 |  | | Nicholas — Yucca Valley, USA |
| | | I was 12 in 2004 when first diagnosed with Addison's disease. I was always a rather small child, but that was attributed to my premature birth.
At the start of seventh grade I would wake up feeling like I was going to collapse, do my chores, eat breakfast and proceed to vomit it up. My mother believed that I wasn't bathing (which in fact was not true), because the skin on my joints was so dark I looked as if I were black, the rest of my skin had a yellowish cast to it. During my days of illness, I felt extremely dizzy, depressed and I couldn't interact with others because it sounded like they were yelling when I was talking to them. I began to faint and I was in a living hell (quite literally).
I went to a doctor due to a strange discoloration on my toenail which had been there over a month, and was then referred to an endocrinologist in Loma Linda, who gave me liquid cortisol and a bag of chips. I immediately felt better. In three months after starting to take cortisol and fludrocort. I gained thirty pounds. During this ordeal I had extreme salt cravings and difficulty breathing. I owe my life to my doctor and my mother.
Through this ordeal, I have learned to appreciate the simple joy of being able to walk and run and feel normal. I am so glad I am able to share my experience with others. I am now attending my senior year in high school, and I hope to be a fire fighter in my years to come.
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