Health • The Dreaming Panda • Page 10

Can Hamburgers Stop Flares?

Published on November 16, 2015 by DreamingPanda2 Comments

I’ll be the first one to admit that there’s pretty much nothing good about having flares or having to take all of the antibiotics and other medications that I take. But, sometimes, in the craziness of it all, I just have to laugh at my circumstances—especially when there’s a hamburger on my bottle of Cefdinir, which I only acquired because of a flare…

After five days of an increased Prednisone dose the other week, I was starting to come out of the mud of depression and brain fog. I almost thought I was okay. My psychiatrist had me double my Wellbutrin to help what was left of the depression, and I was almost hoping that would be enough.

But then the PANDA bear grabbed me again. Continue reading “Can Hamburgers Stop Flares?” →

PANDAS, Described in 1 Word

Published on November 9, 2015 by DreamingPanda1 Comment

"Sometimes I just get terrified." 17-year-old me unknowingly describing PANDAS. — “Sometimes I just get terrified,” said 17-year-old me at the beginning of this exacerbation.

To be faced with PANDAS is to have a lot of debilitating symptoms and feelings all at once that, in essence, make you lose who you are. There is much to say about what it feels like to have PANDAS, but if I had to sum up my experience in one word, I would say…

Terror.

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Why I Run in the Rain

Published on November 2, 2015 by DreamingPanda4 Comments

My PANDAS is a rain storm that seems it will never stop... — My PANDAS is a rain storm that sometimes seems it will never stop…

It’s 8 AM on a Saturday, and rather than sleeping in as you might expect for a college student, I’m lacing up my running shoes and getting ready to bolt across town.

However, this weekend, when I opened my blinds, I almost pulled the covers back over me; I saw it was raining with no sign of stopping.

I’d never run in the rain before, and the mere idea of it caused the shivers. I had so much homework, and the only time I had to spare was in the morning. But I love running so much. How could I let a little bad weather keep me from it?

Continue reading “Why I Run in the Rain” →

Why PANDAS Awareness Matters

Published on October 8, 2015July 1, 2023 by DreamingPanda11 Comments

As I made my way through the halls to my neurologist’s office last May, I stopped in my tracks as I saw a face I recognized. She was receiving IVIG and roaming the halls hooked up to an IV bag pole, accompanied by her mother and a nurse. She was exhausted. There was no light in her eyes. She had a sense of burden and deep sadness about her that penetrated to the depths of her soul.

Once you’ve seen the face of a child with PANDAS, you can never forget it.

Continue reading “Why PANDAS Awareness Matters” →

Why I’m Better, Not Over It

Published on September 28, 2015 by DreamingPanda9 Comments

This week, I woke up and cried.

99% of the time, I focus on how wonderful it is to be in remission, and I don’t allow myself to think about how awful my life used to be. I don’t let myself feel sorry for myself. I try to not dwell on the past. But several nights per week, I have nightmares—most of which revolve around everything that happened to me. And these are what break me.

Continue reading “Why I’m Better, Not Over It” →

ADHD: The Struggle Is Real

Published on September 21, 2015 by DreamingPanda4 Comments

It’s 3 AM on a Saturday night, and I’m not even close to being ready to sleep. Am I out late partying like some other college students? No, I’m unwillingly sitting on the couch doing nothing and putting off going to bed for no good reason, after trying and failing to get any homework done all day long.

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Why I’m Glad I Got Sick

Published on September 14, 2015 by DreamingPanda2 Comments

It was the first full week of class, and just like Freshman year, I had gotten sick. My body ached. My head pounded. I felt exhausted.

When you have PANS, getting sick is often far worse than just feeling tired and congested—in the past, a simple virus could send me into a full-blown flare of severe OCD, panic attacks, involuntary movements, and even hallucinations. So naturally, when my nose started running last week, all I could think about was how much I didn’t want to flare. I couldn’t have cared less about the cold symptoms themselves.

Continue reading “Why I’m Glad I Got Sick” →

The New Me… Maskless

Published on September 7, 2015 by DreamingPanda5 Comments

Getting better is like taking off a mask... — Recovering from PANS is like taking off a mask…

A few days ago, as I strapped on my backpack and headed out the door for the first day of the school year, I couldn’t help but be excited to start my first semester as a healthy person. How wonderful it would be to do college without debilitating neurological symptoms!

As I’ve said in previous posts, I never know how ill and out-of-it I’ve been until I get better. While I’ve always known when there was something “off” about me, I’ve not always been aware of the severity of it at the time—by definition, this is partly what made me “out-of-it.” The more I’ve recovered, the more of myself I’ve realized I’d lost to PANS.

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Why This Year Isn’t Last Year

Published on August 31, 2015 by DreamingPanda4 Comments

Time to Pull Out the Textbooks Again... — Time to pull out the textbooks again…

This week, I’ll be starting my third year of college. While this may not seem like a big deal, to me, it feels like a miracle, considering how sick I was just a couple months ago.

I’ve been doing very well ever since my tonsillectomy. However, it’s one thing to be well while resting at home and taking it easy; it’s another to stay well while keeping up with academics and everything else that goes along with college. My remaining symptoms could interfere tremendously with school work: difficulty concentrating, reading comprehension issues, task inflexibility, and some other executive function problems. How can anyone do college with these symptoms?

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Am I Twenty or Twelve?

Published on August 24, 2015 by DreamingPanda3 Comments

P1030195-small — A flower is mature, yet fragile and innocent… Like me

After battling PANS for the past nine years of my life, I’ve been forced to grow up too quickly while being stuck as a child. I’ve had to mature to face up to my circumstances, but I’ve had to count on my parents to take care of me more than most others my age have.

At twenty years old, I’ve never held down a consistent, weekly job. I’ve never had a boyfriend. I’ve never gone on anything beyond a day trip with my friends without an “adult” present. Over the last year, I’ve let my parents make many decisions for me, because I’ve known I couldn’t trust my own judgement. In many ways, I feel like a young teenager.

Continue reading “Am I Twenty or Twelve?” →