Hi Laura,

A friend sent me your article, "A Sudden Illness" about a year ago when my two sons were struggling with a horrible mystery that flattened my 12 year old soccer playing star and his track star 16 year old brother.

Both boys had a bout with mycoplasma pneumonia that sent them into POTS. We had no idea either condition existed prior to the experience. And it was only a true miracle that lead to the diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). The doctor told me a little voice whispered in her ear and told her that was the diagnosis!

Their stories and symptoms are so similar to yours, identical really.

My soccer player was housebound and bed-bound for months. He did not attend most of 7th grade.

After the diagnosis, we prayed -- and got lots of others to pray -- for an opening at Mayo Clinic. Normally it takes two years to get into Philip Fisher's "mystery disease pediatric dept" but we got in in 12 weeks.

There are amazing treatments for POTS.

Both boys, now 13 and 18, are doing really well and almost back to normal. We live in sheer terror of a relapse since it can happen but we work against it every day.

I realize you have another diagnosis. However, I would urge you to consider that you may indeed have POTS. So much progress has been made in diagnosing, understanding, and treating POTS in the last 10 years that it is amazing. Mayo Clinic is a great place to go for diagnosis and treatment.