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Now my
family were wondering if I was anorexic, but I secretly
thought it must be cancer. I struggled all weekend, getting
worse, still throwing up. I couldn't eat, couldn’t
look after my little girl Sky, pains in my body, in and out
of sleep. My boyfriend got me to stay at my mum's to
be looked after.
On Monday I
looked so bad, my stepdad called the GP out to me. I was
very dehydrated and my blood pressure was so low, the GP
called an ambulance. I passed out in the ambulance. This
time I was allowed to skip Accident and Emergency, they took
me straight to a medical assessment ward. My veins were
collapsing so the doctors couldn’t get blood out of me. I
was crying and in a terrible state. I looked and felt like
I was dying.
Then a lady
doctor who was so lovely came to see me and promised to look
after me. Within one hour she had the results of the
Synacthen test from Friday. Back came the consultant who
discharged me saying I had a dietary problem, to confirm I
have Addison’s! I was so relieved, I cried even more. He
now told me I was lucky to be diagnosed in time. I was so
ill, he said, that I wouldn't have lasted more than another
three days as my body was beginning to shut down. The
in-and-out-of-sleep was me slipping into a coma.
They gave
me steroids immediately, put me on drips again, and within
48 hours I was more with it. It was so nice to be able to
eat again! I had massive cravings for anything with lemons:
lemon juice, lemon sherbet. My blood pressure was going up
and I was introduced to the endocrinologist who was to look
after me in future. I even had people training who wanted to
come and ask me questions about Addison’s – I was the only
patient in the hospital who had it.
They told
me I would need to take steroid medication every day for the
rest of my life, to replace the hormones my adrenal glands
no longer produce, but that I could go back to a normal
life. I wear a MedicAlert and carry a steroid card to
explain my steroid-dependence. I also have an emergency kit
with injectable steroids in case I ever become ill and can’t
keep pills down. My Mum’s been shown how to inject me, but
hopefully it won’t come to that.
Because I
am quite petite – five foot one inches and around nine stone
normally – I don’t take a high dose. Just 10mg
hydrocortisone in the morning, along with 100mcg
fludrocortisone. If I have a day where I feel ‘not with
it’, I double my morning dose to take another 10mg
hydrocortisone.
After just
a week, they discharged me. I was nervous about whether I
was well enough to go home, but so pleased to be with my
little girl. It broke my heart having her visit me every day
in hospital and then saying goodbye. I still could cry even
now. However, if any good has come of my illness, it's Sky
not being scared of doctors, injections and hospitals as she
is so used to it now. I took Sky to Disneyland Paris two
weeks after being discharged, because I felt so guilty about
our miserable Christmas and my lack of time with her.
Needless to say, my family were worried about me going, as
it was just the two of us. Despite everyone’s anxiety, it
was a great trip and I felt fine.
I was so
lucky, they held my new job for me until I was well enough
to start work in February 2007. It is a three-hour round
trip, but I handled the job and the commute fine. It is hard
keeping a
full time job and being a mum, but knowing I'm going home to
my girl and keeping a roof over our heads keeps me going.
Once 5.30pm arrives, I am straight on that train home, to
be with Sky before bedtime. I am fortunate my mother is able
to do the school runs for me. I treasure my weekends with
Sky. I now feel so thankful to be alive.
Tracy
Sept 2008
(Surname
withheld in accordance with the ADSHG publishing code of
conduct)
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