A letter to Dysautonomia; WEGO Health Activist Writer's Month Challange

Dear Dysautonomia,

I am not sure you are aware but you are completely overworking my Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and you've caused me to be completely fried. You've messed with a system that’s whole purpose is to fine tune the automatic functioning of my organs and help my body maintain stability and balance. I mean seriously, who screws with that?

While I have your attention I have to ask, why are you such an overachiever? I mean you've hit the entire system, both sympathetic AND parasympathetic.

I am sure you find it quite exhilarating to have me in a constant state of fight or flight but I am tired. This Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) hyper drive will serve me well if there is a zombie apocalypse or if I find myself zapped back in time and am a cave-woman. Having one’s body respond to everything as if it is a potential life altering crisis isn't really all that necessary in this time. You cause people to say things to me like “calm down it’s just the phone”, well no kidding. I can’t help that my heart rate jumps to 125 at the sound. But if that sound were a zombie approaching I am ready!

Never mind, you've screwed me even if there is a zombie apocalypse. If my heart rate jumps to 125 at the ringing of a phone imagine what it would do if I were in need to kick some zombie ass. Ventricular Tachycardia and running for your life don’t mix well.

Remember that one time when you decide to kick around with my Parasympathetic Nervous System and keep my heart rate in the 40’s for 24 hours. Yeah, that was not fun. Oh, and that ciliary muscle in my eye… cute trick, very fun house mirror style vision. I would be fine if you just didn't do that anymore.

Most people have the joy of not even knowing how well the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic complement each other, one gets you a little revved up the other calms you down. But you Dysautonomia, you have me very aware.

The one thing I will give you is that you are ever changing and willing to spice it up a bit. It is amazing the control you have and your ability to multitask. You manage to have my body so confused as to if it needs to panic or fall into a coma that I end up passing out or having convulsions. Yes, all that is because of your nonstop tampering.

I will have to close this as my heart rate is sitting at 52, I am due to take meds, and I am ready to put my head back on the couch and drool a bit.

At your mercy,
Carrie @ Just Mildly Medicated

Autonomic Nervous System Overview
From Comprehensive Health Assessment - Autonomic Balance Analysis

The autonomic nervous system functions to sustain life by exerting control over the following functions/systems:
* Heart (control of heart rate via contractility, refractory states, cardiac conduction)
* Blood vessels (constriction and dilation of arteries/veins)
* Lungs (relaxation of smooth muscles of the bronchioles)
* Digestive system (gastrointestinal motility, saliva production, sphincter control, insulin production in the     pancreas, etcetera)
* Immune system (inhibition of mast cells)
* Fluid balance (constriction of renal artery, rennin secretion)
* Pupil diameter (constriction and dilation of the pupil and ciliary muscle)
* Sweating (stimulates sweat gland secretion)
* Reproductive system (in males, erection and ejaculation; in females, contraction and relaxation of the uterus)
* Urinary system (relaxation and contraction of bladder and detrusor muscles, urethral sphincter)