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Addison's disease came as a rude shock for me. I am a part-time teacher, mother of five and a sports coach. I had been struggling with feeling low, always tired (thought that was motherhood) and couldn't knock off a gastro flu. I had been in bed for four days this is very unusual for me. My eldest daughter came home from school on day 4 and rang my husband saying 'mum looks weird'. That phone call probably saved my life. I was suffering from dehydration and a very low sodium count. I spent the next five days in ICU in an induced coma. When I came too the doctor's told me their diagnosis was Addison's disease. Looking back the key was tiredness, but even more was early MENOPAUSE. After 5 beautiful children I stopped menstruating at the age of 35 something was wrong. I am now learning how to deal with Addison's and my new life. I nearly lost my life in a crisis now everyday is a new day and worth living. I hope I can share my story with other women and be part of the education of people about Addison's Disease.

I had tremendous exhaustion with my Addison's disease. It was so bad that I could not put socks on without taking a break and lying down. I was also tan, especially on my elbows. All I could do was lie down. Thankfully, I work from home and would sit at my computer for an hour, holding my head up the whole time and then sleep for three hours. I had been to the doctor three times because I had extreme diarrhea and vomiting at the same time for three weeks. Looking back, I had been deteriorating and was exhausted for months. But when you are in the midst of it, you can't tell what normal ever felt like. I went to the doctor for the fourth time in three weeks and he sent me immediately to the emergency room because he could not get my blood pressure and my temperature was too low.

I remember at 15, I passed out while watching a parade. I went to the ER. They said I was dehydrated. Throughout my life, I would have to go to bed for weeks at a time to recover my strength. I was misdiagnosed for the next 25 years. I am 46 now with more severe symptoms and longer periods of time bedridden. I'm in bed usually three to five months in between the fall and spring. I experienced salt cravings, sugar cravings, muscle weakness, extreme fatigue, kidney pain, low blood pressure, shoulder pain … There are too many to list.

My 14 year old daughter had a had time in school and making friends from first grade and up I would attend all her IEP and nobody would listen to what I had said it was how lazy she is or how mean she is. The other children day after day would make fun of her. Seemed like the school just didn't care. Then 7th grade comes the teacher would constantly pick on her until the day she snapped, ended up in the hospital for about 6 weeks she was in outpatient schooling when she returned to school we had a big meeting they changed the teacher. Summer was the only time she was happy because she was in summer school and did a great job. Well this year she seemed OK except she was getting darker actually looked dirty and she came down with an ear ache and sore throat took her to her doctor got her medication when she came off the medication she was again complaining of not feeling right until Thursday she stayed home from school because of vomiting and Friday I had found her unreceptive and vomiting called 911 found out she was in adrenal crisis. She has now been diagnosed with Addison Disease.

I was so tired all the time, I slept most of time. I was working and would pass out a lot. I would try to eat but no matter what I ate I threw it up immediately. I was at a point where I was vomiting up bile. My skin was dark brown; it looked like I went tanning. I went from 155lbs to 93 lbs. Moody, mean. I don't remember that the doctor told my family that I was the next Karen Carpenter, I was killing myself. He said I was making myself vomit. After 8 months of trying to convince doctors that I wasn't doing this to myself I was sent to the anorexic clinic. On my way there my kidneys were failing and I was sent to the er. I had 7 drs. trying to figure out what was wrong with me on the 2nd day there an Indian doctor was flown in. He walked in my room, looked at me and said. She has Addison's disease. The third day I was eating thanks to the Cortef and was ready to go home.

I was very tired all the time. I would wake up to get ready for work and have to lie down every so often. By noon, I could make it through the day. I was also losing weight without trying. I would vomit most of the night. I finally went to the doctor and she thought I was depressed and put me on anti-depressants. By this time, I was not able to work and asking for testing. My sodium was 124 the first time I went to the doctor. She told me sodium evens itself out. I finally had some major chest pains during the night and went to my boss's husband...a cardiologist. My EKG came back fine, but he figured it out that visit just by talking to me and noticing my skin was ultra dark. I went into observation at 5 p.m. and my sodium was 119. By 7 p.m. they told me it was Addison's disease.