The Australian Addison's Disease Association website addisons.org.au contains 15 stories of typical patients. Read them all or just read on to see in summary what average patients are like well after the difficult period around the time of diagnosis is passed.
1. Crisis, doctors clueless
2. Several hospital admissions for Addison's
3. Absent from school often
4. Lethargic, underweight
5. Several crises. Used to sprint, now can only jog
6. Very vague sometimes, forgetful, not fit enough
7. Underweight, teary episodes
8. Multiple crises
9. Retired early due to not coping
10. Feels "not right"
11. Crisis. Firing on 5 cylinders rather than 8
12. Fatigues, osteoporotic
13. Given wrong drugs, health slipping
14. Multiple medical problems, health delicate
15. Overweight, fatty liver, unstable
Equivalent websites for people with type 1 diabetes are replete with stories of success. Not so Addison's. Is there anyone in Australia with Addison's disease who is doing well on standard treatment?
