 |  | | Jill Walton — |
| | | In 1998, after returning from a vacation in Quebec and Ontario, I began vomiting and having diarrhoea daily; suffered from rapid weight loss because I had no appetite; low blood pressure; fatigue; memory loss; fevers, fainting and seizures.
My family physician diagnosed me with flue at that time and put me on an antibiotic. This condition continued for several months until I had a grand mal seizure and was hospitalized. The doctor attending me told me that I was on the verge of death for several days.
One of my physicians, who had been with Doctors without Borders, had seen my symptoms before, suspected Addison's, and immediately started me on a saline solution and prescribed cortisone-acetate. He saved my life because my weight at the time was below 90lbs and I was normally 130lbs. I was transferred to St. Paul's Hospital Vancouver; and began tests for several weeks. The results of blood tests, a CT scan of my pituitary gland, an ultra sound of my kidneys and a spinal tap confirmed that I had Addison's disease. A virologist informed me that I had some exotic virus that I may have picked up on my vacation to the east that had attacked my thyroid and diagnosed me with a viral thryoiditis. The CT scan on my pituitary revealed that I had Sheehan's Syndromes and that I've had this condition since the birth of my son in 1976. The spinal tap results showed that I had a tendency towards Anorexia; Osteoarthritis was discovered on my spine, primarily lower back and neck. I received four radioactive iodine treatments for a goitre, was prescribed cortisone-acetate and placed on a high protein diet with calories and sent home.
About a year later, I resquested a thyroid test from my family physician because I had not been placed on any thyroid medication and my weight and gone from below 90lbs to over 160lbs, plus I was suffering from some uncomfortable symptoms. As a result of this test, I was placed on Synthyroid. I not only have Addison's disease, but was born with Tuberous Sclerosis and combined with Osteoarthritis, when one problem acts up, they all do.
At 62, I have learned how to manage these conditions through diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and dairy products; thorough exercise with hiking, gardening and Yoga stretches, and I retired from a very stressful career as a Paralegal. Even though I take as many a seven prescribed medications a day, I live a very productive life.
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