Okay, a little off topic here, but I just had the weirdest coincidence happen today, I have a feeling it was meant to be.
I've been doing a lot of research into anorexia in light of my daughter's illness, of course. Sometimes research like that takes you off onto little tangents. Well, this morning I was researching some of the hormones which can be disturbed in this illness, and some rare cases of misdiagnosis where a patient was thought to have anorexia but actually had Addison's disease - failure of the adrenal glands (usually due to autoimmune disease). Then I ran across an article from the NIH which stated that women with premature ovarian failure (very early menopause) have a 300 fold increased risk of developing Addison's disease.
Well, Addison's disease is quite rare, and although very treatable with cortisone, the diagnosis is often missed. Untreated Addison's disease can be fatal if the person develops a serious infection and can't increase their natural cortisol to help fight it.
Premature ovarian failure is also rare - in fact, I don't think I ever diagnosed a case, and I've seen more than my share of rare diseases. But I remembered that I do know a woman with premature ovarian failure (menopause at age 29!). Her kids and mine went to school together in the early grade school years, and she lives a few blocks away, but I really haven't seen her in a couple of years.
So, I printed off the article and threw it in with the papers I was taking with me today to read in waiting rooms etc. I think I thought that someday I might drop it off for her. D had pediatrician appointment today and later psych appointment. Psych increased one of her meds so we had to go to the pharmacy to get them. Just as we are checking out of the pharmacy - this woman checks in next to me! I told her I had an article for her in my car - she starts telling me about all these vague complaints she's been having, which could indeed be mild symptoms of Addison's disease!
It was just too spooky, I definitely feel like there was some kind of divine intervention at work here!
