Can Addisons Mimic a Stroke

[derbypub]

The following is NOT a complaint about the treatment i received, it is just a record i created for my wife's folder.

My wife was diagnosed with Addisons back in 2006

Tuesday 4th July 2023

My wife had a collapse at approx. 6pm, She had not been feeling well for a couple of days with dizziness and confusion, (norm really but worse)
999 called due to my wife suffering from Addisons Disease and needed cortisone.
Paramedics arrived and tried with success to bring her round, i explained i have a injection to give her but unable to use it because i do not know how, i have been waiting 2 year to be shown.
I asked if they had cortisone and they said they do but they refused to give her any, reason for not giving it to her was "she is not showing signs of "Adisson Crisis" i was under the impression that the cortisone was to PREVENT a crisis, tried to explain this but they would not listen.

Taken to hospital and taken to A+E Blackburn Royal, after a arrival check, blood tests, blood pressure etc. she was placed on a bed trolly and onto a corridor with approx. 30 others, she was then seen by a doctor after about 6 hours and after examination they decided to admit her to a ward (AMU) Acute Medical Unit, at approx. 3am Wednesday i left to return the next day expecting her to be on a ward, i returned at approx. 2pm Wednesday to find her still on the corridor waiting for a bed, i stayed until 8pm and they said they now have a bed for her, she was admitted at approx. 10pm Wednesday evening.

Thursday 6th July 2023

I received a phone call from the ward nurse explaining she had a stroke and was down in resus, i decided to go and see them in resus to explain something that happened in 2015.

On arrival i was taken to a room where i was informed all her right side was unresponsive, her left side of face had also drooped, they performed a scan of the brain looking for bleeding, there was no signs of any, they put some dye into her system and performed another which showed a clot in a stem to the brain which they then rushed her to Preston Royal
At this point i began to explain what has happened in the past

Sometime in 2015/16

My wife had a collapse and 999 was called, paramedics immediately administered Cortisone but realized something more sinister was happening, they said she is having a stroke, i so this firsthand. She was unable to use her right leg and unable to lift her right arm, her left side of the face and mouth was drooped and was slathering and unable to speak.
We was blue lighted to resus at Blackburn Royal and after a scan she was place on a drip of liquids, cortisone presumably.
4 Hours later she was walking about, the doctor who was looking after her was amazed and could not believe what was happening, the only conclusion was the Addison's had mimicked a stroke.


Royal Preston Hospital apparently confirmed the same diagnosis, they took her immediately to theater where they operated and went in through her groin but nothing was found. She was kept at Preston overnight until they could get some transport back to Blackburn, she then waited until late Friday 7th July evening to transport her back to Blackburn Royal and was taken to Ward B2 Acute stroke.

Saturday 8th July 2023

Doctor came round at approx. 10am and she was told it was not a stroke, the operation at Preston found nothing it must have been a shadow, she was then discharged with information to start taking Hydrocortisone which she has been taking for 10 year already.