The Realization of a Dream, Part Two
During the summer of 2012, my mom and I took a cruise in the Caribbean and stopped at the Cayman Islands. We had signed up for a stingray / snorkeling adventure, but it was pouring rain! Although many excursions were cancelled due to weather, our tour still continued as planed.
I wanted to enjoy this “once in a lifetime experience” of swimming with stingrays, but in all honesty, I was miserably cold and struggling greatly with my Addison’s disease. I wanted it to be over.
After the cold swimming with the stingrays in a crowded place, it was time for snorkeling. The boat took us to a less crowded area to explore the world underwater. I remember jumping out of that boat and diving under. Although it was still raining, the sea was much warmer. There was also a calmness. I thought to myself, “I absolutely love this.”
December of 2017, my mom and I had an opportunity to revisit the Cayman Islands when it was not pouring rain. I remember thinking “Oh, this is how the water is supposed to look. It is actually blue.”
This time, I had my waterproof cortisol pump. This time, I had the ability to swim without fear of my oral medicine not kicking in soon enough. This time, I was free.
I used Grif Grips to secure my pump site to my stomach with Mr Koala Bear and an arm band to hold my pump while I explored.
Once again, I cried as the gravity of the situation sank in. This was another dream that I had given up on. It was something that I had previously viewed as unobtainable. It was just a fact of life. And yet, once again here I was accomplishing it. I was able to SNORKEL knowing that I was still receiving my medicine.
And I had my mom by my side, witnessing it all.
I am Amber Nicole.
And I am Clearly Alive.
Anna-Maria
Amazing to see the difference between the two times and what great improvement the pump has made for you! Looks really great to be able to swim in the ocean like that! 🙂
I'm hoping to somehow get a pump too since I'm mostly struggling with keeping everything working with tablet treatment and other things that mess up. In Sweden it's still impossible, but I won't give up!
Amber Nicole
Hi Anna-Maria,
Would your doctors consider a half way step of cortisol injections using shorter sub-q needles? For some that can't gain access to the pump, but are not responding well to tablets, this has been incredibly helpful for them!
~ Amber