02-12-2013, 09:00 AM
Hello SupportForums, you may know me on other websites/forums as 'Kosmos'. I really need some advice and help.
Before we get to my story, I am 16 years of age (in case you have any questions involving my age)
On October 22nd of last year (2012), I collapsed (syncopal collapse)
It was a Monday night.
The previous Wednesday, I went to the doctors for minor cold symptoms and found out I had an upper respiratory infection, but they didn't prescribe me anything. The night before I collapsed(Sunday), I went to an urgent care center for the same symptoms, as they were getting worse, and was diagnosed with the same thing; so they gave me oral steroids(Medrol pack), cough syrup(Codeine), and an anti-biotic(Zithromax).
I could not get to the pharmacy on that Sunday, as it was too late for any pharmacy to be open, so I went in the morning and took all of the prescriptions that I had to take following up to when I collapsed. The first dosage of all of the medicines was at 2:30 PM, and I had very strange symptoms that had gradually gotten worse up until 10:30 PM (when I collapsed).
These symptoms were nothing of what I had experienced before when being on these medications. My legs started to get weak and numb, my heart was racing, I couldn't think straight, and I was really sweaty. An hour before I collapsed I couldn't move my legs, or my arms. I was hesitant to tell my mother about this because I didn't want to scare her. I waited another hour (it was 9:30 PM), then I tried to walk to her room. It took me a good 5 minutes to stand up and walk towards her bedroom. I was standing outside of the bathroom which is right near her bedroom, I looked in the mirror and then turned to tell her, "Mom, I don't feel right", and just as I was telling her this, I fell to the ground and was out cold. I was unconscious for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds and my heart had stopped for half of that (my mother was trying to wake me up and she felt no pulse). After she was screaming, I finally woke up. I felt more awake than I have ever felt, but I also felt like I had just slept for 13 hours. Once I was awake, I demanded that she call 911, so she did. I was rushed to the ER and they did many tests. Unfortunately, it was really late and it was an 'adult' hospital, so they had to transfer me by an ambulance to the closest children's hospital.
Once I got there, I was in ICU for 5 days. Over the 5 days of being there, they found that my Potassium, Phosphate, and Sodium levels were extremely and fatally low. My Potassium was 1.7. The normal Potassium level is 4.6-4.8. They said that I very well could have died. They did blood tests and found that I had many kidney diseases and a very rare endocrine disorder.
I was diagnosed with:
From when I was discharged up until Winter break for school, I hadn't really thought about what all had happened. I was living a 'new' life, just so fortunate to be alive. Over the winter break, I started thinking about what had happened quite a bit. I started to question whether or not I was really alive. I still do this up until today.
I am constantly asking myself mentally, "is this really happening?", "Am I dreaming?", "What is happening to me?", and other weird thoughts. I always have brain fog.
It is not really a thing where I cannot see what is real and what is not, but I feel like I am a spectator of my own life, rather than me, myself, living it.
I really would like some advice and help on this issue. A lot has happened and I just don't feel right anymore.
I don't even feel like myself and I don't even feel any emotions.
I don't know who I am anymore.
Before we get to my story, I am 16 years of age (in case you have any questions involving my age)
On October 22nd of last year (2012), I collapsed (syncopal collapse)
It was a Monday night.
The previous Wednesday, I went to the doctors for minor cold symptoms and found out I had an upper respiratory infection, but they didn't prescribe me anything. The night before I collapsed(Sunday), I went to an urgent care center for the same symptoms, as they were getting worse, and was diagnosed with the same thing; so they gave me oral steroids(Medrol pack), cough syrup(Codeine), and an anti-biotic(Zithromax).
I could not get to the pharmacy on that Sunday, as it was too late for any pharmacy to be open, so I went in the morning and took all of the prescriptions that I had to take following up to when I collapsed. The first dosage of all of the medicines was at 2:30 PM, and I had very strange symptoms that had gradually gotten worse up until 10:30 PM (when I collapsed).
These symptoms were nothing of what I had experienced before when being on these medications. My legs started to get weak and numb, my heart was racing, I couldn't think straight, and I was really sweaty. An hour before I collapsed I couldn't move my legs, or my arms. I was hesitant to tell my mother about this because I didn't want to scare her. I waited another hour (it was 9:30 PM), then I tried to walk to her room. It took me a good 5 minutes to stand up and walk towards her bedroom. I was standing outside of the bathroom which is right near her bedroom, I looked in the mirror and then turned to tell her, "Mom, I don't feel right", and just as I was telling her this, I fell to the ground and was out cold. I was unconscious for at least 1 minute and 30 seconds and my heart had stopped for half of that (my mother was trying to wake me up and she felt no pulse). After she was screaming, I finally woke up. I felt more awake than I have ever felt, but I also felt like I had just slept for 13 hours. Once I was awake, I demanded that she call 911, so she did. I was rushed to the ER and they did many tests. Unfortunately, it was really late and it was an 'adult' hospital, so they had to transfer me by an ambulance to the closest children's hospital.
Once I got there, I was in ICU for 5 days. Over the 5 days of being there, they found that my Potassium, Phosphate, and Sodium levels were extremely and fatally low. My Potassium was 1.7. The normal Potassium level is 4.6-4.8. They said that I very well could have died. They did blood tests and found that I had many kidney diseases and a very rare endocrine disorder.
I was diagnosed with:
- Hypokalemia (Low Potassium counts)
- Hypophosphatemia (Low Phosphate counts)
- Hyponatremia (Low Sodium counts)
- Chronic Adrenal Insufficiency (Addison's Disease)
- POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
From when I was discharged up until Winter break for school, I hadn't really thought about what all had happened. I was living a 'new' life, just so fortunate to be alive. Over the winter break, I started thinking about what had happened quite a bit. I started to question whether or not I was really alive. I still do this up until today.
I am constantly asking myself mentally, "is this really happening?", "Am I dreaming?", "What is happening to me?", and other weird thoughts. I always have brain fog.
It is not really a thing where I cannot see what is real and what is not, but I feel like I am a spectator of my own life, rather than me, myself, living it.
I really would like some advice and help on this issue. A lot has happened and I just don't feel right anymore.
I don't even feel like myself and I don't even feel any emotions.
I don't know who I am anymore.