Five years ago today it was the last day of school for my oldest son. Jacob was finishing a horrific year in second grade. Clarissa had just finished preschool and Jon was turning 1 in just 5 days. I hadn't slept in what seemed like months and my mind reeled as I processed the reality that my husband was nearly dead. Just a few days previous I had made an appointment for my husband to see an Osteopath so I gathered the children into the van and managed to assist my 6' 1" husband in as well even though he didn't want to go. He passed out a few times as we drove the children to a baby-sitters house. I quickly got them settled and headed for the Osteopath. Jerry was in and out of consciousness on the way there as well. It was terrifying! I pulled into the parking lot and asked for a wheel chair. I don't even remember how I got him inside but once he was in the doctor's office he slumped to the floor. He didn't even have the strength to get on the patient table. Dr. Kwieker came in, took a look at him, put his head in his hands and then left the room. He came back in within a few minutes and opened a medical disease book to the pages containing the symptoms for Addison's disease. He stated that he knew this is what my husband had and that Jerry was in shock from an Addisonian crisis and that if we didn't get him treated at a hospital quickly he would die. I was numb! My head was spinning.
Since February we had been in and out of medical and specialist offices, testing centers, and pharmacies. Not one of the "specialists" had mentioned Addision's. Jerry and I both had been basically called crazy. More times than not, I thought I was losing my mind. Not only that, I had sevearl times questioned the sanity of my husband. Now after months of watching my husband suffer, with no energy, depression, lose weight, go from an even tan to grey brown with spots spontanteously surfacing on his body, and so much more an "alternative" Doctor was telling us he had the answer. It was sureal! Was I on another goose chase? Was this really the diagnosis? The Spirit with in me confirmed that it was right and I immediately rushed him to the Sutter General Hospital. On the way I made calls to another friend - could she watch my children overnight? I also called my friend Heather who had become a warrior patient advocate because of her own daughter's illness as a baby. I asked her to find everything she could on Addison's; the symptoms, the treatment, the testing of it...everything....oh and I only had about 30 minutes to and hour for her to do it. I truly feel that angels were helping becuase she got everything I needed. I got him inside the hospital armed with a folder full of stats, questions and testing info. I am sure the doctors thought I was crazy and my husband was not so happy that I was being so demanding. I didn't care! I was tired of people telling me they didn't know what was wrong with him or that there wasn't anything wrong with him. I remember basically saying - we aren't leaving until you test him for Addison's.
They pulled his blood wrong
The next morning - they finally administered the test
He was admitted to the hospital - Dr Krushard
Sally Adams
