As a walking disabled person, I have found that despite raising awareness, if you don't have "cripple" tattooed on your forehead or are in a wheelchair, people think you should be able to function a a normal person.

You don’t see it, but I feel it. You don't understand it. But I live with it every single day. You think I'm lazy and feel sorry for me, but I am stronger than you will ever know. I fight for awareness because Addisons Disease is so rare, and we only want the respect we deserve.

I was just diagnosed. I found out when I fainted on the concrete floor of a Walgreens. Luckily I had drs who wouldn’t give up and found out I’m 1 in 100,00 with it. I thought maybe I was just lazy, depressed or unmotivated until the fainting started. Your video helps me feel less isolated. Thank you!

Thank you! I feel no one gets me. Not even a lot of doctors apart from the very experts.

Great video, it's good to see more awareness out there about addisons. I was diagnosed in 2004 and have good days and bad. The hardest thing was trying to explain to friends and family how sick I feel at times even though I look OK.

It's nice to be able to find someone else who has this disease who I can relate to, I was diagnosed in 2017 at the age of 25 and my whole life changed, I hadn't even heard of addisons before. I felt so alone and I still to this day struggle with managing it. Thanks for the video  and trying to spread awareness even some medical staff dont even know what it is so its great to get the word out there! I'm from the UK too ♥️

Thank you for sharing this video.  I live in the U.S. and was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease 2 years ago.  It has been extremely isolating, but hearing stories like yours gives me hope for the future.

Bless your heart ❤️ I was diagnosed almost a year ago. After being on depression meds and everything else in between because “it was all in my head” according to Drs. The endo dr is trying to get Cortef meds regulated. I also have thyroid, Osteomalacia (my bones,especially ribs) just break from turning the wrong way or to quickly while sitting, shin bones in both legs split if I walk to much etc. the anxiety can be extremely difficult with my mood swings. The fainting/passing out from standing has become much more regular. I do have emergency dexamethasone shots on hand for my husband to give me until ambulance arrives. Blood pressure is always extremely low or very high. The high dosage of Cortef has definitely put weight back on me (too much) and now they are saying even though my blood sugar will drop at anytime, I’m more on the diabetes borderline side. This disease sucks and has robbed me of 20 years of my 51 yr old life because Drs don’t have enough in information about it. One more thing, Im 5’9 weighed 138 lbs a yr ago, skin & bones, now I’m 273 lbs & trying to figure out how to keep weight down (which would help regulate sugars) Thank You for sharing your story! Many Blessings & Prayers to you Always! From the United States 🇺🇸

I have just been diagnosed with Addison’s disease and spent the last 10 days in hospital. I have been battling this for 3 years and each time I got ill my doctors didn’t pick up the signs. I got vertigo last September and from then onwards my body was just crashing and my parents thought that was it for me. I now have the diagnosis and can hopefully live my life as normal as I can. Your video has really helped people who are new to this like me and understand that it’s different for everyone and we all live with it differently.

The symptoms you listed are all (besides fatigue) low cortisol symptoms that should not be occurring frequently, if at all, with steroid replacement. Addison's disease does not affect skin after steroid replacement. High ACTH is what causes hyperpigmentation and it stops after you are on the proper steroid replacement, because ACTH production is not sky high from lack of cortisol feedback. If you still have hyperpigmentation, that means your steroid dosing is off and your ACTH has not lowered. Treated Addison's disease also does not cause weight loss. Weight loss after diagnosis means something is "off". Same with dizziness. Your steroid dosing does sound off considering you are still experiencing so many significant symptoms of low cortisol. Most of the symptoms you listed are for pre-diagnosis Addison's patients and if anyone with Addison's is dealing with these issues, they need to get a day curve test to check their cortisol levels on their current dosing regime as well as ensure they're actually ingesting all of their steroid. Being unable to digest oral steroids is fairly common because they're especially hard on the GI tract and is why a cortisol pump is being studied and used currently by Addison's patients. I have Addison's and know how the disease feels but there is a difference between the daily drag of not having normal cortisol regulation and having pre-diagnosis symptoms. The reason why there are people out there going into crisis often is because their dosing is NOT correct. That is due to so many things, a big reason being the lack of education both in patients and in endocrinologists. This is why pump technology needs to be studied and implemented, like, yesterday.

I died three times before I was diagnosed and even with my steroids the summertime is just brutal one day I feel decent and the next I'm on the floor trying to catch my breath because I carried a bag of groceries in

Thank you for your story....I was recently diagnosed and your symptoms seemed to parallel mine. I got super emotional when you were talking about your symptoms, getting sick and being misdiagnosed... because I have been there.... and trying to put on a brave face for my kids and family but was starting to believe I wasn't for this Earth much longer. Thankfully, I am now on a medication regimen and improving however I know there will always be ups and downs. Thank you for your message and creating awareness. I also have hypothyroidism and lupus.

Before today I was told that I am one of 1600 Swedes with Addisons of 10 million as the Swedish population.
So I'm glad that I have seen your video and will start to follow since I will need all the help I can get.

P.S I am a Male at 29 year old.

This health issue has been the biggest challenge of my life. Especially since the medicine isn’t working right. People really don’t realize how much of a struggle it is, day to day, with this health issue. I can look normal externally, for the most part. But omg the symptoms lol 😩

It's finally nice to find other people with addison's disease. I have had this for 12 years now and haven't run into anyone else who has this! Thank you for making this video!

Thank you so much for making this video! I really feel like this is what I have! I have an appointment with a Rheumatologist next month to find out for sure, but it makes me feel less alone knowing someone out there feels the same way I do everyday with these symptoms.

Hi Ashley, thank you for sharing your experience. My 8 year old daughter "Lauren" was diagnosed 2 months ago. She went from an energetic happy child to no energy and very thin (walking skeleton as you describe). The first thing I noticed was the darkening of her skin. People were commenting on "her tan" when there was still snow on the ground! We live in Ottawa, Canada (although Lauren was born at Queen Charlotte's in West London as her Dad is a Londoner and I lived there for 9 years). Luckily we live near a great Children's hospital and they diagnosed her the day we went in for tests. Their Endocronolgists seem well educated in Addison's so we are lucky. Being diagnosed so young taking medication for life seems daunting but right now after being on the meds she is back to her old self. I hope you are feeling good and thanks again for sharing your story.

I do have olso . It’s nice to listen to you ❤

I’m so glad I found your video! I think I have Addisons but they are still trying to diagnose me. It’s been a struggle. I have so many symptoms and if it’s not this idk what it is. I will watch more of your videos when I’m able, just so fatigue rn. Uff. Thank you for making this video! I mean it! I see this is from 3 years ago, how are you now?! Plz tell me you’re still alive and well

Well done you. I have been recently diagnosed with Addisons Diseaswle. Yes get the word out there.❤