Westfield Teen Shares Struggle With Chronic Illness In Blog

WESTFIELD, NJ - Cate Cheng is not your average teenager in all the right ways. Faced with a chronic heart condition in the sixth grade, Cheng has turned her adversity into inspiration in a blog that she hopes can help others cope.

"I was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in the sixth grade after a number of fainting episodes," Cheng said. "The diagnosis of POTS was proved easily when my resting heart rate of 80 rose to around 130-140 just from me going from a sitting to a standing position"

POTS is a condition in which a change from lying to standing causes an abnormally large increase in heart rate.

"Along with this very obvious issue of my body feeling the need to prepare for a 5k race every time I stood, came a slew of other symptoms including but not limited to fatigue, migraines, lightheadedness, dizziness, exercise intolerance, nausea, acid reflux, mental exhaustion, chronic muscle and joint aches, inability to regulate body temperature in cold and heat, and so much more," Cheng told Patch. "Needless to say, these symptoms make managing my home life a pretty hefty challenge, and school an even bigger one."

Cheng said she never really know what she'll be able to accomplish with the condition.

"Sometimes I am able to go on hikes with family, and other times even helping my sister repaint her room will cause me such debilitating pain the next day that it hurts to stand," she wrote in her blog. "It’s incredibly scary and indescribably frustrating to not know whether the next day will be spent in pain."

Cate's mother, Dee Hampton, told Patch that her daughter's condition took a long time to diagnose.

"Cate’s condition took over a year to be properly diagnosed. POTS has only been on the medical radar for the past 10–15 years, so it is still diagnosed more or less as a process of elimination. Cate was tested for everything under the sun before we finally were given a definitive answer. Finally having a diagnosis was a double-edged sword – we were relieved to know what was happening to her, however we were crushed to find out that this diagnosis did not come with a clear-cut cure," Hampton said. "POTS is a syndrome (a compilation of symptoms that affect the entire body) versus a disease with a clearly defined treatment. People often ask if there is a surgery she can have to fix her condition. The only surgery that would cure her would be an entire autonomic nervous system transplant, unfortunately, no such procedure exists."

Old Soul

Cheng said she started the blog originally because she wanted to have something to list as an extracurricular for college applications.

"With my illness, I’ve never been able to participate much in sports, and my symptoms regularly prevent me from joining any clubs, so I tend to panic when I think of what I’ll be able to put under the 'activities' section of the applications," she said. "However, the blog serves as an outlet for the struggles I go through, and to spread awareness for my condition."

According to Hampton, Cheng's pragmatic approach to things is no surprise.

"Cate is the quintessential 'old soul.' Ever since she was a young child, she had a demeanor far beyond her years. Don’t get me wrong, she laughed and played with all of her childhood friends, but her outlook on life took on a certain wisdom," she said. "I think it is that maturity that is helping her through her struggles as a chronically ill teenager."

Sharing those struggles is something Cheng said she hopes benefit others.

"I think I’ve managed to set a rather achievable goal for myself, in that I really just at least one person to have read my blog and come away with something," she said. "That’s all I really need, I don’t need to be an internet sensation, I don’t need to spread inspiration en masse, but I do hope that I can let at least one other person know that I’m managing my way through this syndrome, and if I can do it, I am certain that they can as well."

One of the things Cheng notes in her blog, is that her illness is not obvious. Because of that, she said that people who don't know her think there isn't anything "wrong with her at all."

"Occasionally, I will use a wheelchair to experience activities outside the house. Issues arise only when I stand from the wheelchair, and strangers stare at me with prying eyes," she wrote. "It doesn’t often occur to them that I might still depend on the wheelchair even if I can briefly stand. These judgments from strangers will sometimes make me so nervous that I would rather forgo the trip altogether."

Sharing these observations, as well as the pressure and stresses of missing school, is something Hampton said she is proud Cheng has the courage to share.

"I was thrilled that Cate began writing a blog. The idea had been tossed around for a while, but getting into the headspace to share a personal struggle so publicly takes time," she said. "She also needed to get to the point where the blog would come across a useful outlet and not just a place for her to vent."

Cheng said beyond the support of her family, she is knows her friends are just a text message away.

"Since I am very often homebound, I don’t get many opportunities to see my friends, but I know that they would always have my back if I ever had to call on them," Cheng said. "My family is really pretty insane, but also wonderful. My mother and sister are both very in touch with their emotions while my Dad and I both tend to be on the more level side, and the combination of personalities works well to provide an even playing field for coping with my symptoms. I also destress a lot with the help of my pets."

Hampton said she hopes that people read her daughter's blog and acknowledge she exists.

"She may not be living the typical teenage life – she isn’t able to attend school regularly, participate in sports, or have an ordinary 17-year-old social life. But she is here," Hampton said. "Within her world is strength, love, laughter, so much laughter, and most of all, the courage to wake up every morning and face the day. Whatever it brings."

For her part, Cheng said she is grateful for the support she's received with her writing so far.

"My writing will likely be a process that’s slow going to start as I try to make time for it while also balancing school work and symptoms, but the support I’ve received is incredibly warming," she said.

Those who wish to read Cheng's blog for themselves can click here.

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