Adrenal failure

I have a chronic illness called secondary adrenal insufficiency. It means something caused my pituitary and adrenals to not work correctly. Your adrenals make cortisol, something that is necessary for energy, regulation of electrolytes, blood sugar, and other things.

To learn more about what the adrenals do, click here http://www.mayoclinic.org/adrenal-glands/img-20008

Sometimes mine work , sometimes they don't. In 2009 just prior to a huge 3 week national park tour in an RV with our in laws, I developed unusual fatigue, weakness, tremors, dizziness upon standing. I went to many doctors who said " you are a busy mom, of course you are tired.  If your blood sugar is low, you need to eat more. ".  Wow, I ran into some brilliant doctors along the way !

I knew it was something endocrine, I realized when I took prednisone for my asthma I felt much better. I pushed through the trip, completely exhausted. I was an on the go, ready for life kind of person. What was going on?

A journey of  several years finally connected me with a wonderful Endocrinologist thanks to one of the emergency room physicians I work with, and this man did test after test until he found out what was wrong. My steroid inhaler for my asthma, advair, was being absorbed into my body, and telling my pituitary to tell my adrenal glands not to produce cortisol.

Yay. I had an answer. That deserved a trip to Hawaii ( more about that in another post to come ) .
A year of steroid replacement and then gradually my own adrenal glands started to kick in again.

Only it's not that simple. Stress, illness, work, everything affects their function. I have good days, I have bad days. Sometimes I feel like I am going to pass out and can barely get out of bed, other days I am ready to take on the world.

Adrenal Insufficiency doesn't look sick to others. They say " but you look so good !" I refuse to be defined by it. I bring my meds, if I need them I take them, and I keep going.  If I feel my blood sugar drop, I eat. I drink lots of Gatorade. Oh, and I get to eat lots of salt! Mmmm chili cheese Fritos....  I
got my little cutsie medic alert with a butterfly charm so I don't look like a diabetic grandma.

That's the short version of my story. And I am still living it.

Do any of you travel with a chronic illness, and if so, how does it affect your travel plans ?