For A Special Girl

My dear, dear niece has been diagnosed with POTS -- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which is caused by a low volume of blood returning to the heart after a person stands. The most common symptoms are ligh-theadedness or fainting. My sweet girl has also been suffering from headaches, nausea, and a sensitivity to light and sound.

I wanted to share this because it took doctors almost a month to figure out what was wrong, a month in which she was unable to go to school or do much of anything. We had never heard of this, and apparently many doctors were unaware of it also! It tends to strike women between the ages of 15 and 50. Young women like my niece, who is 13, usually are symptom-free within five years.

Since I haven't figured out how to send hugs to the East Coast, I knit up this pair of Peekaboo Mitts (my current obsessions) for her. The yarn is Plymouth Jelli Beenz Yarn, a 75% wool/25% acrylic blend that gets a 4/5 star rating on Ravelry. I found it to be very pleasant to knit with. It's machine-washable, which I decided was uber-important to this busy family.

One of the symptoms of POTS is cold hands, so I hope my niece finds warmth and comfort in these mitts. I also hope the line at the post office isn't too long!