Time seems to fly by these days and sadly I find that I am neglecting my blog.  I really do make an effort to do better, but what I can say other than I am old and forgetful.

I saw a cardiologist on March 9th and he cleared me for surgery.  Apparently, my EKG was fine and my heart rate was normal.  Hopefully, the surgery will take place within the next four to six months, though I think this virus pandemic might just interfere with that.

My friend Kathy posted the following item on Facebook and I felt it was important to pass it on to my readers here at “Not over Till the Fat Lady Sings.”  The article is as follows:

Individuals like myself, are the ones considered to have “underlying health conditions” A quick lesson about autoimmune diseases. It takes an average of three years and five doctors for a person to get a proper diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. It is a disease where instead of your white blood cells protecting your body from invaders, they turn around and attack your cells, tissues, and organs. Chronic fatigue is another symptom. It is not a cold or the flu, you will never get better, and even a nap will not help. Just eating a salad and hitting the gym won’t slim your face or get the pounds off. Sleeping 10 hours doesn’t leave you well-rested, ever. The last-minute changes in plans because that “just got ran over” feeling never makes appointments, it just walks in whenever you aren’t ready. Painful joints, muscles and bones, dry skin, breaking hair, hair loss, mood swings, and depression are just the tip of the iceberg. You are also prone to having multiple autoimmune diseases; they typically come in pairs of two. You easily catch viral and bacterial infections. You have days where no matter how hard you try; you just can’t smile for anyone.

I urge you to think twice before passing judgment and thinking our nation is overreacting to the extra measures being taken to curb the spread of this virus. YOU might be able to recover from it no problem, however, carry it to someone with an autoimmune disease and that individual won’t be as lucky.

Please, in honor of someone who is fighting Rheumatoid Arthritis, POTS, MCAD, Sjogren’s, Scleroderma, Hashimoto Disease, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Sarcoidosis, Hepatitis, Myasthenia Gravis, Raynauld’s Syndrome, Diabetes, Addison’s, Mold Illness, Celiac, CROHN’S, Ulcerative Colitis, Pemphigus, SPS, MS, PBC, Psoriatic Arthritis, CIDP, MMN, and GPA stay safe and follow isolation rules.  For more information on Autoimmune Diseases, go to Aarda.org.

Today I would like to focus on Addison’s disease.  A dear friend of mine deals with this disease on a daily basis.  Jan has fought for her life many times during an Addison’s crisis.  The following charts and graphs may help to explain this disease.

Mayo Clinic gives this definition of Addison’s disease:   Addison’s disease, also called adrenal insufficiency, is an uncommon disorder that occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough of certain hormones. In Addison’s disease, your adrenal glands, located just above your kidneys, produce too little cortisol and, often, too little aldosterone. Addison’s disease occurs in all age groups and both sexes and can be life-threatening. Treatment involves taking hormones to replace those that are missing.

Symptoms – The following information comes from the Mayo Clinic’s website at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/addisons-disease

Addison’s disease symptoms usually develop slowly, often over several months. Often, the disease progresses so slowly that symptoms are ignored until stress, such as illness or injury, occurs and makes symptoms worse. Signs and symptoms may include:

Extreme fatigue

Weight loss and decreased appetite

Darkening of your skin (hyperpigmentation)

Low blood pressure, even fainting

Salt craving

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

Nausea, diarrhea or vomiting (gastrointestinal symptoms)

Abdominal pain

Muscle or joint pains

Irritability

Depression or other behavioral symptoms

Body hair loss or sexual dysfunction in women

Acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis)  

Sometimes the signs and symptoms of Addison’s disease may appear suddenly.  Acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis) can lead to life-threatening shock.  Seek emergency medical treatment if you experience the following signs and symptoms:

Severe weakness

Confusion

Pain in your lower back or legs

Severe abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, leading to dehydration

Reduced consciousness or delirium

In an Addison’s crisis you will also have:

Low blood pressure

High potassium (hyperkalemia) and low sodium (hyponatremia)

When to see a doctor:

See your doctor if you have common signs and symptoms of Addison’s disease, such as:

Darkening areas of skin (hyperpigmentation)

Severe fatigue

Unintentional weight loss

Gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain

Lightheadedness or fainting

Salt cravings

Muscle or joint pains