- In 2015, when she was 30 weeks’ pregnant, Lindsey collapsed, after a hospital visit the doctors discharged her saying it was pregnancy related
- Even after she had her little girl, she was still collapsing, within 6 months, she had fainted 85 times
- After a visit to the cardiologist, Lindsey was diagnosed with POTS which causes the heart to beat faster than it should, especially when you go from lying down to standing
- After this diagnosis, Linsey fell into depresson, and needed to find an outlet to create joy
- She joined a Pop choir which elevated her moods
- Lindsey Forsyth, 42, from Victoria shares her story with Take 5 below…..
Breathing deeply, I readied myself to sing the first note.
By chance, standing in front of me was a mental health nurse, and behind me was a nurse specialising in cardiology.
If I lose consciousness, I’ll be fine, I smiled.
My Pop Choir choirmates understood I suffered from an incurable condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which causes me to faint without warning.
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Over the past year, I’ve lost consciousness 50 times. But that’s nothing compared to the almost 500 times I’ve fainted since my diagnosis.
The first time it happened was in 2015, when I was 30 weeks’ pregnant with my second child.
I was a special needs teacher, teaching art when I collapsed in front of the class.
Doctors at the hospital assured me it was related to my pregnancy.
They sent me home and said to remain on bed rest for the next 10 weeks.
Our daughter, Kiera, arrived that October, a little sister for Aoife, three.
Read more: Aussie woman’s head won’t stop spinning after cruise
But a few months later, I was tidying the girls’ toys when I collapsed again.
Fortunately, my husband, Paul, was with me and called an ambulance.
Doctors couldn’t explain what happened or why, and I was sent home again.
“Something isn’t right,” I told Paul.
I went from doctor to doctor, determined to find a diagnosis. Many thought I was anxious or stressed.
“I feel like I’m going crazy,” I sobbed to Paul.
He started to track how often I was losing consciousness, noting the date, time, and what I was doing before and after.
Within six months, I’d fainted 85 times.
In 2016, I showed his list to another GP, who referred me to a cardiologist.
“POTS causes the heart to beat faster than it should, especially when you go from lying down to standing,” the cardiologist explained.
Finally, I had an answer.
But living with POTS was a constant challenge.
In 2017, Aoife, then aged five, found me unconscious and had to call an ambulance.
I’d stopped breathing and the emergency operator needed to instruct her on how to perform CPR, which my brave girl did.
More testing revealed I also had bradycardia, which is a slower-than-normal heartbeat, and I needed a pacemaker.
Medication reduced the severity of the episodes, but I had to give up work and Paul started working part-time to care for me.
The girls were trained in what to do if I fainted, and I wore medical ID, with details of my condition.
I fell into depression, and started seeing a therapist.
Part of my healing was to find things I could enjoy.
I tried an online children’s story writing course and a course in mentoring young women.
Then, in 2022, I was on Facebook when I spotted an ad for a Pop Choir run by former cruise ship entertainers and couple Darryl and Sharon.
They have 700 members in Melbourne and only perform popular songs. It sounded like so much fun.
Joining Pop Choir would connect me with people, which I knew would help my mental health.
I also learned that singing stimulates the vagus nerve, helping blood flow and regulating my heart rate.
Signing up, I told Sharon about my condition and she was so welcoming.
Since then, I’ve gone every week. Sometimes, there are 100 singers in the room. We’ve performed five times, twice for TV.
I’ve fainted a few times, but only at rehearsal.
In October, 300 of us even recorded the choir’s first single called Windows with Smiles, and shot a video.
I felt so proud.
Performing with the choir has given me such a sense of achievement and joy.
I’ll sing that from the rooftops.
Hear Windows with Smiles on Spotify or any music streaming service.
