Annie
If you are interested in sharing your diagnosis story, please email it to me: contact@addisonssupport.com
In January 2007, Annie came down with another cold, and after giving her some medicine, I put her in to bed. The next morning, we woke up to a little girl in status epilepticus, postured, blue, and a thread away from death. After the paramedics got her to the hospital, they placed another IO, and then started assessing the damage. After being in a coma about a week, and in the hospital for 52 days, we took home a little girl who is unable to walk, talk, or eat. She also suffers from daily seizures. She takes 3 seizure medicines, as well as the daily hydrocortisone.
If I didn’t believe in heaven, and that Annie will be healed one day, I don’t think I could deal with this. It truly has been a parent’s worst nightmare. But we have learned to be grateful for a little girl who can still smile, laugh, and is happiest on someone’s lap.
My daughter’s story is similar to little Olivia’s. Annie was 3 ½ when diagnosed. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed after the coma and brain injury. Annie was a normally developing 2 year old, when in January 06 she came down with a severe stomach flu. It was New Year’s Eve, and after staying up with her most of the night, I took her in to the local hospital in the early morning. They couldn’t get an IV into her, her Blood sugar was 14, so after putting honey directly into the sides of her mouth, they transported her to the Children’s Hospital. The ER docs placed an IO into her leg, and stabilized her. After 3 days in the hospital, the doctor diagnosed her with rotavirus and sent her home. We took her down to the ER two more times that year for the dehydration that happened when she had any illness, and various doctor visits…no one ever thought to check her for Addison’s. Meanwhile, her skin was dark tan, and the creases on her toes were darker than that. Hindsight for us has been 20/20.
That brings tears of sadness to my eyes. Parental anguish. When my son was three weeks old he developed an extremely high fever. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling something burning against my skin. It was him. Every inch of his body flaming hot. We got him to the hospital and they stabilized him, diagnosed him with a kidney infection and later a urinary reflux condition. We were blessed with prompt, correct care and maintained him on antibiotics for his first year. He outgrew the reflux and lives a happy normal life. My heart goes out to you. Doctors don't always find quick answers. And Addison's lives between the lines and in shades of grey.
ReplyDeleteoh my...reading these stories brought me to tears..
ReplyDeletewe miss seeing you!
Lisa