New Member---My story

[Guest guest]

Another great classxical story that should have been diagnosed much earlier. I would track down all of your former BP readings and plot them out. We assume when your BP has been measrued in the past it was done according to the standards that have been published since 1938 with an accurate office device. You should complain to your health care system that this was not pidked up earlier.

I assume you have had good studies to show the bump on your adrenal is the sourceo f the trouble by adreanl vein sampleing.

If there is a family hsitory or low K or early strokes others in you family should also be tested esp if they have HTN or low K.

Congratulations on finding a problem that will, in all likelyhood change your life. Keep us posted on your progress so we can spread the word to other pateints and health care providers.

Do you know all ofy your renin and aldosterone numbers? We like to keep a running list of them.

Other things that we would expect to get better if they are a peoblem:

Having to get up at night to urinate many times-even perhaps during the day as well.

Having a metallic taste in your mouth.

May your pressure be low!

Clarence E. Grim, BS, MS, MD, FACP, FACC

Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Hypertension

Focusing on difficult to control high blood pressure and high cholesterol especially in the African Diaspora

“Of all the forms of injustice, inequality in health is the most shocking and inhumanâ€:

Dr. Luther King, Jr.

[Guest guest]

Hello,

My name is . I'm 39 years old and married with three

kids. As long as I can remember, I've always struggled with my low

energy level, increased irritability over the years and other

symptoms that were related to hyperaldosteronism that I had no idea

about.......like severe pain, tingling and numbness in both hands

that I thought was carpal tunnel syndrome, occasional weird feelings

of weakness in my legs, like they were about to give out ( I thought

it was just fatique from being on my feet all day at work ), and just

in the last few months I've had unusual muscle aches and

pains......like when my husband or kids would grab or tap my arms or

legs while goofing around; I'd shout out in pain because it felt like

they were hitting or squeezing a bruise......my family thought I was

overreacting and I blamed it on recently excersising too much or from

all the lifting I do at work from transferring patients from

wheelchairs and beds ( I do occupational therapy in a rehab

setting ).

I have always secretly been disappointed with myself. I felt

like my kids were disappointed in me also, because their mom was very

often too tired to do things with them or I would make them promises

I couldn't keep later. My husband was always disappointed in my low

energy levels, especially in the evenings, which ruined many plans

over the years and also our sex life ( I just couldn't understand why

I just wasn't interested! It made me feel so abnormal and I was too

embarassed to discuss it with anyone ).

The fact that I'm still living today is a miracle. I had no

idea that my left adrenal adenoma was slowly planning to take my

life. I just so happened to need a physical for work because the new

rehab co. required one. Their doctor stood me up twice, so I decided

to go to my own physician and get a better physical than what my

company required. I was suspicious about my bp reading which was

135/90....I have always had really low readings that I could remember

from years back. Since I must have seemed disturbed/puzzled about my

bp, my doctor decided to order some bloodwork. She called me at home

with the results and told me to go straight to the ER. I was

actually irritated by this and thought that she must be overreacting

because I thought I felt fine.......my definition of fine was what I

always felt....tired and fatiqued. She seemed puzzled that I wasn't

having any other symptoms at the time. I took my good old time

getting to the ER!! I took a shower and waited for my husband to get

home from work to take me. We left our 15yr old son at home to watch

his two younger sisters. About 1hr and a half later, we arrived and

they seemed to be waiting for me. I didn't know the severity of it

then, but my bloodpressure was soaring and my K level had gone down

to a killer 1.7!!! The EKG and heart monitor was already showing the

changes happening to my heart that I still wasn't aware of! They

infused me with pottasium all night long, which was excruciating!

They also put a central line in my subclavian vein. Finally my K

level was starting to rise. My doctor said that if I had not gone to

the ER, I would have gone into heart failure that evening and died

suddenly at home with my family around me. Those words still haunt

me today. The only reason I'm here is due to a chain of

coincidences, in other words........a miracle performed by the grace

of God, as far as I'm concerned.

The day after tomorrow, I will be having my left adrenalectomy

done at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, here in Ohio. Dr. Gill, my

surgeon, came highly recommended and patients travel from all over to

be seen by him. I feel lucky that he's only 30 minutes away from me.

My doctor is very optimistic about my full recovery and says

that I will soon have the energy that was robbed from me for 15+

years, according to the size of my tumor. I am so excited to be

given a chance in the second chapter of my life.......that includes

energy!! To think that this tumor has made me have low self-esteem

for years and I know people thought I was lazy......they just

wouldn't come out and say it! My doctor warned me about doing too

much research on the internet and getting scared. I have to admit

that I have read some stories on the internet that really scared me,

in regards to my recovery. Am I silly to think that everything is

going to be just fine and I will go on to live a normal life with

energy and put this whole incident behind me forever? I am starting

to become overwhelmed by thoughts that my right adrenal gland will

fail me and I will, after all, eventually die of heart failure, just

what this dreadful disease wanted to do in the first place! I know

this anxiety is not good for me to have when I'm going into surgery

so soon, but I don't know how to get these negative thoughts out of

my mind! Any suggestions?

[Guest guest]

I understand exactly how you feel about the adrenalectomy. On April

19th, I had my left adrenal gland removed. The adenoma was found on

8/15/03, and finally after endless testing, and different doctors, I

found a surgeon in Ann Arbor at the U of M Hospital who would remove

it. My blood pressure had been spiking, I was on mega doses of

potassium, and on 3 different meds to keep my blood pressure within

somewhat normal limits. I too was fatigued all the time. I would

come home from work and lay down and there I would be for the night.

I had a daughter that was going to be graduating high school, and I

had no time to be horizontal. You will not believe what the surgery

did for me. I have so much more energy. After about 5 days post op

with no potassium, it finally landed in normal range. My blood

pressure is at a reading I havent seen in I dont know how long. I

suppose i wonder sometimes if I will have the same problem with my

right adrenal gland, though the doctor doesnt think so. But, I have

been assured that if I do, there are medications to use to make up for

the lack of both adrenal glands. I too was nervous about the surgery

itself due to many reasons, but I put my faith in the Lord, and He

helped me through it all. I feel so much happier and look forward to

the rest of my life.

Diane

> Hello,

> My name is . I'm 39 years old and married with three

> kids. As long as I can remember, I've always struggled with my low

> energy level, increased irritability over the years and other

> symptoms that were related to hyperaldosteronism that I had no idea

> about.......like severe pain, tingling and numbness in both hands

> that I thought was carpal tunnel syndrome, occasional weird feelings

> of weakness in my legs, like they were about to give out ( I thought

> it was just fatique from being on my feet all day at work ), and just

> in the last few months I've had unusual muscle aches and

> pains......like when my husband or kids would grab or tap my arms or

> legs while goofing around; I'd shout out in pain because it felt like

> they were hitting or squeezing a bruise......my family thought I was

> overreacting and I blamed it on recently excersising too much or from

> all the lifting I do at work from transferring patients from

> wheelchairs and beds ( I do occupational therapy in a rehab

> setting ).

> I have always secretly been disappointed with myself. I felt

> like my kids were disappointed in me also, because their mom was very

> often too tired to do things with them or I would make them promises

> I couldn't keep later. My husband was always disappointed in my low

> energy levels, especially in the evenings, which ruined many plans

> over the years and also our sex life ( I just couldn't understand why

> I just wasn't interested! It made me feel so abnormal and I was too

> embarassed to discuss it with anyone ).

> The fact that I'm still living today is a miracle. I had no

> idea that my left adrenal adenoma was slowly planning to take my

> life. I just so happened to need a physical for work because the new

> rehab co. required one. Their doctor stood me up twice, so I decided

> to go to my own physician and get a better physical than what my

> company required. I was suspicious about my bp reading which was

> 135/90....I have always had really low readings that I could remember

> from years back. Since I must have seemed disturbed/puzzled about my

> bp, my doctor decided to order some bloodwork. She called me at home

> with the results and told me to go straight to the ER. I was

> actually irritated by this and thought that she must be overreacting

> because I thought I felt fine.......my definition of fine was what I

> always felt....tired and fatiqued. She seemed puzzled that I wasn't

> having any other symptoms at the time. I took my good old time

> getting to the ER!! I took a shower and waited for my husband to get

> home from work to take me. We left our 15yr old son at home to watch

> his two younger sisters. About 1hr and a half later, we arrived and

> they seemed to be waiting for me. I didn't know the severity of it

> then, but my bloodpressure was soaring and my K level had gone down

> to a killer 1.7!!! The EKG and heart monitor was already showing the

> changes happening to my heart that I still wasn't aware of! They

> infused me with pottasium all night long, which was excruciating!

> They also put a central line in my subclavian vein. Finally my K

> level was starting to rise. My doctor said that if I had not gone to

> the ER, I would have gone into heart failure that evening and died

> suddenly at home with my family around me. Those words still haunt

> me today. The only reason I'm here is due to a chain of

> coincidences, in other words........a miracle performed by the grace

> of God, as far as I'm concerned.

> The day after tomorrow, I will be having my left adrenalectomy

> done at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, here in Ohio. Dr. Gill, my

> surgeon, came highly recommended and patients travel from all over to

> be seen by him. I feel lucky that he's only 30 minutes away from me.

> My doctor is very optimistic about my full recovery and says

> that I will soon have the energy that was robbed from me for 15+

> years, according to the size of my tumor. I am so excited to be

> given a chance in the second chapter of my life.......that includes

> energy!! To think that this tumor has made me have low self-esteem

> for years and I know people thought I was lazy......they just

> wouldn't come out and say it! My doctor warned me about doing too

> much research on the internet and getting scared. I have to admit

> that I have read some stories on the internet that really scared me,

> in regards to my recovery. Am I silly to think that everything is

> going to be just fine and I will go on to live a normal life with

> energy and put this whole incident behind me forever? I am starting

> to become overwhelmed by thoughts that my right adrenal gland will

> fail me and I will, after all, eventually die of heart failure, just

> what this dreadful disease wanted to do in the first place! I know

> this anxiety is not good for me to have when I'm going into surgery

> so soon, but I don't know how to get these negative thoughts out of

> my mind! Any suggestions?