its own.
The very next day in school, I faint again. I end up staying in the hospital again and this time, a doctor ends up telling me they believe I have a condition called dysautonomia.
With my diagnosis came lots of new doctors appointments to check my heart, brain and everything in between. At first things weren't so bad. However, with more and more time passing, my body seemed to be completely against me, I ended up getting worse with each day.
Dysautonomia is an extremely under-recognized, but still super scary disorder. Dysautonomia can be mild and hardly bother some, while others end up bedridden from the very same condition. Being diagnosed with dysautonomia changed my life in so many ways. All of my favorite things in life came to a halt. I was now so limited in what I could and couldn't do, primarily for my safety.
Since being diagnosed with my condition, I have lost countless friends, been considered a trauma patient multiple times, been medevaced twice (almost three) times, had 30+ ambulance rides, given up my dream of going to college in California and lost myself. This condition stripped me of my identity. Suddenly, I was no longer Bailey. I was Bailey the girl who faints, Bailey the sick girl, Bailey the faker, Bailey with dysautonomia. I wanted nothing more than to go back to normal.
Being in the early stages of growing out of this predetermined condition, I now realize the dysautonomia changed me for the better.
Now instead of being Bailey, instead of being Bailey with dysautonomia, instead of being Bailey the sick girl, instead of being Bailey the faker, instead of being Bailey the girl who faints. I am Bailey: the girl who can conquer anything.
