With hooves clanking against the dirt, freshman Emmalee Williams passionately rides her horse. As her speed increases, her hair flies graciously with the wind and her hands wrap tightly on the reins. Suddenly, everything goes blank, her horse jolts back as she plummets to the ground.
Prior to getting diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a condition that causes an excessive increase in heart rate leading to symptoms of nausea, fainting and fatigue upon standing up. Williams spent her time learning about horses and enjoying the sport. However, after getting COVID-19 during the pandemic in September of 2021, she found out about her POTS condition and quit horse-riding for a period of time. Now, after three years, she rides with specialized assistance.
“I think [learning I had POTS] was a big mix of feelings. At first, before my testing, I felt really weirded out,” Williams said. “Once I was confirmed with POTS, I felt almost numb. I was happy to be diagnosed, but now what? Drink water, eat more sodium, that’s it? I felt stuck, not ready to leave the hospital because what if something else happens.”
Williams began horse-riding after her uncle inspired her through his own hobby in the sport and her love for horses grew. It ultimately became her favorite sport to participate in.
“I like [horse-riding] a lot because I don’t get as tired. I have passed out on my horse and fallen off before, but it was a very hot day and we weren’t really surprised,” Williams said. “Most of the time I do really well, especially if I keep it short. It’s one of the only sports that I can actually do.”
Horse-riding gave Williams a sense of belonging, granting her a getaway from her condition. Through riding, her focus waned from her condition and shifted onto her passion.
“It’s hard [riding with POTS], but always worth it. It puts a lot of worry on my trainer, she’s always telling me to take it easy, but she still pushes me,” Williams said. “I don’t feel different when I’m on that horse. My condition is invisible. The horse doesn’t know, so I ride like I’m normal. It’s one of the only things that makes me feel that way.”
Not only does Williams’ ability affect her prized hobby, but it also bleeds into her school life and relationships. On the first day of school, Williams strategically sat in seats beside her teachers.
“[Sitting near my teachers] kind of helps me out because then they can see me and it helps them just in general,” Williams said. “I know a lot of my teachers told me already that I’m a good student and I get my work done, so as long as I keep that up and especially if I’m absent a lot I’m still doing my work.”
Because of Williams’ condition, administrators gave her permission to use the elevator when necessary. However, because of the change in community size from a small and local middle school to a large highschool, Williams finds it difficult to address her accommodation without potentially causing a scene.
“I never had to ask to do anything because everyone already knew and so now it’s really different because there are a lot more people and a lot more teachers,” Williams said. “And I don’t want to pressure the teachers into knowing that, but it’s also hard because I don’t want to get in trouble for something that I know I’m allowed to do. So it’s very different from what I’ve ever been used to.”
With permission from the district to use her smart watch, Williams utilizes it to track her beats per minute, or BPM, through various apps. TachyMon, an app she uses frequently, monitors her heart rate and sends alerts when it reaches a certain point through her Apple Watch, which notifies her when to take breaks from her current activity.
“[The phone law] doesn’t affect me as much as most people would think it would. I have the ability to use my watch because they have given me permission. I like [my watch] a lot because I’m able to look up a lot of things for my condition,” Williams said. “They understand when I need it. And whenever I need my phone or my watch, I’m allowed to get it out.”
Through POTS, Williams made connections to other conditions and got diagnosed with endometriosis. Her two conditions affect her hormonal changes, causing a disruption in functions such as her heart rate.
“I can have my phone, especially when I need to text my mom. Of course, it’s about something bad, but I can still text my mom and keep her updated,” Williams said. “It also just helps me out because I’m able to use this condition to find out other conditions. And I have a lot more connections [to other conditions] that I feel like I wouldn’t have had without this condition.”
Because of years with her condition, Williams gained experience in controlling situations where she passes out or undergoes any other health problems. She informs new people she meets to prevent panic in case of an emergency.
“It affects [my relationships] a little bit just because when I meet someone and I’m with them very often, like the people I’ve met recently, I have to tell them about it,” Williams said. “If they don’t know and I randomly pass out, I don’t want anyone calling the police or the ambulance because I don’t need it.”
Freshman Madelyn Monajami built a friendship with Williams in elementary school. Now in high school, she stands by Williams through her journey with POTS.
“[Being friends with Emmalee] is a very interesting experience. It’s really great around her because she has a crazy personality, and she’s always really hyped,” Monajami said. “I think you just make sure you take extra care of her, make sure she’s getting what she needs, but honestly, it really doesn’t get in the way of what she does too much. So really it’s like being best friends with a normal person.”
Monajami finds comfort in Williams’ personality. From playing video games from bed to cheering on Monajami during dance, the two friends do anything and everything together, letting them see each other from different angles.
“Emmalee influences me by bringing out my crazy side. So, honestly, whenever she’s crazy, I’m gonna be crazy. Whenever she’s more sad, I’m gonna be kind of understanding with her about that too,” Monajami said. “She kind of brings out all of the sides of me and, you know, she’s just that type of person.”
With the fall season approaching, “October Slide”, a phenomenon where chronic illnesses see flares in their behavior, seeps into many people’s lives.
“Horse riding is my favorite thing ever. I used to ride a lot in the cold, so it was never an issue. But this past summer, I decided to ride. It was hard. Not only was I getting frustrated with my horse, but I was frustrated with myself. I was tired, sweaty and hot,” Williams said. “My favorite sport turned into an addictive nightmare. I loved it so much I pushed myself until I couldn’t anymore.”
In the United States, the occurrence of POTS in the population consists of about 500,000 to 1,000,000 individuals. With only a slim percentage of the population having the syndrome, Williams finds positivity despite its existence as an incurable condition.
“I used to wonder ‘why me? Why do I have to go through this?’ But I changed that and now think, ‘why not me?’” Williams said. “It’s not just me. It’s over a million other people going through this, and I’m on the lower side of this condition. I’m glad I’m able to advocate for myself because some people don’t have that ability. “
