Statement: My intent in this newsletter is to express as quickly as possible my own beliefs and opinions on matters. I have no problems with people who disagree with my opinion and have even been swayed to rethink my position from time to time.
We are still taking book orders for my new book "ADHD and The Criminal Justice System" and you can get my author's discount from the AMAZON.COM price...
Patrick Hurley was recently appointed to the Professional Advisory Board of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association. For more information you can go to www.add.org
Patrick also spoke on October 15, 2007 at the National Conference on Correctional Health Care
in Nashville, TN on his book. The Conference is sponsored by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), which has an impressive membership.
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I have just returned from a 56-year old, good friend's funeral. She died from complications of a highly treatable, and often under-diagnosed disorder, known as Hemochromatosis (you can read more about the disorder on WebMD). In layman's term, it is basically the opposite of being anemic. It is an inherited disorder, most often tied to people of Northern European ancestry, especially those of Celtic descent. But others can have it as well. The body has difficulty processing iron in your blood, and expelling it. With nowhere to go, it begins building up in the organs, beginning with the liver, where it can cause Cirrhosis. It then builds up in other organs, including the brain, where it often manifests itself in a downward spiral of depression. It can take years to develop and silently do its damage. The first sign is the "off the chart" iron levels in your blood. But, if you haven't had the test in the first place, you can see where it might go undiagnosed.
My friend had been depressed for many years, and it seemed to get worse in the last few years. I have no idea whether she had ADHD, but she was highly opinionated, and could be very stubborn, and at the same time, was one of the most fun loving, witty, compassionate and pleasant people I have ever been around. She hated going to doctors, and avoided routine physical examinations. In my experience, this is a very common trait of those with ADHD. I, myself, have avoided routine tests. Even though I had abdominal pain for years, I put off having the colonoscopy my doctor recommended 4 years ago. I finally had it performed a few months ago.
I think I was afraid of the results being bad, and felt that if I just ignored it, things would get either better or worse. But, if I had the test, and confirmed things were bad, it would be just another thing for me to worry about. Ignorance (it seemed) was bliss. Well, in reality, it is not bliss, but can in fact be the pits.
Looking back, my friend probably had the liver damage already developing. But, not wanting to address the problem, allowed it to run rampant silently, leading to depression, weight loss, and finally, the organs to start shutting down. The diagnosis and treatment are not difficult. Diagnosis can be done with a blood test, and treatment can be done by taking blood out of the system one pint at a time, as newly created blood does not have the high iron content. But you have to have the test done first.
The purpose of my letter is to encourage all of you to have your routine check-ups and suggested timely tests. My colonoscopy came back with a diagnosis of minor esophagitis and diverticulitis. You would be surprised at how much better I feel knowing I don't have colon cancer (remember we always assume the worse possible scenario).
I am much more likely to have the recommended diagnostic tests done in the future, than I was before. I might add that this same advice applies to your ADHD symptoms as well.
You don't have to have ADHD to avoid doctors and having tests, but I do know that those of us with ADHD have a tendency to be afraid of being labeled as hypochondriacs if we go to the doctor for every little ache and pain. I think there is a danger of becoming hypochondriacs, and surfing the web to see what kind of self diagnosis of our problems we can come up with. So, a balanced, reasonable approach to monitoring our health is in order, just don't get carried away.
From my experience, there is almost nothing more obnoxious than an ADHD/hypochondriac. They can do more harm to the cause of ADHD acceptance than several hundred of the rest of us.
Thanks and talk to you next month.
Patrick Hurley
addcorridorcoach@aol.com
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