So I'm a Zebra . . .

Yesterday when I opened the refrigerator for some milk and there was none there I knew I couldn't put off seeking treatment any longer. How did I know? – firstly I live alone and so no-one else could have taken the milk and secondly I did find the nearly full bottle of milk – in the recycling bin!!! This may seem a trivial incident to most but I'm sure many here could relate (and laugh about it as I did). It is only one of a multitude of symptoms that I've been having over successive months (and years). But not only was I misplacing my milk I was also starting to forget to take vital medication for my other chronic condition – autoimmune Addison's Disease (adrenal insufficiency). Time to get it sorted.

I suspected (with help from many posters here) that the peripheral neuropathy, fatigue, headaches, insomnia, brain-fog etc might be due to B12 deficiency. I'm on a wait list – 'priority semi-urgent' (ie: at least 4 mths - maybe June) to see a neurologist (Public Health system). In the NZ system only specialists can order what are known as Tier 2 diagnostic tests which for B12 includes Homosysteine and Methylmalonic Acid (MMA). But I couldn't wait much longer.

This morning I managed to score a last-minute appointment with my GP (due to a cancellation) and took a very small amount of the info I'd gathered to see if I could convince her to investigate further. My Serum B12 numbers, when reviewed over 5 years, showed sufficient decline to raise a 'red flag' – although when tested in Jan 2015 I was still within the so-called 'normal' range. Outcome: further testing for Serum B12 & Folate, Intrinsic Factor Antibodies, Parietal Cell Antibodies, and Coeliac screen.
Also she is going to follow up with my Endocrinologist for immediate appt. request (I've also e-mailed personally) and hopefully I might get bumped up to 'urgent' on the neurology waiting list. I've also requested if the Homosysteine and MMA tests might be ordered before my neuro appt.

So that's where I'm at – it's the day before Easter so I have a five day wait for results – but hopefully this is the first step to solving my medical mystery. Many thanks to everyone here who has helped me through the maze – especially Mrs D. I hope some of this info is useful to others but please keep in mind that my circumstances are different from most. Hence the reference to being a 'Zebra' – there is a saying in the medical profession “If you hear hoof beats look for horses – not zebras” The chances of having Addison's disease is about 1 in 400,000 – only about 5% of people who have Addison's will go on develop B12 deficiency as a secondary condition. So - I'm a Zebra.

Happy Easter everyone . . . now where did I put those chocolate eggs???