@colleenyoung @rosemarya
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted but I’m hoping some of the group may remember me. This is Rhoda. I have had multiple ICU stays with Addisons Disease and Addison Crisis and sometimes sepsis. I take hydrocortisone for the Addison’s and was weak but more stable for awhile. Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with type two diabetes, insulin dependent and have had one ICU stay and two other hospitalizations for a combination of low blood sugar and addisonian crisis. I’m overwhelmed and scared. I have a terrific endocrinologist at Mayo but live on the East coast. Despite fairly good local hospitals, Endocrinology for Addisons and its interaction with diabetes doesn’t seem great. I read on the NIH website about the interaction and their articles say that I will have more lows and be less likely to recognize them, due to the lack of cortisol as a supportive and warning system. I am blood testing 5 times a day.
I am afraid to sleep due to fears of a low in sleep that wouldn’t wake me. In fact, the ICU visit was precipitated by my husband being unable to wake me. Also seems like increased Addisonian crisis episodes. PCP here thinks body is not yet used to lower blood sugars. My initial values for diabetes were terrible, fasting blood sugar at 496, A1C 11.8. Data indicates I have only been diabetic for two months, it’s now three weeks from the diagnosis. PCP bringing down blood sugar slowly to avoid shock. I am a very compliant patient, doing everything that is being asked. I have signed up for diabetes site here but haven’t seen anything yet for new diabetics or comorbid conditions. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Hope all is as well as as can be expected for all in the group and elsewhere. Thank you, Rhoda.