Vasovagal

by Melissa
(Hallettsville, TX, USA)

It all started when I was three years old. I obviously don't remember that far back, but I will repeat the story as my mother told me.

Like I previously mentioned, I was three years old and was going to the doctor with my mom for a check up. When the doctor gave my mother a shot, I walked out of the room and into the hallway of the clinic.

They heard a thump. The nurse rushed into the hallway to find me passed out on the floor and a huge bump on my head from hitting the wall. They thought I was dehydrated or sick which is what caused me to pass out.

But then...I got into kindergarten. Every tooth that I lost, every scrape that I got, I fainted. Whether I was standing, sitting, or laying down, I would pass out at the sight of blood, the sight of needles, the smell of hospitals, and sometimes just being in a school or hospital's waiting room would cause me to pass out.

I had never heard of Vasovagal or anything like that. My parents thought that it was just a phase that I would soon grow out of...but then it just started to get worse. I would pass out as plays when I saw fake blood. I fainted when having to dissect a worm in science class.

Now as an adult, I still have issues going to the doctor. It is frustrating because I am now a mother and I have no idea what I will do in the case of an emergency and if I ever had to rush my daughter to the hospital, it wouldn't end well.

There isn't really a cure for Vasavagal, which occurs when your body overreacts to triggers, such as the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress. I guess the only option is to stay calm and try to focus on things other than the things that trigger the fainting spells.