A healthy woman named Lindsay began experiencing unusual symptoms that left her feeling uneasy, sparking a lengthy and challenging journey to receive a diagnosis. At the age of 27, Lindsay was living a normal life when an unexpected event set off a chain of events that would change her life.
During a simple outing, Lindsay had a fainting spell while on the subway. Although initially alarming, she didn’t think it pointed to a serious issue. However, as she began to feel as though she was concussed in the days following, she decided to visit her primary care physician.
Expecting answers, Lindsay was met with normal bloodwork results, aside from low blood pressure, and was referred to a blood pressure specialist. Despite this, she still had no explanation for her fainting and worsening condition.
Lindsay described feeling disoriented and cognitively “spaced out” in conversations with friends, which only worsened over time. She shared her experience with The Patient Story, saying, “I felt my body shutting down, which was, again, something I’ve never experienced in my life. And it all started with this one fainting episode.”
Her situation worsened, as she found it difficult to climb stairs and was highly sensitive to noise. Despite visiting a specialist and undergoing tests, Lindsay’s internal health appeared fine despite her symptoms, including low energy and weight loss.
Another specialist suggested an eating disorder and prescribed antidepressants, initially suspecting Addison’s disease due to symptoms of drained adrenal glands. When tests for Addison’s came back negative, the focus shifted to an eating disorder.
Lindsay’s search for answers took her to various specialists, including a neurologist, cardiologist, and holistic doctor. One specialist even implied her issues were psychological, suggesting therapy. However, a holistic doctor identified elevated markers indicating inflammation, validating Lindsay’s concerns.
Ultimately, she was diagnosed with POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a condition affecting heart rate and causing dizziness and fatigue. The Cleveland Clinic explains it as a condition causing symptoms when moving from lying down to standing. Despite the diagnosis, Lindsay’s journey was not over.
Further examinations, including an ultrasound of her neck and heart, revealed thyroid nodules that were malignant. Lindsay was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which had spread to her lymph nodes, leading to a swift decision to remove her thyroid.
Now, she shares her experience to raise awareness about the challenges of diagnosing invisible illnesses. Lindsay emphasizes the importance of being heard, stating, “I felt like I wasn’t being heard, and that’s the issue with invisible illness is that people can’t see it.”