Good evening Emma, As a person with several degrees, and also taught at a local college for 10 years, here are a few bits of advise. 1. College is NOT a race. Only take a college class load that you can handle. Take too many, at the same time, and it will overwhelmed you and cause failure and depression. 2. Always find the "Student Success Centers". Almost every school I have attended, or taught at, has them. They are full of help and tutors for every course you take. DO NOT wait until you are falling behind. Visit every day if you can. It is better to be proactive in you studies than reactive. 3. Always take at least one course a semester that you really enjoy. It helps the weeks go better. 4, Never put off studying to another day if you can do it today. That is a bad habit and it will result in overload at the end of the semester. See #1. 5. Never be hesitant to say you don't understand something and seek help. Don't wait! If you do not understand something, it will only compound the problem as the days pass. So much of what you will learn next week depends on you understanding what you were taught this week. Miss or don't understand something in week 2, you will be really lost in week 3, and in really deep hole by week 4 with no way out of it. 6. Sleep. Do not do all nighters. That goes for studying as well and partying. You must be awake and alert in class. If are not, you will miss the subtle clues your instructors are giving the class. And Lastly, 7.Make friends with your instructors, department heads and the department staff. They are all here to help you and will go the extra mile if they know you and you have been honest as well as nice to them. Do not limit your being nice just to your department. One school I attended, the cafeteria lady was the mother of the Accounting Department's Chair. I got to know her before he introduced himself to me. Over the remaining 3 years of my study there, we became close friends and he even setup a desk in his office just for me. Good luck with your studies. Steven
Very good advice. Can't remember who said it or brought it to light, but "the only stupid question is the one you didn't ask". All the best in you studies.
+1 - College is often seen as a competition between students. Don't fall into that trap! Find other students who want to work together, and help each other succeed. Study hard, but make sure to take time for yourself (for whatever reason.) It is your life, and don't let anything or anyone control that. Best of luck, and best wishes always! p.s. Hearing you say "So, let's go!" has given me a big smile for years now 😊
@@SpeccyMan I think this is because he may be from the US. He also refers to semesters and spells centres as centers. Where a lot of the advice appears to be sound, some of the things may not apply in the UK. College in the US is far different from college in the UK and is akin to university, so it is on a different level.
Hi Emma - however challenging the next few months might be, I’m sure you’re in the best place now for your family, friends and college to see you through. I can imagine how much of a disappointment it was to leave your former boat life, but it would have been so much more difficult for you to manage with the health conditions you describe. Keep looking forward and enjoy college!
Lovely to see an update of how you are getting along. I miss your boat videos, but everything has a season and that was a lovely time for and your Mum. I hope you are able to control your pots and that you love your time at college. Love to some of your art projects from time to time 🎨😘
Sorry to hear of your health issues. You are in a good supportive environment and knowing that your collage will help is great. I hope you can show us some of your art and photos. Best of luck to you and mum.
as Dory says….. 🎶just keep swimming, swimming, swimming🎵… I have several cardiac issues too.. just follow your Dr’s medical advice and do the best you can do💜 Good luck with school
So sorry to hear about your health problems Emma, lovely to see you again been a long time. All the best from David on Narrow boat Bumble oh tell mum my batteries are ok 😃🦆
Glad you’ve got a diagnoses for your not feeling well. Thanks for posting and sharing with us. Still miss the regular narrowboat videos (love the canals) but good to see you’re enjoying being “back on land”. Take care and good luck with college and everything.
Hi Emma So glad to hear you’re making progress as to what has been wrong. It must be a relief to finally know. Also, wishing you loads of luck with college. You’re so dedicated I’m sure you will do really well. All the very best to you both.
Sorry to hear that Emma. Thank you for letting us all know. You have a very positive attitude about life I’m pretty sure if anyone can handle the situation then you can. Let us all know how you fare and wow college seems very exciting. Looking forward to updates. Take good care and best wishes to Mum
To help with pots you can try cutting out onions, garlic, leeks, chives and other alliums as they can have a slight negative effect on red blood cells and platelets (obviously they (the vegetables) are also very toxic to cats and dogs who have less of the enzymes to detoxify them than we do). I think 6 weeks is needed to see if there is a worthwhile effect but try a week first. Building up strength and fitness could be very helpful as it creates new blood vessels and makes the existing ones springier. Eccentric exercises are very good for this which means focusing on slowly lowering weights rather than lifting them (start very light and build up gradually). If pots gets in the way of exercising you could try exercising lying down. You can actually use an exercise bike whilst lying on a mat behind it. You can do some gentle weight exercises with your arms at the same time to alleviate the boredom (I'd suggest NOT using pairs of weights so you alternate between arms which avoids spiking your blood pressure). I think pots is about your body losing the ability to regulate blood pressure so its either high or low with nothing in between. The good news is you can retrain the response by improving your strength and exercising at different levels of intensity (gentle and moderate) but avoiding high intensity unless/until you have fully recovered! The really important thing is start slow and aim for a level you can do every day (with the occasional day off). Build it up really gradually if necessary so you might do a month at one level and then slightly increase it for another month and so on. For those who feel they can't do any exercise then the eccentric exercises can be adapted in to daily life for example doing a slow (3-5 seconds) sit into a chair each time you sit down (dining chair is best, low chairs best avoided). Also you can use a step and just take 3-5 seconds to go down it (use the bottom step and don't do it if you feel unstable!). There are videos on youtube about this but mostly aimed at the over 50's! When all the little changes start to come together it might be enough to change the balance so that your pots is controlled and manageable.
Good luck Emma with your college and all the very best for the future. Keep on being yourself, you are so refreshing and when I remember watching your narrowboat vlogs from a few years ago, I realised you are a really special person. You've come long way. Keep it going Emma, you can do it.
Thanks for the explanation on POTS, While that is what I used to describe how I felt when I was really sick it mostly went away but now I’m seeing all those symptoms again, I guess I’ll have to go to the doctor and see what they say.
Hi Emma its so good to get diagnosed so you know how to deal with it and keep your health. You will do great. The exciting thing is that you are going to college in a couple of days so that is something to concentrate on. Keep us all posted. You were a star on the river and an example to many others your age. By the way your hair looks great, although it always did but fun to have a change. Take care and good luck with everything.
Hi Emma, Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear of the health issues that you are dealing with, but glad that they figured out what it is and you are making a plan to manage it going forward. Good Luck in college! Looking forward to your updates.
It's really nice to see you again up and about. Sorry about the discovery that you have POTS, but groovy news that you are on top of it to help try to manage it. Super good news that you are going to college and that you will be studying things that you love. I trust your dear mother is doing well. She is a sweet lady. Remember, to not work to hard at one time, stay safe and stay healthy, and perhaps post some of your artwork on TH-cam from time to time.
Hi Emma, Sorry to hear about your health. I went on the same health journey that you’re just starting. I kept having episodes like yours and was being tested for POTS. Cardiology might ask to implant a Reveal device in your chest to remote monitor your heart. Don’t worry about it , it took about an hour from start to finish to get it implanted, it’s also Bluetoothed to your phone so that you can record a diary of any events. I was also recommended to wear compression socks to reduce fluid buildup in my legs, and to increase upper body blood flow. They work, not the greatest to look at but then again I’m in trousers all day so don’t care :-) Was also told to eat little and often , preferably carry peanut health bars as the sugar binder gives you that immediate energy boost while the peanuts give a longer boost. Beta blockers are fine, I have a daughter with cardiac issues and she’s had to take them for the last 30yrs. She’s under the cardiac team at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, very experienced crew. My diagnosis turned out to be 2 hereditary illnesses that thankfully none of my kids inherited .Regarding Fitbits etc, compare it to your oxyometer and see if it is consistently the same amount out each time, mine reads 10BPM different each time from my own oxyometer , so knowing that it’s a good tool to have when you’re out as you can compensate for the difference and know what is going on. Good luck on your college courses and all the best for your health
Thank you so much for all that information. I do wear compression socks and eat little and often and take salt tablets. Just waiting for cardiologist appointment which may take some time 😀
Good morning Emma. Nice to see your face again. I'm pleased they have diagnosed your main problem, athough you say there is no easy cure and it may be question of learning to live with it. I'll be thinking of you. Best wishes from Lionel.
I hope your health challenges are stabilising now. Sounds a wise move to move on land. Not easy to deal with health appointments living on a boat. Take care, lovely to see you again. X
Hi Emma ,I was just watching a narrowboat vlog and thought of you when your update popped up, so good to see you , best of luck at collage and with your health 🙂
Hey Emma! Good that you have some clues as to what has been going on with your health. I'm sure your healthcare team can come up with a treatment regime to help you maintain your health and continue your college experience. I know you must be super excited about college, and the courses you'll be able to attend. Will you be living on campus or staying at home with mum? How are the animals? Good to see that you have a rollator. I have one too, for cardiac and spinal issues. They do help a ton when you need to sit down and rest, or just need that little extra support when moving about. When you see the cardiologist, they can get you some better monitoring equipment for the POTS, or even if they determine you have something different. There is equipment that can monitor you throughout the day and it will upload your data to the doctor's office everyday so they can examine what your heart and even breathing are doing. I hope you have a good doctor, if you're in doubt, ask questions. Make a list of questions to take with you for the visit. I have a tendency to blank out and forget the odd question or two and only remember them once I get back home. If you're not satisfied with the doc, don't hesitate to get another down the road. Best wishes for the college experience!
So good to see you all grown up. Sorry to hear about your health problems. Follow the Doctors they know best. I wish you all the best in your college adventure. I know you will do great. Blessings on you.
your no-nonsense approach to video and narrowboating was why I would come back. I am sorry to hear of your problems, you are young, so hopefully it all works out! Would love to see you get back on the water when and if you can.
I hope your diagnosis went well - There are many great medications out there and I hope one or more can be found to help you live as normal a life as possible. Good luck!
Thank you for sharing your update. We have some of the same symptoms! I've had to have iron infusions (a specific formulation) for my anemia and I'm also on a beta blocker as well. One of my hydration tricks is to have a routine and depending on the time of day, I switch beverages so I don't get tired of one over the other. ALSO I recently learned that many teas will prevent me from absorbing iron when I drink it with meals. Might ask your doctor about that if you're a tea drinker.
I have this. We used to have to stand in school assembly but I couldn't do it - after standing there for more than a couple of minutes, my heart rate would shoot up, I would start sweating heavily and I would start to feel faint. I felt I had to sit down very soon or I would indeed faint. Then, when I started commuting to work, I found I couldn't stand on a train for more than 10 minutes; the same thing happened. I had a 24-hour ecg and the doctor said, after looking at the results, that there was nothing to be concerned about(!). Anyway, I feel for you; I know what you're going through.
Thanks for the update ,Emma. Good to see the comments on again . When you were moving off the boat your mum suggested that the channel should have a name change,glad to see it was not though I thought maybe a slight change to narrowboat girl -ashore could be considered . One other question now you do not have a canal post address is there,a way of sending you a,christmas card or birthday card,perhaps to a post office box?
Soo nice to see you again! Good to hear you are able to figure out what to do with your health situation. 🤗Also college, a new chapter of life, especially after a long time home schooling. But i am sure you will do well.
Hello Emma.....I'm sure you are already aware of this but thought I would offer this information. Endurance Exercise is a very good therapy for Pots Syndrome. By increasing your stamina, your body fights against the disease resulting in a more normal life. Wishing you the very best. Mark in Florida.
Wow, I wasn't aware that it was as serious as it is. It's good to see you have a positive attitude facing these challenges. I truly wish you the best in terms of navigating your way forward. Hopefully you'll find some workarounds and ways to mitigate the effects and increase the quality of life. Fair winds and following seas Emma.
Hey Emma! God you have grown up so much! Love the black hair. We have heard a lot about POTS since we’re part of the heart community ourselves, it’s a lot to deal with at such a young age. I’m glad you found out what it is, and hope it doesn’t stop you thriving ! I hope your first day of college went well and the rest of the year for you too! Dawn-louise can’t stand on public transport either and uses the sunflower lanyard it definitley helps to get people to understand The finger clip pulse ox’s can be so temperamental, look into the anp300’s they’re expensive but so much better If you ever want to talk to someone who get’s the heart struggle, do reach out to Dawn-louise or myself ❤
Sorry to hear the news Emma, but lik you said, its goiod to know whats goign on and how to deal with it. College is a blast! Im so excited for you. Great to see you on video
Emma, no it was not what you wanted to hear, but it was what you wanted to hear, at least you know why you feel like you do, stay strong and be happy, hope college goes well, look forward to seeing you're next update, big healing hugs to you and your mum!
I had to laugh when you said beta blockers being a short-term thing. I've been on them for over 10 years. 🤣 The one I'm on does slow the heart rate - in order to lower my blood pressure - but when I was first on it, it slowed my pulse a little too much and I had a few funny "turns" and was put on ambulatory monitoring for a week so they could see what my old pump was doing. They may well suggest that for you so they can get a record of what is going on with your heart. Hopefully they can sort it all out for you so you can get on with your life.
Hi sorry to hear you have POTS I have it and am sure you will be fine. I have to be careful standing up for any length of time. Hope college goes well for you. Nice video thank you 😊 😊😊
Hi Emma I sent a comment but it seems it wasn't delivered.I was just wondering how you and your mum are doing.I am so sorry to hear about your health issues hope they can get you on the right medication soon.hope you enjoy your collage your photography was very good before so maybe that's the way to go some of your photos were amazing wishing you all the luck in the world in everything you do hope mum is ok stay safe and take care both of you 🌹✌️ xx
It feels very strange (but in a nice way) being able to comment on one of your videos Emma ! Hope starting at college goes well - I'm sure you'll soon settle into a routine. Thanks for the detailed update ❤
Thank you for the update. I thought about you and your mother once in a while wondering how you were doing suffering from similar situation's or health problems it can be tough sometime keep your chin up and enjoy college.
nice to see you ,sorry to hear about your health pleased your getting the help you need,all the best with you collage art and photography your talented in those two already so you be ok,i did photography ,hi to your mum ,hope she is well,take care
Hi Emma , so good to see you again , but really sad that you have these symptoms that are affecting your day to day life so much , especially when you're at the age you should be so full of beans and energy . Hope you are able to cope at college and very best of luck on your course .
Hi Emma, great to hear that you are going to get proper information about your condition, take it easy, don´t overdo things, we only have one Emma Narrowboat Girl and we definitely wish for you to be as healthy as possible. Will cross my fingers and keep you in my thoughts too. Greetings from Gothenburg, Sweden.
Hang in NBG! It’s really tough and inconvenient when things go wrong. I regret that you are not alone with with the other conditions you have, apart from POTS. Late onset Diabetes is my beef, apart from autism, and trust me, I empathise with absolutely all your symptoms. Don’t forget that you are cherished by your family and friends. Instead of a narrow boat, my home is a 34ft yacht. A bit too wide and deep for uk waterways and the 40’ mast gets in the way…
Very sorry to hear about your condition. At least it has been diagnosed and you can act on the cardiologist's advice. Beta blockers usually have to be taken long term and drain some of the energy from you. There are techniques that can help slow down your heart rate safely if you suddenly have a heightened pulse rate (apart from sitting down of course), e.g. rubbing your eyes, coughing hard two or three times, drinking a glass of cold water (yes), breathing in deeply and releasing the breath slowly. General fitness is also important. There is a cycle path from Liverpool to Southport - maybe you could try it out, or just spin in the gym. Good luck at college!
Hi Emma, so nice to hear from you again, albeit not all great, but at least you now have some confirmation on your medical problem and I know that with your confidence and determination, you will do well at college. Your chosen subjects are what you are good at and what interests you, so the future is looking up. Smash it Emma... ❤
Emma I'm so very sorry to hear that you're going through all that, hopefully the doctors will be able to find something that will help you. Hope your mum and your pets are doing good. Good luck in college i'm sure you'll do good because you're pretty smart. Hope to hear from you again soon and it's all good news !!!! Bye
Wow, I found you during lockdown and watched your channel regularly, just catching up on you now after quite a while and you have totally changed (don’t just mean your hair 🤣) hope all turns out well. Take care 👌
I hope you have a great time at college and that you can not let your heslth issues impact too much on your life. Looking forwsrd to another update soon!
Your symptoms could be attributed to nerve damage by Covid, leading to dysautonomia, which in turn leads to POTS. To reverse nerve damage magnesiumglycinate (300 mg /day), n-acetylcystein (800 mg/dag) and vitamins B1, B6 and B12 are essential. Autonomic nervous disorders are often associated with B12 deficiency and can sometimes be partially reversed. Please see a neurologist. Best of luck !
Good evening Emma,
As a person with several degrees, and also taught at a local college for 10 years, here are a few bits of advise.
1. College is NOT a race. Only take a college class load that you can handle. Take too many, at the same time, and it will overwhelmed you and cause failure and depression.
2. Always find the "Student Success Centers". Almost every school I have attended, or taught at, has them. They are full of help and tutors for every course you take. DO NOT wait until you are falling behind. Visit every day if you can. It is better to be proactive in you studies than reactive.
3. Always take at least one course a semester that you really enjoy. It helps the weeks go better.
4, Never put off studying to another day if you can do it today. That is a bad habit and it will result in overload at the end of the semester. See #1.
5. Never be hesitant to say you don't understand something and seek help. Don't wait! If you do not understand something, it will only compound the problem as the days pass. So much of what you will learn next week depends on you understanding what you were taught this week. Miss or don't understand something in week 2, you will be really lost in week 3, and in really deep hole by week 4 with no way out of it.
6. Sleep. Do not do all nighters. That goes for studying as well and partying. You must be awake and alert in class. If are not, you will miss the subtle clues your instructors are giving the class.
And Lastly,
7.Make friends with your instructors, department heads and the department staff. They are all here to help you and will go the extra mile if they know you and you have been honest as well as nice to them.
Do not limit your being nice just to your department. One school I attended, the cafeteria lady was the mother of the Accounting Department's Chair. I got to know her before he introduced himself to me. Over the remaining 3 years of my study there, we became close friends and he even setup a desk in his office just for me.
Good luck with your studies.
Steven
This is rock-solid advice, Emma - I'd encourage you to heed it! Best of luck :)
Very good advice. Can't remember who said it or brought it to light, but "the only stupid question is the one you didn't ask". All the best in you studies.
+1 - College is often seen as a competition between students. Don't fall into that trap! Find other students who want to work together, and help each other succeed. Study hard, but make sure to take time for yourself (for whatever reason.) It is your life, and don't let anything or anyone control that. Best of luck, and best wishes always! p.s. Hearing you say "So, let's go!" has given me a big smile for years now 😊
You taught at college and don't know the verb advise from the noun advice? That is disturbing!
@@SpeccyMan I think this is because he may be from the US. He also refers to semesters and spells centres as centers. Where a lot of the advice appears to be sound, some of the things may not apply in the UK. College in the US is far different from college in the UK and is akin to university, so it is on a different level.
Hi Emma - however challenging the next few months might be, I’m sure you’re in the best place now for your family, friends and college to see you through. I can imagine how much of a disappointment it was to leave your former boat life, but it would have been so much more difficult for you to manage with the health conditions you describe. Keep looking forward and enjoy college!
Lovely to see an update of how you are getting along. I miss your boat videos, but everything has a season and that was a lovely time for and your Mum.
I hope you are able to control your pots and that you love your time at college. Love to some of your art projects from time to time 🎨😘
We always enjoyed your narrow boat videos, and it’s good to hear the things your doing now, we wish you well for the future 👍
Thank you so much for this post. I have missed you very much. All the best. Love you. ❤❤❤ 🇬🇧🇺🇸
Looking good fine lady. Praying for you! I've got chronic AFib with my heart condition. So great to hear more about you. Take care and God bless!!!
I never diagnose, but I am 73 diagnosed with ehlers-danlos syndrome. Easy testing through genetics. You are a perfect match!
Wishing you the very best always, Emma.
My daughter has had bouts of tachycardia. Staying hydrated as best you can seems to help. Peace young lady.
We have been following you since you started. We live in America but lived in Harrogate and Ripon in Yorkshire in the 70's. Good Luck on College.
Sorry to hear of your health issues. You are in a good supportive environment and knowing that your collage will help is great. I hope you can show us some of your art and photos. Best of luck to you and mum.
Thanks for the update and excellent explanations. All the best as you move forward.
as Dory says….. 🎶just keep swimming, swimming, swimming🎵… I have several cardiac issues too.. just follow your Dr’s medical advice and do the best you can do💜
Good luck with school
I am so glad to hear from you. I have enjoyed your post for several years. God bless you and your mom.
Your strength has always be there, even back in the Narrow Boat Days. Proud of you, Keep on Being you.
Great to see you still smiling Emma..... Stay strong and enjoy your Collage.....Love to Mum... :-)) xx
I wish you well. Keep safe and well young lady.
Hi Emma, thanks for the update. It still cracks me when you say 'Lets Go' 😊😊
So sorry to hear about your health problems Emma, lovely to see you again been a long time. All the best from David on Narrow boat Bumble oh tell mum my batteries are ok 😃🦆
Glad you’ve got a diagnoses for your not feeling well. Thanks for posting and sharing with us.
Still miss the regular narrowboat videos (love the canals) but good to see you’re enjoying being “back on land”.
Take care and good luck with college and everything.
I'm glad you figured it out! Never apologize for using the handicapped seats on the tube. They are there for YOU!
WOW think of all the lock gates you used to do narrow boating . good luck at college..stay safe..victor..
Hi Emma
So glad to hear you’re making progress as to what has been wrong. It must be a relief to finally know. Also, wishing you loads of luck with college. You’re so dedicated I’m sure you will do really well. All the very best to you both.
Sorry to hear that Emma. Thank you for letting us all know. You have a very positive attitude about life I’m pretty sure if anyone can handle the situation then you can. Let us all know how you fare and wow college seems very exciting. Looking forward to updates. Take good care and best wishes to Mum
Best of luck with everything Emma. You are an inspirational positive person.
To help with pots you can try cutting out onions, garlic, leeks, chives and other alliums as they can have a slight negative effect on red blood cells and platelets (obviously they (the vegetables) are also very toxic to cats and dogs who have less of the enzymes to detoxify them than we do). I think 6 weeks is needed to see if there is a worthwhile effect but try a week first.
Building up strength and fitness could be very helpful as it creates new blood vessels and makes the existing ones springier. Eccentric exercises are very good for this which means focusing on slowly lowering weights rather than lifting them (start very light and build up gradually).
If pots gets in the way of exercising you could try exercising lying down. You can actually use an exercise bike whilst lying on a mat behind it. You can do some gentle weight exercises with your arms at the same time to alleviate the boredom (I'd suggest NOT using pairs of weights so you alternate between arms which avoids spiking your blood pressure).
I think pots is about your body losing the ability to regulate blood pressure so its either high or low with nothing in between. The good news is you can retrain the response by improving your strength and exercising at different levels of intensity (gentle and moderate) but avoiding high intensity unless/until you have fully recovered!
The really important thing is start slow and aim for a level you can do every day (with the occasional day off). Build it up really gradually if necessary so you might do a month at one level and then slightly increase it for another month and so on.
For those who feel they can't do any exercise then the eccentric exercises can be adapted in to daily life for example doing a slow (3-5 seconds) sit into a chair each time you sit down (dining chair is best, low chairs best avoided). Also you can use a step and just take 3-5 seconds to go down it (use the bottom step and don't do it if you feel unstable!). There are videos on youtube about this but mostly aimed at the over 50's!
When all the little changes start to come together it might be enough to change the balance so that your pots is controlled and manageable.
Good luck Emma with your college and all the very best for the future. Keep on being yourself, you are so refreshing and when I remember watching your narrowboat vlogs from a few years ago, I realised you are a really special person. You've come long way. Keep it going Emma, you can do it.
Thanks for the explanation on POTS, While that is what I used to describe how I felt when I was really sick it mostly went away but now I’m seeing all those symptoms again, I guess I’ll have to go to the doctor and see what they say.
Hey Emma, great to hear from, tough news, but I want to wish you all the best for the next steps. You take care. Hope your Mum is keeping well.
Hi Emma its so good to get diagnosed so you know how to deal with it and keep your health. You will do great. The exciting thing is that you are going to college in a couple of days so that is something to concentrate on. Keep us all posted. You were a star on the river and an example to many others your age. By the way your hair looks great, although it always did but fun to have a change. Take care and good luck with everything.
Thanks for the update. Good luck with college!
Sending very warmest good wishes for your health diagnosis & treatment, & best of luck, learning, fun & new friendships at college. 💚😃
Praying for you Emma . You’re such a sweet person, stay strong hon
Hi Emma,
Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear of the health issues that you are dealing with, but glad that they figured out what it is and you are making a plan to manage it going forward. Good Luck in college! Looking forward to your updates.
Praying for your health, Emma!
It's really nice to see you again up and about. Sorry about the discovery that you have POTS, but groovy news that you are on top of it to help try to manage it. Super good news that you are going to college and that you will be studying things that you love. I trust your dear mother is doing well. She is a sweet lady. Remember, to not work to hard at one time, stay safe and stay healthy, and perhaps post some of your artwork on TH-cam from time to time.
I had that done Electrocardiogram I had to get it done at Wansbeck Hospital in Ashington in Northumberland
Wishing you all the best Emma - for your health and the start of college. You've got this girl
Hi Emma,
Sorry to hear about your health. I went on the same health journey that you’re just starting. I kept having episodes like yours and was being tested for POTS. Cardiology might ask to implant a Reveal device in your chest to remote monitor your heart. Don’t worry about it , it took about an hour from start to finish to get it implanted, it’s also Bluetoothed to your phone so that you can record a diary of any events. I was also recommended to wear compression socks to reduce fluid buildup in my legs, and to increase upper body blood flow. They work, not the greatest to look at but then again I’m in trousers all day so don’t care :-)
Was also told to eat little and often , preferably carry peanut health bars as the sugar binder gives you that immediate energy boost while the peanuts give a longer boost.
Beta blockers are fine, I have a daughter with cardiac issues and she’s had to take them for the last 30yrs. She’s under the cardiac team at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, very experienced crew.
My diagnosis turned out to be 2 hereditary illnesses that thankfully none of my kids inherited .Regarding Fitbits etc, compare it to your oxyometer and see if it is consistently the same amount out each time, mine reads 10BPM different each time from my own oxyometer , so knowing that it’s a good tool to have when you’re out as you can compensate for the difference and know what is going on.
Good luck on your college courses and all the best for your health
Thank you so much for all that information. I do wear compression socks and eat little and often and take salt tablets. Just waiting for cardiologist appointment which may take some time 😀
I hope the doctor can solve your health problem. Take care Emma
Good morning Emma. Nice to see your face again. I'm pleased they have diagnosed your main problem, athough you say there is no easy cure and it may be question of learning to live with it. I'll be thinking of you. Best wishes from Lionel.
I hope your health challenges are stabilising now. Sounds a wise move to move on land. Not easy to deal with health appointments living on a boat. Take care, lovely to see you again. X
Such a brave child. Wishing you the best.
Hi Emma ,I was just watching a narrowboat vlog and thought of you when your update popped up, so good to see you , best of luck at collage and with your health 🙂
Sorry to hear that you have these problems at a young age. Hope you soon find some solutions to make your life easier and better.
Hey Emma!
Good that you have some clues as to what has been going on with your health. I'm sure your healthcare team can come up with a treatment regime to help you maintain your health and continue your college experience.
I know you must be super excited about college, and the courses you'll be able to attend. Will you be living on campus or staying at home with mum? How are the animals?
Good to see that you have a rollator. I have one too, for cardiac and spinal issues. They do help a ton when you need to sit down and rest, or just need that little extra support when moving about.
When you see the cardiologist, they can get you some better monitoring equipment for the POTS, or even if they determine you have something different. There is equipment that can monitor you throughout the day and it will upload your data to the doctor's office everyday so they can examine what your heart and even breathing are doing. I hope you have a good doctor, if you're in doubt, ask questions. Make a list of questions to take with you for the visit. I have a tendency to blank out and forget the odd question or two and only remember them once I get back home. If you're not satisfied with the doc, don't hesitate to get another down the road.
Best wishes for the college experience!
Thanks that’s great advice. I will be living at home whilst at college
So good to see you all grown up. Sorry to hear about your health problems. Follow the Doctors they know best. I wish you all the best in your college adventure. I know you will do great. Blessings on you.
your no-nonsense approach to video and narrowboating was why I would come back. I am sorry to hear of your problems, you are young, so hopefully it all works out! Would love to see you get back on the water when and if you can.
I hope your diagnosis went well - There are many great medications out there and I hope one or more can be found to help you live as normal a life as possible. Good luck!
thanks for the update and good luck with starting college!
Good on ya lass good to here you av got a diagnosis and you know how to manage it hope you and ya mom are ok and the pets.. have a Top week🙂🎥✌️
Thank you for sharing your update. We have some of the same symptoms! I've had to have iron infusions (a specific formulation) for my anemia and I'm also on a beta blocker as well. One of my hydration tricks is to have a routine and depending on the time of day, I switch beverages so I don't get tired of one over the other. ALSO I recently learned that many teas will prevent me from absorbing iron when I drink it with meals. Might ask your doctor about that if you're a tea drinker.
I have this. We used to have to stand in school assembly but I couldn't do it - after standing there for more than a couple of minutes, my heart rate would shoot up, I would start sweating heavily and I would start to feel faint. I felt I had to sit down very soon or I would indeed faint. Then, when I started commuting to work, I found I couldn't stand on a train for more than 10 minutes; the same thing happened. I had a 24-hour ecg and the doctor said, after looking at the results, that there was nothing to be concerned about(!). Anyway, I feel for you; I know what you're going through.
Thanks for the update ,Emma.
Good to see the comments on again .
When you were moving off the boat your mum suggested that the channel should have a name change,glad to see it was not though I thought maybe a slight change to narrowboat girl -ashore could be considered .
One other question now you do not have a canal post address is there,a way of sending you a,christmas card or birthday card,perhaps to a post office box?
Hello Emma, Love the new hair color. Sorry to hear about your health problems.
Hope you enjoy your college classes. Keep us posted.
Soo nice to see you again! Good to hear you are able to figure out what to do with your health situation. 🤗Also college, a new chapter of life, especially after a long time home schooling. But i am sure you will do well.
Good luck at college, you will love it. Love your hair, you look amazing !!
Hello Emma.....I'm sure you are already aware of this but thought I would offer this information. Endurance Exercise is a very good therapy for Pots Syndrome. By increasing your stamina, your body fights against the disease resulting in a more normal life. Wishing you the very best. Mark in Florida.
best of help and health, young lady
Nice to see you back, take care, I wish you all the best, lots of greetings from Italy
Wow, I wasn't aware that it was as serious as it is. It's good to see you have a positive attitude facing these challenges. I truly wish you the best in terms of navigating your way forward. Hopefully you'll find some workarounds and ways to mitigate the effects and increase the quality of life. Fair winds and following seas Emma.
Just: all the best for college, health and the general future!
Any advice I might give has already been given - so: you have my very best wishes!
Have your self some fun in college , great little vlog Emma 👌👍👍👍👍
Hey Emma! God you have grown up so much! Love the black hair.
We have heard a lot about POTS since we’re part of the heart community ourselves, it’s a lot to deal with at such a young age.
I’m glad you found out what it is, and hope it doesn’t stop you thriving !
I hope your first day of college went well and the rest of the year for you too!
Dawn-louise can’t stand on public transport either and uses the sunflower lanyard it definitley helps to get people to understand
The finger clip pulse ox’s can be so temperamental, look into the anp300’s they’re expensive but so much better
If you ever want to talk to someone who get’s the heart struggle, do reach out to Dawn-louise or myself ❤
Thank you so much ❤️
Sorry to hear the news Emma, but lik you said, its goiod to know whats goign on and how to deal with it. College is a blast! Im so excited for you. Great to see you on video
Emma, no it was not what you wanted to hear, but it was what you wanted to hear, at least you know why you feel like you do, stay strong and be happy, hope college goes well, look forward to seeing you're next update, big healing hugs to you and your mum!
I had to laugh when you said beta blockers being a short-term thing. I've been on them for over 10 years. 🤣
The one I'm on does slow the heart rate - in order to lower my blood pressure - but when I was first on it, it slowed my pulse a little too much and I had a few funny "turns" and was put on ambulatory monitoring for a week so they could see what my old pump was doing. They may well suggest that for you so they can get a record of what is going on with your heart. Hopefully they can sort it all out for you so you can get on with your life.
Hi sorry to hear you have POTS I have it and am sure you will be fine. I have to be careful standing up for any length of time. Hope college goes well for you. Nice video thank you 😊 😊😊
Pleased to hear how you are doing, Emma. Good luck with college. Take care sweetheart. Viktoria Rotenbourg-Benson.
Hi Emma I sent a comment but it seems it wasn't delivered.I was just wondering how you and your mum are doing.I am so sorry to hear about your health issues hope they can get you on the right medication soon.hope you enjoy your collage your photography was very good before so maybe that's the way to go some of your photos were amazing wishing you all the luck in the world in everything you do hope mum is ok stay safe and take care both of you 🌹✌️ xx
Thank you 😀
It feels very strange (but in a nice way) being able to comment on one of your videos Emma !
Hope starting at college goes well - I'm sure you'll soon settle into a routine. Thanks for the detailed update ❤
Thank you for the update. I thought about you and your mother once in a while wondering how you were doing suffering from similar situation's or health problems it can be tough sometime keep your chin up and enjoy college.
nice to see you ,sorry to hear about your health pleased your getting the help you need,all the best with you collage art and photography your talented in those two already so you be ok,i did photography ,hi to your mum ,hope she is well,take care
Hi Emma , so good to see you again , but really sad that you have these symptoms that are affecting your day to day life so much , especially when you're at the age you should be so full of beans and energy . Hope you are able to cope at college and very best of luck on your course .
Hope you have an amazing time at college, was good to hear the update .
Wish you all the best for All your things you are pllaning, and I hope your health will be better somehow/ sometimes
Hope your health is getting better and have great Christmas and happy new year..
Looking forward to your study videos hehe. Take care of yourself. Best of luck with school.
I always figured you would be so fit because you did all the locks back in the day,hope you can fit your way out of this.
Good see you put vid out thank four your upfaye thanks Lee
Sorry to hear about your health, steer clear of Beta blockers for goodness sake, all the best starting college, good luck Emma.😊
Hi Emma, great to hear that you are going to get proper information about your condition, take it easy, don´t overdo things, we only have one Emma Narrowboat Girl and we definitely wish for you to be as healthy as possible. Will cross my fingers and keep you in my thoughts too. Greetings from Gothenburg, Sweden.
Hang in NBG! It’s really tough and inconvenient when things go wrong. I regret that you are not alone with with the other conditions you have, apart from POTS. Late onset Diabetes is my beef, apart from autism, and trust me, I empathise with absolutely all your symptoms. Don’t forget that you are cherished by your family and friends. Instead of a narrow boat, my home is a 34ft yacht. A bit too wide and deep for uk waterways and the 40’ mast gets in the way…
It's great to see your positivity. Enjoy college and don't let the "pots" get the better of you!☺☺
Good to see you Emma 😊
So nice to see you! Sorry you've been having some health issues. 😮 I have, too. It's hard, isn't it? Are fitbits really helpful? Take care.
Very sorry to hear about your condition. At least it has been diagnosed and you can act on the cardiologist's advice. Beta blockers usually have to be taken long term and drain some of the energy from you. There are techniques that can help slow down your heart rate safely if you suddenly have a heightened pulse rate (apart from sitting down of course), e.g. rubbing your eyes, coughing hard two or three times, drinking a glass of cold water (yes), breathing in deeply and releasing the breath slowly. General fitness is also important. There is a cycle path from Liverpool to Southport - maybe you could try it out, or just spin in the gym. Good luck at college!
Hey Emma good to see you ... Good luck in college. Enjoy it.
Hi Emma, I hope all gets sorted out with you. I miss you and your mum on the cut.
Thanks we miss you too 😀
Hi Emma, so nice to hear from you again, albeit not all great, but at least you now have some confirmation on your medical problem and I know that with your confidence and determination, you will do well at college. Your chosen subjects are what you are good at and what interests you, so the future is looking up.
Smash it Emma... ❤
Good luck with all of this ! I am sure you will do well.
Emma I'm so very sorry to hear that you're going through all that, hopefully the doctors will be able to find something that will help you. Hope your mum and your pets are doing good. Good luck in college i'm sure you'll do good because you're pretty smart. Hope to hear from you again soon and it's all good news !!!! Bye
Congradulations, on your colledge enrolment. Sorry to hear about your "POTS" diagnosis but hang in there girl your seem to be doin great..
Wow, I found you during lockdown and watched your channel regularly, just catching up on you now after quite a while and you have totally changed (don’t just mean your hair 🤣) hope all turns out well. Take care 👌
Dear Emma body you get well fast for her because a lot of people and Animals that know of have her in their hearts and that some good medicine.
Sorry to hear that you have not been feeling so good recently. I hope you work out how to deal with it soon, for the longer term.
Hi EMMA I WISH YOU WELL GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR COLLEGE WORK.
I hope you have a great time at college and that you can not let your heslth issues impact too much on your life. Looking forwsrd to another update soon!
Your symptoms could be attributed to nerve damage by Covid, leading to dysautonomia, which in turn leads to POTS.
To reverse nerve damage magnesiumglycinate (300 mg /day), n-acetylcystein (800 mg/dag) and vitamins B1, B6 and B12 are essential.
Autonomic nervous disorders are often associated with B12 deficiency and can sometimes be partially reversed.
Please see a neurologist. Best of luck !
All the best to you health wise and I hope college is wonderful!