Reality

The other day it made me realize how big I was before my disease came and joined me in a life long matrimony. So here are two pictures that I could use to show you how big I was and how tiny I was. And how I look today.

That is me on the left, and my best friend on the right.

My story about me and a hidden sickness

I haven't written in a while. I know, I just didn't visit this site as much on this computer. I do have quite a bit to tell you.

On September 12, 2012, I was on my way to the hospital because of high fever and vomiting, mostly the vomiting point because that has been going on for about a year and a half. Here is nearly the full explanation.

Back in late December 2010, I was vomiting, keeping nothing down. Later I went to the emergency room, found out that both of my lungs were filled with liquid. It was a long night with bag of antibiotic after bag of fluid. I thought everything was done after this. It was, it seems, the very beginning.

Later I left my job for a better one, and one which I absolutely loved. During my first two weeks of training I vomited one morning and didn't think anything of it. It got progressively worse until I got my own store to manage. I still thought nothing of it, and wrote it off as migraines that usually cause me to do this.

I was getting fatigued, and thinner. I was scared. I went to my primary care physician, told her about my problems. She recommended and referred me to Gastroenterology. From there I was given several attempts with medication to find out if I could stop vomiting or having diarrhea. I was put on Pepcid and then scheduled to have an EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) on December 30, 2011. With this scope they found a hiatal hernia, gastritis, and that I suffer from acid reflux. After this was all said and done, I still had no answer as to why I was still losing weight and throwing up.

My next appointment with the GI specialist, asked if we should do a colonoscopy to see if there is anything wrong. I went in mid-February for the colonoscopy. The prep was the worst. I couldn't finish the drink mix and I was vomiting it up horribly. When all was done for the scope, they went in. They found a mild case of colitis and that was about it. No polyps, no tumors, it was just colitis. So the GI specialist sent me on my way.

Over the next month, I was getting to the point that I couldn't work full days or even partial days. I was significantly losing weight and throwing up with everything that I ate. At one point I went into my primary care physician to see why my moles and skin were darkening. She recommended me to a dermatologist, however, dermatology never called for an appointment.

I left my favourite paying job I had ever had in April. I resigned due to health reasons, and not being able to work when needed. Shortly after this, I was in the emergency room again with severe pain in my chest. After I tested out of a blood clot, heart attack and other heart related problems, I was treated for having an allergic reaction to mold, with the coupling of an asthma attack. This was ER visit six.

By the time I was on ER visit nine in a year and a half, I was finally admitted to the hospital. I was suffering from acute renal failure (or temporary kidney failure). I was told by the ER doctor that if I had not come in, I would have been dead within three days. It was very terrifying.

This ER visit was very atypical. They put me in a spare room, that had no outlets, no bed, and no attention. I was given fluids in such a manner that my blood sugar dropped down to the low teens, causing a “psychotic” episode. I remember little of it, but my wife told me that I was scary.

I was admitted and given a room shortly after I came to from the low sugar episode. There I was given a liquid only diet, and fed intravenously sugar, salt, and water. I had my blood sugar tested every hour, and was told that several things needed to be done before I could go home.

My wife, during all this, was very adamant about getting me proper care. Along with her friend, Kris, she came up with a list of symptoms I had. Their conclusion was that I have Addison's disease. The problem was, the doctors didn't want to test for it.

I continually got better and was about to be released. Before that, I told the doctor that I want to be tested for Addison's disease. The doctor told me that I didn't have it, and that he will administer the test anyway. The test came back that I have the disease. I was the first case that the doctor had seen in his 20 years of health care. He never apologized about telling me that I didn't have it.

Here is some information about Addison's disease. It is considered as primary adrenal insufficiency. My body does not produce cortisol as people do. In times of stress cortisol is released to help balance blood pressure, sugar levels, and electrolyte levels. In times where I start throwing up, my electrolytes exit my body rapidly and my potassium levels skyrocket. The darkening of my skin is also attributed by this disease. Since my body does not produce cortisol, the ATCH from my pituitary gland is overly produced with melatonin. I am on a steroid to simulate the cortisol in the body. I also have to give myself a shot once I start vomiting and get to the ER.

So far this has been a learning experience with the disease. I have been to the ER once since September 2012, where I went through acute renal failure and adrenal crisis within three hours. (This was only last week.) However, there is more for me to learn, and I am glad I could contribute my experiences with you. Thanks for reading.