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| 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.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Elena
Wellington
| | I was diagnosed in 2002 when I was 8 years old.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Ginny Snaychuk
Edmonton, AB
| | I would like to share an experience I recently had, during an Addisonian crisis.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Chris Telfer
Essex, ON
| | I was diagnosed with Addison disease November 12th this year. In May, I was admitted to the hospital for three weeks. I had severe vomitting and diarrhea. We, and the doctors, thought it was food poisoning. I received 18 I.V. bags in a matter of two days. I didn't know the day or the year, and I was even told I started talking with a foreign accent (which I don't have). At first I was diagnosed with a thyroid gland problem.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Marilyn Marley
London, UK
| | I had been suffering from weakness, fatigue, vomiting, loss of appetite, dark tan, weight loss, pain in legs and shoulders, craving for anything salty and not being able to stand which made shopping impossible. This went on for four months. My Doctor thought I might have stomach cancer and made the necessary appointments. I must say at this stage, the doctor had carried out loads of tests, but could not find anything wrong.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Jennifer Kerr
Toronto, ON
| | In 1979 I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, followed by vitiligo in the mid-1980's, and finally with Addison's Disease in 1998 at the age of 32. Prior to my Addison's diagnosis, I had been feeling increasingly unwell for 8 years. It started with a strong craving for salt and feeling tired. By the end of the 8 years, I was extremely weak and exhausted, had trouble with stairs, vomited every day, was dizzy and itchy all over, and was very thin and in a lot of pain because every joint in my body was inflamed. My skin darkened significantly but because I had vitiligo, I had patches of very dark and very light skin. Overtop of this, I experienced an extremely high and unrelenting libido, which was anything but 'fun'. I cannot quite put into words what it was like to experience such exhaustion and intense libido simultaneously. I was too embarrassed to mention this symptom to any doctor, and silently endured it. I began to consider suicide to end my horrid existence.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Dale Hammond
Deux-Montagnes, PQ
| | I have thought about telling my story many times over. It is still hard to think about it now. I was 37 years old and up until that point hardly ever sick. I started feeling weak and dizzy. My legs and arms often felt very weak. I went to my G.P. He told me I probably had a virus or inner ear infection. I continued feeling poorly. I now had more nausea, which resulted in vomiting infrequently, as well as weight loss. I went back to the same doctor who did blood tests. He said if I could bottle and sell my good blood, I would be rich. It was just a virus and would take time. I waited to feel better, I got worse instead. I lost 20 lbs in one month. I went back to see another doctor at the clinic. He seemed to think there was nothing to worry about. I continued my downward spiral. I was so weak and tired all the time. I had two children to look after. I forced myself to be normal. I went to a third doctor who also seemed to think it was in my head or was this infamous virus.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Helen Christie
Niagara Falls, ON
| | In the fall of 1968, I became very ill. I had 3 young children to look after, 7, 4 and 18 months.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Susan Thomas
Calgary, AB
| | I was diagnosed at the very last minute in 1973 and have lived for 35 years now a relatively normal life. But what is normal anymore?
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Ashley Porter
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | I didn't find out that I had Addison's until after I left for basic training in San Antonio, TX. I felt so weak, I couldn't stop vomiting; it got so bad that I started fainting. Being in bootcamp, my instructors kept thinking I was dehydrated. So, I pushed on for 5 days. I felt like a chemo patient, I hit the point where I couldn't move my legs anymore, they were so heavy. The day of my addisonian crisis, I woke up dripping sweat and vomiting, extremely unusual for me. I began marching,collapsed,and actually went into something that imitated diabetic shock. An ambulance paramedic began evaluating me and realized at the time my blood sugar was only 7; I should be dead. A few days later, in the hospital of course, I was diagnosed with Addison's and released from the military a short time after. I now receive four cortef tablets a day. Today I live normally, and haven't had an episode since.
| | | | | | | | 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.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Ludmilla
Quebec, PQ
| | I was 15, and had been weak for several months, sleeping all the time, no energey, etc..... I ate loads to try to get energy from food, and I craved broth, really salty broth, vegetable juice, anything salty. I also couldn't eat in the morning because I felt like vomitting. I was always more tanned than others, it's just my skin tone, but I remember a particular incident where my grandmother told me to go wash my hands because they were dirty....they weren't dirty, I'd just spent an hour in a swimming pool. My finger joints were almost black at this point. I've got a fairly golden skin tone, but not that dark. I had complained to my endocrinologist that I felt sleepy all the time, the nausea, etc. All the signs were there and he said not to worry, it was part of growing up!!! In December of that year, I came down with gastro and ended up unconscious in the hospital, where a few days later, I was diagnosed with Addison's.
| | | | | | | | Erika
London, ON
| | I went to see my doctor, because I was throwing up all the time. But, because I was getting over a cold at the time the doctor thought it was acid reflux. He had a test run but everything came back clear. I called the nurse again and made another appointment because I continued to throw up all the time and had no energy. When I explained this to the doctor he then sent me to the hospital, and I was subsequently diagnosed with Addison's. I lost 53 pounds all together and looked very tanned. It's been two months since I left the hospital and I feel so much better. I am the only one in my family with this problem.
| | | | | | | | Bill
Kingston, ON
| | My son was diagnosed with Addison's at age 2. Our first indication that something was wrong was when he would vomit in the morning then crave salty foods afterwrds and be fine for the rest of the day. Then the cycle would repeat again in the morning and did so for several days. It wasn't until the third day that he finally became very grey in his skin color and was almost non-responsive. This was our first Addison's crisis.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Martin Norrman
Sweden
| | So what happened that day when I got Addison's? At the time I worked at a factory and started to feel very ill. I felt dizzy and started to throw up so I went home and got a high fever. Because of my diabetes, I had to goto the hospital to get energy in my blood. At the emergency ward I passed out and woke up 4 days after that. All I remember was that a doctor and anurse tried to give me some injections in my upper back. Meanwhile, the doctors had no idea of what the problem could be. They were so concerned that they called my family and were not sure if I would survive the night. They had tried everything until they asked by girlfriend if I had wanted something special or done anything different from oridnary life. She said that I just had wanted salted candy the days before I went to hospital. That answer had probably saved my life. They started to give me salt in the blood and I did respond to that, thedoctors made some tests which resulted in my second disease. Today I take cortisone pills for the Addison's and feel really good. I'm even out running three times a week.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Francisca
Edmonton, AB
| | I had not been feeling "right" for some time, and since I didn't have a family physician, went to somebody I had never seen before. I told her that I was exhausted all the time and had no energy. I had no appetite and had been steadily losing weight. She ran the usual tests and I never heard back from her. "No news is good news."
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Stacy
London, ON
| | About a year and a half ago, I got really sick. The doctors kept telling me it was the flu. After being sick for 3 weeks and losing lots of weight because I couldn't keep anything down, the doctors started saying that I was faking it, and was doing it for attention. After 6 weeks of missing school and throwing up, I had lost almost 50 pounds. My hometown doctor, who lives far away, called one day to ask how I was doing. When my mother talked to him, she mentioned a lot of symptoms of Addison's. He knew what it was right away but couldn't be sure. My mother and I drove 2 hours to see him and he confirmed that I did have Addison's. Today I am still very upset with most of the doctors at the university for just brushing me off and saying that I was faking it. When I do go to the hospital, doctors still ask me what Addison's is.
| | | | | | | | Debra Edwards
Edmonton, AB
| | I was diagnosed in 1980, and suffered from childhood with stomach problems/pain, nauseousness, low blood pressure, darkening lips, gums and back, low weight, weakness, fatigue and finally menopause at 22 years of age. I have had 3 major crises with the flu over 26 years and 2 major surgeries, the last being 3 years ago. I have taken prednisone, cortizone and now cortef with additional florinef. I also use ESSIAC twice daily, which has helped my immune system immensely and provides me with energy that I don't normally have.
| | | | | | | | Ginny Snaychuk
Edmonton, AB
| | I had been feeling generally unwell for a number of years; nothing too specific at that point, but was tired, had frequent stomach upset, diarrhea, etc. I had numerous tests, and saw several doctors; nothing could be found. I began to get the distinct feeling they thought it was 'in my head', as did my spouse. Then my skin began to darken. I was nauseous most of the time (unable to eat much); I had lost about 25 pounds, putting me down to 103 pounds. It was an effort to have a shower, walk up any stairs, etc. Finally, after some pleading, my family doctor agreed to refer me to a skin specialist to find out why my skin colour was so much darker than normal. He had an idea about what was going on, and immediately referred me to an internist who did the necessary tests and diagnosed the Addison's disease. I was immediately sent to an endocrinologist, who prescribed the needed steroids, and was adamant that I start the medication immediately! Within a short period of time, I felt much better. It was then that I realized just how sick I had been, and was so pleased to 'feel well' again.
| | | | | | | | Jen Taplin
Winnipeg, MB
| | I was only 14 when I was diagnosed with Addison's Disease. Within a week and a half, I was fainting all the time and couldn't bear to sit up, let alone stand up, because of the pain in my stomach. The doctors at the hospital couldn't even get a blood pressure reading for me because it was so low. I was completely fine when I was lying down, which was what made it so weird. I hadn't heard anything about this disease and was told how weird it was that someone my age was diagnosed with it. I'm 19 now and still live normally. I haven't had an addisonian attack since I was diagnosed, and I alwears wear a medic-alert bracelet. It was a bit of a pain to carry around my injection kit everywhere I went, especially to sporting events, but I'm used to it now. Ah well, life's good!!!!!
| | | | | | | | Shelley
Lafayette, Indiana USA
| | I have a similar experience to share. I am a respiratory therapist, had gone to many doctors over a 6-month period, and was getting very frustrated. I was going into crisis and couldn't walk, breathe, etc. I had had test after test: MRI, MRA, EEG, ECG, carotid Doppler, and so much blood taken, I felt like a pin cushion. They had no idea what was going on. I went to a rheumatologist, neurologist, family doctor, emergency, and still had no answers. At my worst, I used a shower bench because I couldn't raise my arms to wash my hair while standing. I was falling asleep practically standing. I was having migraine after migraine. I would take 2-3 steps and have to bend over to be able to breathe. I really began to think I was dying.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Barbara Hunn
Contact Nanaimo BC Support Group
| | Just wanted to stress how important it is for all Addisonians to always have a note or letter from their doctor with them at all times, in case of emergency. The note should indicate we have Addison's Disease, how serious it can be, and the type of treatment which should be administered.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Patricia Hehner
Ottawa, ON
| | In November 2004, my husband suffered his first Addisonian crisis since diagnosis. As soon as we realized what was happening, I had used our emergency injection kit and called 911. However, I also remembered horror stories from fellow Addisonians about delays getting emergency treatment - both disbelief about the urgency and lack of information on what to do.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Athena Elton
Ottawa, ON
| | Seven years ago, a 21-year-old man was going into cardiac arrest for no apparent reason. He was transferred from hospital to hospital while doctors looked for a reason for his illness. He was a football player and seemingly so healthy, and tanned; it was impossible to believe he was dying. Rare disease specialists could not diagnose his condition.
| | | | | Read More | | | | | | | | Evelyn Paul
Perth, ON
| | I was diagnosed with Addison's Disease in December of l953, when I was 15 years old. I was very fortunate to have a mother who was a nurse and a family doctor who was very good at diagnosing illnesses.
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