A few weeks ago I became unwell with dysentery and bad fatigue. (Imagine dragging a wet blanket through wet cement every time you walked anywhere.) I was trying to treat it at home but was failing miserably. I tried to get an appointment with my Doctor but was told he was fully booked for the next 12 days. I told them I had Addison's Disease and it was urgent. The answer was the same, he's fully booked. (Which was not true, he has spaces available for emergencies.) So I carried on trying to sort it out at home. I got worse and call an Ambulance. I knew I was going further and further down hill and needed medical help. The Ambulance arrived and gave me an emergency injection I needed, did a quick video call with a head Doctor in the Emergency Department at the local hospital, then they left. The injection help the fatigue, but I was still not well. Over the next week I kept trying to get a phone consultation with my Doctor but kept being told he had no spare appointments. I could only eat dry crackers and was not getting enough food. I got worse and was in bed most of the day. No energy and serious fatigue as well as constant dysentery were just taking all my energy. I felt awful and was becoming more concerned each day. After another week went by I called another Ambulance. I told the Emergency Operator I had Addisons and had serious fatigue, constant dysentery and now vomiting and had been unwell for a couple of weeks. The Ambulance arrived in a few minutes. As soon as they saw me they told me to gab my (pre-packed Hospital bag) and we got left for the Hospital. They gave me some injections and I realised they had knowledge about about treating Addison's Disease. We got to the hospital quickly as it is quite close to where I live. As we pulled in they said that my Steroid level was so low I was slowly dying. I am very aware that low Steroid levels can pt me in a coma which I was not recover from. I have known this for a very long time and am always careful to take my medications regularly. The hospital gave me a mega dose of steroids over 2 days as I slowly came right. Once I was able to eat an drink and felt better I was able to come home. They have a service called Hospital in the Home where you are under the care of a nurse and a Doctor who call you each day to check up on you, and make sure you're doing ok. It's a great (free) service and I was able to call them anytime if I had any issues. I was doing ok until I went into shock one evening. I became icy cold and couldn't stop shaking. I also felt very nauseous and confused. I called the HTH service and they were able to tell me what I needed to do and which medications I needed to take. It took almost four hours until I stopped shaking and began to feel a bit more normal. Once the nausea had completely gone, I went to bed wearing a sweatshirt over top of my pyjama's and a woolly hat as I was still feeling very cold. It was like my bones and blood were frozen. By the time I woke up the next morning I was starting to feel a bit better. My HTH nurse, Jo, called me around 11 am and we had a good chat about what had happened. My body doesn't make stress hormones, and if I get any infection it puts a lot of stress on my body, and things get weird very quickly. I had gone into shock because my body had been fighting to survive from my Steroid levels being so low. A ''simple'' cough or cold or any stress can and does put me in hospital. I carry em emergency medications with me where ever I go just in case. I also have emergency medications here at home if the Ambulance need them. It took me thee days before it hit me that I had been slowly dying. I had bad brain fog from the high dose of Steroids, and I till have some brain fog today. It takes awhile for it to wear off. While I am at home and yes I am ok, I'm feeling very tired and worn out. It will take some time for me to get back to my usual self. I'm taking things slowly and quietly for ne.
On the plus side, I have done a teeny tiny bit of crafting! My new Lavinia Stamps arrived - the Witch's Closet they're called. I don't have a lot of brain power at the moment but have enjoyed what I have created.
If anyone out there has Addison's Disease, you will appreciate the seriousness of what I went through, and know how I feel, and how challenging it can be from day to day - or sometimes minute to minute. It was really disappointing and frustrating to not be able to get an appointment with my Doctor. Our Health system is seriously broken which is sad. I did eventually get a phone consultation with my Doctor, but it was too late by then, I had already been through the crisis and ended up in hospital and was back home again.
Ok, I know that was a long post, so thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!
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